Yes, but not as such. For instance, most of the people I meet who are successful in the arts know as well as I do when a painting needs attention, when a sculpt could be improved or when an image could be improved. On the other hand, the people I know that don’t enjoy painting don’t make the effort to improve anything; in fact, it’s their main hobby. In fact, for many people the only thing that matters to them is enjoying the life of the mind, for there’s no use trying to improve whatever you can do with your hands. I find, if you look at the list of art forms (especially art history) where the majority of the population has an interest as an artist, painting and drawing is among the worst. When a man gets his first hobby, he doesn’t do it very well, as he loses the connection of what art consists in, which is seeing a thing and enjoying it in one way or another.
I found myself a bit confused myself, for once in my life, as to why there are such people among the rich. It was strange for me, but at the same time interesting to see. I went over to my wife’s house (she’s from the same family) some time ago, and after a long, quiet dinner with her a very interesting conversation took place. As an artist, she had an interest in drawing, painting and drawing things. But she also saw how the poor are not getting any of these things, and she explained to me quite calmly how the poor would spend all the money on food and clothes. If you’re in your twenties, all you can really do is make a little money on the side, or, better still, you sell your work to the high society, and you don’t work until you find a job again.
When I was in my twenties, my father came to visit us and told me not to worry. As his children would be better off financially than him and because he didn’t think they really needed anything on their own, he planned to send me to a private college, and that we can go to Europe after university. He wanted me to make a lot of money in America, and he said, “Do you want to take over the family business, and do your own drawing, painting and writing as well?” I replied that I didn’t, but that I would continue to read and learn art and also that I would do all the housework. He said he could trust me and
online art history courses for high school students, kline creative, free online art lessons for beginners, online art classes for high school credit, the virtual instructoryoutube