Yes, the gallery stuff is difficult. I am working with someone who is trying to crack it. She's someone who works very hard, has developed her own (recognizab

Yes, the gallery stuff is difficult. I am working with someone who is trying to crack it. She's someone who works very hard, has developed her own (recognizable, and sometimes featured) style. Still, galleries are tough. I think my point is that, as an untrained person, I can look at something and say, "I like that." But, how do I know that I like the right stuff? Maybe it doesn't work with the message surrounding it (does that even make sense?). I have no idea how to judge that. How do I know who does? For the coding analogue, I don't think it's "pretty/beautiful" code (except by proxy). Suppose I write something for you that shows off the art that you want to sell. This is a unique app to you (let's say)- Your plan is to generate traffic by blogging about art, and have your stuff tactically displayed throughout to prompt people to buy it. I build the app, you click on it and it works exactly the way you think it should. Now, you take the app, integrate it into your site, and stick on adwords because you need to make some short-term cash while you iterate your long-term strategy. But my coding sucks, and my script doesn't play well with adwords, and your site fails in a way that you can't see- perhaps you don't get the credit for the clicks you actually generate. Mind you, I'm not claiming to have answers (I wish I did). But it may be helpful to compare and contrast the plight of artists with that of other professions that are self-identified. When I was growing up, car mechanics were among those professions also. What creates distinction? Maybe there are two types of distinction to consider: professional prestige and financial success. Some authors, for example, have high professional prestige but you can't find their work at Hudson News (airport book store). Others are quite the opposite.