To be an artist you have to give up everything, including the desire to be a good artist…

– Clayton Cubitt

I have to agree with this. It’s not to say that you shouldn’t want to be good. But it shouldn’t be the ‘why’ of you doing something. I see plenty of people buy nice camera equipment or take classes out of a desire to become artistic. But the people that stand out… the people that get noticed, they do it because they have to do it. They might occasionally stop and plan — that’s good craft — but they just as likely will be overcome by a glimpse of something and react instinctively.

It isn’t to say you cannot be good without that passion. Just that when you find your passions, those are places where you will really stand out.