You go, Shakespeare

In "Hamlet," Polonius tells Laertes, "This above all: to thine own self be true."

Good advice, especially for artists.

I am noticing an interesting phenomenon, as I've been showing my work to various art consultants lately. Different people have different tastes.

When I've shown the same range of series to a number of different consultants, some jumped at one and not another, while some jumped at one another had passed on. A few weeks ago, one consultant passed on a triptych that was sold yesterday by another consultant. But the first consultant loved other pieces instead.

I am realizing that, if I had catered to one person's tastes over my own, I would have lost myself in the creative process.

The artist must work to express HERSELF. Sometimes others will like it, sometimes others won't like it. Sometimes someone who liked one series will dislike another, and someone who disliked one series will like another. It's all personal taste.

In the long run, the only opinion that matters is the artist's. So you have to be sure of what you are doing. But once you're sure, you have to stick to your guns.