Young Genius or Old Master

Well, here is an idea you might want to consider.

Artists can be divided into categories. There are those that get success early but then often burn out, let’s call them the young genius types. When you are in art school, it seems like everyone there is a genius. You have a thesis committee and do graduate seminars and a thesis show. And then you graduate, find a job and suddenly art does not seem so important anymore.

On another note, there are some people that are late bloomers. Maybe they are not too spectacular at first but gradually, slowly but surely they get better and better. Let’s call them the old masters. Old masters are wizened by experience and need to see their life in its totality.

Young geniuses tend to be fashionable and outgoing. They are the darlings of the art world. Everybody thinks of them as rock stars, being successful and making money. The old master may never realize fame and fortune. He is content to be insightful and profound and to cultivate a few connoisseurs to support him.

Perhaps we do not belong to either of these groups, but you might want to consider which type of artist you would be if you could be an artist. And then there could be an old genius, or a young master. Maybe these are all superficial differences anyway as only time will tell which art survives and which art ends up in the garage sale or even the dumpster.