The Artistic Paradox (The Way of the Writer)

This comes from  a foreword I wrote for a comic book anthology. I have always felt like artists have an eternal paradoxical struggle within . . .

Artists are an interesting bunch. Many artists are self-effacing, meek, and humble — unwilling to share their work with the world out of a fear of rejection, coming from the introspective nature that cultivates their artistic tendancies. Other artists are arrogant and egotistical, growing from the recognition of their own talent and the knowledge that, simply put, it’s good. But the majority of artists are a strange combination of the two — living paradoxes — humble and unassuming, yet confident and assertive. Their introspection is tempered by an arrogance that their story is worth reading, that people will enjoy it and laugh or cry or have some sort of reaction.

~ Ben

Samurai art by Tim Baron