The following is an excerpt from the book called  Inside the Painter’s Studio by Joe Fig. It is a collection of interviews with different artists, all being asked the same series of questions. Today’s artist is  Ryan McGinness, another favorite artist of mine.

Lastly , what advice would you give a young artist who is just starting out?

 I think there is something to be said for ” stick-to-it-ness” . You have got to be in it to win it. And I think it is important to recognize if you are an artist or not.  Build a life and a career that accommodates  your being an artist instead of trying to be an artist.  It’s either something that’s in you or it’s not, and you cannot fake it.  I would say to not worry  about being an artist or trying to make art, just kind of make  whatever you have to make, and then build a life around that.  I think   that was one of the biggest breakthroughs for me, just realizing… because I went through a period where I  was just  trying to make art, and consequently I made things that were really imitative.  There was no real model or precedent for what I liked  to do, but when you realize that you just have to do what you do and not worry about whether or not it fits the mold  or a model of what art is, then you’re truly making innovative or breakthrough – and at the very least honest – work.  Does that answer your question?