Anartistwhoseeksfameislikeadogchasinghisowntailwho,whenhecapturesit,doesnotknowwhatelsetodobuttocontinuechasingit.

　　Thecrueltyofsuccessisthatitoftenleadsthosewhoseeksuchsuccesstoparticipateintheirowndestruction.

　　"Don'tquityourdayjob!"isadvicefrequentlygivenbyunderstandablypessimisticfamilymembersandfriendstoabuddingartistwhoistryinghardtosucceed.

　　Theconquestoffameisdifficultatbest,andmanyendupemotionallyifnotfinanciallybankrupt.

　　Still,impuremotivessuchasthedesireforworshippingfansandpraisefrompeersmayspurtheartiston.

　　Thelureofdrowninginfame'simperialgloryisnoteasilyresisted.

　　Thosewhogainfamemostoftengainitasaresultofexploitingtheirtalentforsinging,dancing,painting,orwriting,etc.

　　Theydevelopastylethatagentsmarketaggressivelytohastenpopularity,andtheirrideontheexpresselevatortothetopisablur.

　　Mostwouldbehard-pressedtotellyouhowtheyevengotthere.

　　Artistscannotremainidle,though.

　　Whentheperformer,painterorwriterbecomesbored,theirworkbeginstoshowalackofcontinuityinitsappealanditbecomesdifficulttosustaintheattentionofthepublic.

　　Aftertheirenthusiasmhasdissolved,thepublicsimplymovesontothenextflavorofthemonth.

　　Artistswhodoattempttoremaincurrentbymakingevenminutechangestotheirstyleofwriting,dancingorsinging,runasignificantriskoflosingtheaudience'sfavor.

　　Thepublicsimplydiscountsstylesotherthanthoseforwhichtheartisthasbecomefamous.

　　Famousauthors'styles鈥攁TennesseeWilliamsplayoraplotbyErnestHemingwayorapoembyRobertFrostorT.S.Eliot鈥攁reeasilyrecognizable.

　　ThesameistrueofpainterslikeMonet,Renoir,orDaliandmoviemakerslikeHitchcock,Fellini,Spielberg,ChenKaigeorZhangYimou.

　　Theirdistinctstylesmarkedasignificantchangeinformfromothersandgainedthemfameandfortune.

　　However,theypaidforitbygivingupthefreedomtoexpressthemselveswithotherstylesorforms.

　　Fame'sspotlightcanbehotterthanatropicaljungle鈥攁fraudisquicklyexposed,andthepressureofsomuchattentionistoomuchformosttoendure.

　　Ittakesyououtofyourself:Youmustbewhatthepublicthinksyouare,notwhatyoureallyareorcouldbe.

　　Theperformer,likethepolitician,mustoftenpleasehisorheraudiencesbysayingthingsheorshedoesnotmeanorfullybelieve.

　　Onedropoffamewilllikelycontaminatetheentirewellofaman'ssoul,andsoanartistwhoremainstruetohimselforherselfisparticularlyamazing.

　　Youwouldbehard-pressedtounderlinemanynamesofthosewhohavenotcompromisedandstillsucceededinthefamegame.

　　Anexample,thefamousIrishwriterOscarWilde,knownforhisuncompromisingbehavior,bothsocialandsexual,towhichthepublicobjected,paidheavilyforremainingtruetohimself.

　　ThemotherofayoungmanOscarwasintimatewithaccusedhimatabanquetinfrontofhisfriendsandfansofsexuallyinfluencingherson.

　　Extremelyangeredbyherremarks,hesuedtheyoungman'smother,assertingthatshehaddamagedhis"good"name.

　　Heshouldhavehiredabetterattorney,though.

　　ThejudgedidnotsecondWilde'scalltohavet