We make such unforgiving demands upon ourselves as artists, Any artist, really. We define our success by fame, by sales, by the final balance in our bank account. The life of all artists is a lonely life. I have known musicians and actors who, surrounded by a band or an orchestra or a troupe, are often just by themselves. Insecure. Little lights in the darkness of the expanse that is art.

There is a wonderful Taoist verse from the Tao ti Ching that seems to hit the creation of art squarely:

Giving birth and nourishing,
Bearing but not possessing,
Working yet not taking credit,
Leading yet not dominating,
This is the Primal Virtue.

The creation of a work is birth, and I believe the best parents are those who allow their children to grow and mature without possessing them. Our art is our child, and we excel when we allow…