Don’t Listen To Doubters. I’m Guessing Banksy Didn’t.

I’m not shy about my liking the UK graffiti artist Banksy (see my earlier post here if you missed it). All you artists out there should take a lesson from this: one of his graffiti, stencil style paintings sold last month at a Sotheby’s auction for 102,000 British Pounds, or around $200,000 USD, a new high price for a piece of his art. Read the BBC article here.

Why I’m bringing this up is to remind you: do what you love. Not what somebody else wants you to love. Make art and feel good about it. The money will come. You think Bansky’s mom was proud that he spent so much time (“amounting to nothing”) in a dingy studio making graffiti stencils and staying out all night to deface public property? Not at first, I’m sure, but I’m guessing she’s proud now that he’s got himself a roaring fine art career. I’m taking liberties here, as I have no idea what his mom thought of him; I’m making gross stereotypes. Social measurements of success are tough to discuss in short here, but, regardless, it’s nice to see a graffiti artist doing well at Sotheby’s, doing well doing what he loves. I wonder if his art teachers in school thought his talent was going to waste? Either way, good on ya, Banksy. Thanks for the inspiration and for keeping us focused on doing what we like and doing it well.