A wall in Barbara’s studio

A: Be sure that you love your process unconditionally. There is no relationship between how hard an artist works and how much she earns. Indeed, with inflation and rapidly evolving ways of doing business, it seems to cost more money every year to be an artist. As I’ve said before, you should be prepared to work very, very hard. Really it’s all about making the most of your gifts as an artist. If you don’t feel a deep responsibility to developing your talents as far as possible, you probably will quit. You absolutely must love your materials and your creative process and be willing to do whatever it takes to continue making art. It’s not a life for slackers.