And hanging out can be marvelous. But hanging out does not make one an artist. A secondhand wardrobe does not make you an artist. Neither do a hair-trigger temper, melancholic nature, propensity for tears, hating your parents, nor even HIV—I hate to say it—none of these make one an artist. They can help, but just as being gay does not make on witty…the only thing that makes one an artist is making art.
David Rakoff, “Isn’t It Romantic?”
(One of my favorite essays of all time.)
(DR dying blows. And I feel really weird about it.)