Art Rabbithole

Author and philosopher Bo Bennett once said, “Success is not what you have but who you are.” This idea applies to many aspects of life, but it rings especially true in art. Unlike other fields where success is measured by wealth, status, recognition, or titles, art is different. The value of art—and the artist—is not about what they own. Art comes from who we are, not from what we have.

We often hear stories of painters who lived and died without fame, buyers, or approval. Vincent van Gogh is a well-known example. He sold only a few paintings during his lifetime and struggled with money, recognition, and stability. Yet now, his art is celebrated around the world. What lasted was not what he owned, but who he was. His sensitivity, vulnerability, honest view of the world, and courage to turn pain into colour are his real legacy.

A painting is more than pigment. A poem is more than words. A sculpture is more than material. Each artwork is a record of a person’s way of seeing and responding to the world. Every brushstroke is shaped by temperament, memory, hope, doubt, pain, tenderness, and longing. Technique matters, of course. Skill matters. But technique without inner depth is decoration, not art. The difference between a picture that looks beautiful and one that moves the soul is the presence of the artist’s being within it. Two artists might paint the same flower, face, or sunset—one painting may seem flat, while the other feels alive. This difference is not about better paint or tools. It comes from deeper awareness, greater sensitivity, and a more honest connection to life. You can only paint as profoundly as you have lived, suffered, questioned, or loved. You can only share what is inside you.

In this way, success in art lies within. It is not measured by sales, popularity, or applause. These things come and go. What lasts is how the artist grows as a person. Success means staying open in a world that often numbs us. It is the courage to keep creating, even when no one is watching. It is feeling deeply, being honest, and sharing truth through your work.

A true artist does not look for success outside themselves—they build it from within.

For an artist, success is not something you collect. It is who you become.