My friend the celebrated critic Shana writes from LA:
10. Remember it has nothing to do with talent.
At least not in the way we all think it should mostly. Well, sometimes it does — there are some bad artists among us, and it’s a person’s prerogative to be a bad artist if that’s what they want. But in order to persevere in this career, you must believe in yourself and your vision. When I say it’s not about talent, that’s not completely true of course – I just want you to remember that other factors — timing, personal taste, politics, economics, luck, geography, and myriad other things beyond your control — have their roles to play. Talent is not enough, you’ve got to cultivate a business sense, and cultivate patience, along with honing your craft.