[rojoca]

Ira Glass has a practical take on the idea of exposing good taste (e.g. trying to paint like Bellini): https://youtu.be/X2wLP0izeJE where he talks about how your good taste informs you that the work you are doing doesn’t yet match your ambition, and that this can be both motivating and discouraging

[rhines]

The way you've phrased this is rather beautiful, in that it suggests that good art is art which matches the intent of the author.

Some artists seek to recreate the world around them in great fidelity, and if they succeed in producing photorealistic paintings then for them, that is great art. Others seek to stir up controversy or draw attention to some cause, and if their work achieves that then that is great art. Others may simply seek to express themselves, or find peace with their feelings, and if they succeed in this then it is great art.

This is of course a different definition than Paul Graham would use. It does not allow for so much judgement and comparison. But for people interested in producing art, rather than consuming it, I think it's a much more useful perspective.

[analog31]

This is certainly the case for learning jazz improvisation. The primary obstacle, even for otherwise good musicians, is knowing you're going to suck at it for a long time before you get good. Even if you have an unorthodox idea of what you want it to sound like.