why even bother?

Why is it that some of the most talented artists fail to get recognized as such?

As an art professor, this can be quite discouraging at times. There are moments when you just want to grab your said student by the shoulders and shake them into understanding... that even though their work didn't get into the show, didn't get an award (because those awards all went to painting even though they were by far not the best in the show, but that is what the juror liked), didn't get a scholarship, or recognized for great artistic achievement...that despite all of those things, they are indeed amazing. That they have produced some of the most beautiful and insightful pieces of work you have seen in a long time. That they inspire you and challenge you to work harder. That the world of art can be terrible, and unfair and make you want to give up.

So here's my soapbox of encouragement:
Don't give up. Don't give up on challenging yourself. Make that frustration a part of your work, instead of inhibiting it. There is a time for you to shine. There will be that moment of recognition, when someone connects with your work... whether it be a juror, or an award, or a quiet moment of a person that notices your work as more than just pretty or well executed, that moment where your work has changed thier life forever... that is why we make art, that is why we can never give up making it, no matter how many shows we get rejected from, no matter how discouraged we get... because we are making it for that one moment.