A search for meaning is often just that. When the “meaning” offered to your young self starts to crack or stop giving that buzz. (Work hard, get good, get paid, find love, earn more…)

Will be interesting to see whether the chances of actually “winning” at the arts being reduced to almost zero changes the spiritually questing nature of artists. If the quest now is just “don’t starve.”

I think there's always been an array of winning positions. A fair number of rock stars bought a stately home and just lived happily and 'reclusively' ever after with their spouse and kids.

What is art to the artist? I liked Lynch's description of the art life 'drink coffee, smoke cigarettes, make art'. But I don't begrudge artists with ten years careers choosing to walk away and be happy instead.

I think I prefer artists who do what they want and ask their audience to follow (or not) than artists who play their old hits to the delight of their fans, but ... I mean if you're out there delighting people, perhaps that's better than moping at home making difficult stuff.

I remember moaning to my mum when I was a teen that the new Queen album (The Miracle, presumably) wasn't very innovative, and her pointing out that if I listen to a Queen album, 'it will tend to sound like Queen', and I have spent 40 years now wrestling with the implications of that.

If an artist is at the peak of success, what can they do next? What moves do they have? Gurus suggest new moves. Hey, George, we know you are fluent with a guitar but have difficulty articulating why you fancy that woman ... how about a different subject?

And I think it's all about introducing new chaos and madness. As opposed to, say, therapy. I kind of wish John Cleese had embraced the occult instead of finding a therapist who cured him of being funny.