This is an analogy I find particularly useful, especially when talking to young artists about how the process and product of their art-making. It involves situating what we know about food, cooking, and the sale of food and how closely linked it is to art, art-making and the sale of art. Analogies are rarely completely perfect but I have seen a lot of “Aha” moments while explaining things from this perspective and wanted to write it down to hopefully turn more conceptual lightbulbs on!

When you learn to cook – you start with cooking for yourself

Whenever you started to learn to cook, chances are you started because you wanted to learn how to make something in particular that you like to eat. You have to feed yourself and either there is no one to cook for you or no one makes it exactly the way you like it. It’s…