What advice would you give a young artist who is just starting out?

“I think a lot of times young artists get confused about who they are versus what they think the so-called art world want s them to be.. And I think if young artists basically listened to themselves a little bit and basically did what they really wanted to do, it would be a more interesting art world, and they’d have a more interesting life.  I think a lot of people make funny compromises about something that’s really important not to compromise about.  I see people who try to jump on trends and it’s sort of sad.  It just seems to me like there’s so many ways that we can sell ourselves out.  The whole culture wants us to sell out, and it’s constantly asking us to..  It seems like art’s the place where that doesn’t have to happen.  All day long you can prostitute yourself with whatever day job or crappy thing you have to do to get through the day, but you should never do that with your work.”

quote by Fred Tomaselli, excepted from the book of interviews with various artists called Inside the Painter’s Studio by Joe Fig