The biggest problems with becoming successful in any form of art are the following:
You receive a huge amount of encouragement to repeat yourself, whereas what inspired you in the first place was the discovery of something new.
(Rule: welcome encouragement, and then try to ignore it)
Everyone wants you to be involved in everything, and you find all your time filled with doing things that aren’t exactly what you felt like doing.
(Rule: when invited to do something in the future, ask yourself if you would do it right now)
You no longer have time to actually do anything anyway because you’re constantly doing interviews about what you did in the past.
(Rule: block out days in your diary and FIGHT to keep them free. Leave the phone at home, tell your friends you’re on holiday)
Your life is filled with gadgets because you can afford them.
(Rule: every object takes up your time. Ask yourself what it gives you in return)
Options multiply: you do a lot of things
(Rule: Do fewer things better)
– Brian Eno (July 21, 2011) from here?
A lot of these rules hold true a decade later. The first case is forever true, whether you are a musician or a painter or a poet. Once some people like your work, and especially once people have invested something in you (record companies, galleries) they want you to do only very small variations on the theme. It is tempting to give them what they want, but this can also kill you. Some people do it well and with no ill effect, but others suffer. (Basquiat?) The secret of longevity, I think, is for the artist to aim for a sweet spot where they are making enough changes to their work to keep themselves engaged and excited while not making too many changes and losing their audience.
The last two rules we can mash together and contemplate together:
Every object takes up your time. Ask yourself what it gives you in return.
For me that connects with the last rule:
Do fewer things better.
Every object takes time to learn how to use properly. Do fewer things better.
I needed this rule as a child: “welcome encouragement, and then try to ignore it.”
I paid too much attention to the praise showered upon me – parents, teachers, friends. Rather than discovering and following my own passion, I pursued the praise and avoided any criticism. I was addicted to the praise. Thus, I never got into the depths of the arts and sciences I was praised for. Faker!
Well, I got married ten years ago to someone who constantly criticizes me (and he’s right), which has forced me to wake up and take a real look at my bad habits. Tough love, huh? Now, I have a chance to actually do something. Ahhh!