--Today I am posting this story from Clint Watson....I really like this because it really hit home with me.  If you enjoy interesting info. regarding fine art and the art business; this is a really great site to visit.

Your dealer calls with good news:  He just sold the only seascape you ever painted.  He wants you to paint nothing but seascapes now....but you really don't like painting seascapes....should you do it?

You've been painting part-time for a couple of years, you've only sold a couple of pieces, you're not sure your ready to go full time, yet your friends all think you're great and want you to quit your day job and go full-time.  Should you do?You're excited about becoming an artist and your gut tells you to go to art school, but your parents think you should get a "real" job.  What do you do?

Should you listen to your own inner voice?  Or should you listen to the voice of "reason" of your peers?

Let me tell you a story:

Go back about 2,000 years to a tiny province on the outskirts of the vast Roman empire.  A mob brought a troublemaking Jew before the Roman governor of Judaea.  They accused the man of disturbing the peace...of stirring up dissention...of threatening Roman rule in the region. 
Upon questioning the man, the governor, Pontius Pilate, decided that the accusers were simply wrong...there was nothing that Jesus had said that threatened the empire.
Pilate felt good about his decision.  He had the Pharisees' number.  As a matter of fact, if they disliked Jesus, Pilate was inclined to think he might just be a pretty good guy.
"I find no fault in him at all," Pilate announced.That didn't fly with the Jewish authorities. They wanted to get rid of Jesus...they had their own reasons...they wanted his blood (but not on their hands).
"Crucify him! Crucify him," they screamed.
"But he has done nothing wrong," Pilate insisted.
"Crucify him!"
Back and forth it went, until Pilate finally capitulated...he found it easier to give in to the crowd and protect his own job rather than to do the right thing.  He ignored his inner voice.
Pilate gave in to peer pressure.
This Good Friday, I share this story not to trivialize it's importance, but to point out how disastrous the consequences can be when we don't listen to our "gut."
Getting advice from your peers is fine...but be sure that you always make sure that your inner voice agrees with the final decision.  Otherwise you....and a lot of other people may regret the decision.
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