Ten Commandments for Artists

S.P. Somtow has come down from the mountain, and this is what he wants to tell all of you who wish to join the second oldest profession....

1. Have something to say.
2. Say it, and say it as well as you can, and don't get sidetracked.
3. Don't look for short cuts.  They don't exist.
4. Listen to your inner voice, and face your inner darkness.
5. Tell the truth.  (This is especially important in fiction!)
6. Believe before you expect others to believe.
7. Never, ever, disrespect your public.
8. Never believe your own hype.
9. Know that in the moment of creation you are utterly alone.
10. In life you may be timid as a mouse, but when you create, fear nothing.

Everyone of the statements above is a cliché, but it doesn't mean they're not true.

If you do all the above, you will be a real artist.  I can't promise you'll be a GOOD one ... that's for history to judge.  But you won't be a phony.