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1AAnartistwhoseeksfameislikeadogchasinghisowntailwho,whenhecapturesit,doesnotknowwhatelsetodobuttocontinuechasingit.Thecrueltyofsuccessisthatitoftenleadsthosewhoseeksuchsuccesstoparticipateintheirowndestruction.2Don'tquityourdayjob!isadvicefrequentlygivenbyunderstandablypessimisticfamilymembersandfriendstoabuddingartistwhoistryinghardtosucceed.Theconquestoffameisdifficultatbest,andmanyendupemotionallyifnotfinanciallybankrupt.Still,impuremotivessuchasthedesireforworshippingfansandpraisefrompeersmayspurtheartiston.Thelureofdrowninginfame'simperialgloryisnoteasilyresisted.3Thosewhogainfamemostoftengainitasaresultofexploitingtheirtalentforsinging,dancing,painting,orwriting,etc.Theydevelopastylethatagentsmarketaggressivelytohastenpopularity,andtheirrideontheexpresselevatortothetopisablur.Mostwouldbehard-pressedtotellyouhowtheyevengotthere.Artistscannotremainidle,though.Whentheperformer,painterorwriterbecomesbored,theirworkbeginstoshowalackofcontinuityinitsappealanditbecomesdifficulttosustaintheattentionofthepublic.Aftertheirenthusiasmhasdissolved,thepublicsimplymovesontothenextflavorofthemonth.Artistswhodoattempttoremaincurrentbymakingevenminutechangestotheirstyleofwriting,dancingorsinging,runasignificantriskoflosingtheaudience'sfavor.Thepublicsimplydiscountsstylesotherthanthoseforwhichtheartisthasbecomefamous.4Famousauthors'styles—aTennesseeWilliamsplayoraplotbyErnestHemingwayorapoembyRobertFrostorT.S.Eliot—areeasilyrecognizable.ThesameistrueofpainterslikeMonet,Renoir,orDaliandmoviemakerslikeHitchcock,Fellini,Spielberg,ChenKaigeorZhangYimou.Theirdistinctstylesmarkedasignificantchangeinformfromothersandgainedthemfameandfortune.However,theypaidforitbygivingupthefreedomtoexpressthemselveswithotherstylesorforms.5Fame'sspotlightcanbehotterthanatropicaljungle—afraudisquicklyexposed,andthepressureofsomuchattentionistoomuchformosttoendure.Ittakesyououtofyourself:Youmustbewhatthepublicthinksyouare,notwhatyoureallyareorcouldbe.Theperformer,likethepolitician,mustoftenpleasehisorheraudiencesbysayingthingsheorshedoesnotmeanorfullybelieve.6Onedropoffamewilllikelycontaminatetheentirewellofaman'ssoul,andsoanartistwhoremainstruetohimselforherselfisparticularlyamazing.Youwouldbehard-pressedtounderlinemanynamesofthosewhohavenotcompromisedandstillsucceededinthefamegame.Anexample,thefamousIrishwriterOscarWilde,knownforhisuncompromisingbehavior,bothsocialandsexual,towhichthepublicobjected,paidheavilyforremainingtruetohimself.ThemotherofayoungmanOscarwasintimatewithaccusedhimatabanquetinfrontofhisfriendsandfansofsexuallyinfluencingherson.Extremelyangeredbyherremarks,hesuedtheyoungman'smother,assertingthatshehaddamagedhisgoodname.Heshouldhavehiredabetterattorney,though.ThejudgedidnotsecondWilde'scalltohavethewomanpayfordamaginghisname,andinsteadfinedWilde.Heendedupinjailafterrefusingtopay,andevenworse,waspermanentlyexpelledfromthewidercircleofpublicfavor.Whenthingswereattheirworst,hefoundthatnoonewaswillingtoriskhisorhernameinhisdefense.Hispriceforremainingtruetohimselfwastobeleftalonewhenheneededhisfansthemost.7Curiouslyenough,itisthosewhofailthatreapthegreatestreward:freedom!Theyenjoythefreedomtoexpressthemselvesinuniqueandoriginalwayswithoutfearoflosingthesupportoffans.Failedartistsmayfindcomfortinknowingthatmanygreatartistsneverfoundfameuntilwellaftertheyhadpassedawayorinknowingthattheydidnotsellout.Theymayjustifytheirfailurebyconvincingthemselvestheirgeniusistoosophisticatedforcontemporaryaudiences.8Single-mindedartistswhocontinuetheirquestforfameevenafterfailuremightalsoliketoknowthatfailurehasmotivatedsomefamouspeopletoworkevenhardertosucceed.ThomasWolfe,theAmericannovelist,hadhisfirstnovelLookHomeward,Angelrejected39timesbeforeitwasfinallypublished.Beethovenovercamehisfather,whodidnotbelievethathehadanypotentialasamusician,tobecomethegreatestmusicianintheworld.AndPestalozzi,thefamousSwisseducatorinthe19thcentury,failedateveryjobheeverhaduntilhecameupontheideaofteachingchildrenanddevelopingthefundamentaltheoriestoproduceanewformofeducation.ThomasEdisonwasthrownoutofschoolinthefourthgrade,becauseheseemedtohisteachertobequitedull.Unfortunatelyformostpeople,however,failureistheendoftheirstruggle,notthebeginning.9Isaytothosewhodesperatelyseekfameandfortune:goodluck.Butalas,youmayfindthatitwasnotwhatyouwanted.Thedogwhocatcheshistaildiscoversthatitisonlyatail.Thepersonwhoachievessuccessoftendiscoversthatitdoesmoreharmthangood.Soinsteadoftryingsohardtoachievesuccess,trytobehappywithwhoyouareandwhatyoudo.Trytodoworkthatyoucanbeproudof.Maybeyouwon'tbefamousinyourownlifetime,butyoumaycreatebetterart.2AHewasborninapoorareaofSouthLondon.Heworehismother'soldredstockingscutdownforanklesocks.Hismotherwastemporarilydeclaredmad.DickensmighthavecreatedCharlieChaplin'schildhood.ButonlyCharlieChaplincouldhavecreatedthegreatcomiccharacteroftheTramp,thelittlemaninragswhogavehiscreatorpermanentfame.2Othercountries—France,Italy,Spain,evenJapan—haveprovidedmoreapplause(andprofit)whereChaplinisconcernedthanthelandofhisbirth.ChaplinquitBritainforgoodin19