Artists

Thursday, December 5th., Chiltern Court, London.

No artist can rightly be only an artist. When he has finished a day's work of sincere creation he must be a merchant. Therefore he ought to learn how to be a merchant efficiently - that is to say how to sell his goods in the largest possible numbers and at the highest possible price consistent with honesty. Artists yearn to be appreciated; at least all the ones I have met do. It may be that there are artists hidden about the world who have no interest in the appreciation of their art by others, they are content to create in secret. This strikes me as a sort of onanism, but I have no objection in principle, though I would contend that no-one can sincerely regard himself as an artist who is unwilling to subject his art to public scrutiny. In fact, can art be art if it is accessible only to its creator? This is a matter too deep for me.

In any case, the best proof of appreciation is the receipt of cheques, notes or coin. If people genuinely appreciate a thing they will pay money for it to the extent of their means. If not, not. A comfortable earned income should be a matter of pride to an artist. It is to me! Artists who affect to contemn a comfortable income, when they can't make it, are nincompoops in addition to being liars.