I got an email from fellow writer Theresa Largusa with this request: "Here are a couple of questions I think about often, especially in light of how self-publishing is now considered legitimate: What is the artist's responsibility to herself? What is the artist's responsibility and obligation, if any, to the public? I'd be interested in what you think. Also, if you feel these questions would make a good blog post, that would be wonderful."

I oblige, of course. Here is what I think. There is really only one responsibility an artist has, and that is to create honest art. Not copy, not create to sell, not create to match something that is popular or because it fits a popular genre or category or what have you, not imitate the style of others, but to see the world the way you see it, and share that, however scary or morose or malicious or unsavory or, perhaps on the other end of the spectrum, too illustrious or kitsch or cutesy or... (insert the last bad word you called your art) it is.