I was a musician for many years before I turned to visual art. My thing was "independent" artists - I believe that some great stuff goes unheard underneath the RADAR because it has no corporate backing - said another way, the corporate stuff wasn't worth my time because it was too formula, lacking passion and predictable. I came across a lot of crap (the journey's more important than the destination), but when I found that one gem in a thousand, I'd ask myself "why aren't more people into this?"

My whole reason for writing music was "what happens when I modulate x with y but invert it with q after running it through a theta filter". I think that's the difference between an artist and a hobbyist - the artist isn't looking for personal praise but have dedicated their lives to the studious pursuit of their craft, looking to push the envelope and really move peoples emotions, perhaps get them to see the world in a different way. Though it is not a lifestyle for everyone, I have no TV or significant other because I am married to my muse, and she is one jealous and demanding b*tch, whom I could not live without, or would want to compromise with distractions.

On the flip side, many so-called hobbyists will become great (though I believe it takes lots of study and experimentation - perhaps the lack of that is what the original poster is lamenting; there are far too many pin-ups with blank stares, pouty lips and small noses in the gallery), but before one can be great, or even good, they're gonna put out crap (speaking from experience). I love the crap that I put out, but that doesn't mean that I'm content to rest upon it. I want more.

Finally, it's funny that people are so "butt-hurt" by constructive criticism. Critics can be your best allies, if one takes their comments in stride. Art is subjective, but an artist must look at his / her work as objectively as possible. That, I believe, is in short supply in some of the larger galleries.