"There is a marvelous peace in not publishing," Mr. Salinger told the Times in 1974. "Publishing is a terrible invasion of my privacy......I love to write just for myself and my own pleasure."
I think it's a safe assumption to say that this same attitude is the kind that painters are prone to as well. Yet is it truly a realistic notion? Is it possible to be successful with our self indulgent habits, and how do you measure when you have crossed the lines into self indulgence? The writer who mentioned this particular quote, Jennifer Finnley Boylan, bluntly made her opinion known: No. All writers or artists at some point must have some kind of audience in their head, at least to some degree. Otherwise what would be the point of writing if you know that no one can connect to your work. Perhaps some painters paint with themselves in mind and just perhaps, PERHAPS! There is someone out there who can understand them.