Tragic Kingdom

September 24, 2025


The art world can, at first glance, feel like a tragic kingdom, beautiful from a distance, glittering with promise, but intimidating once you step inside. For both artists and collectors, it can be overwhelming to navigate a realm filled with sky-high auction prices, celebrity names, and the constant noise of shifting trends. It’s a place where million-dollar headlines and exclusivity often overshadow the quiet, personal reasons why anyone falls in love with art in the first place. And if you’re just starting out, if you’re a beginner with more questions than answers, it’s easy to wonder if you even belong here at all.

But the truth is, most people don’t begin with clarity or confidence. They begin with curiosity and a bit of grit. They start uninformed, uneducated, unrefined. And that’s not a flaw, it’s the path. No one is born knowing how to move through this world of galleries, studios, and markets. Everyone, even the so-called elites, had a first piece, a first show, a first moment of wondering if this was all a big mistake. What separates those who stay from those who walk away isn’t talent, it’s the willingness to keep showing up, to keep learning, to keep pushing through the discomfort of not knowing everything.

Yes, the market fluctuates. Yes, some galleries will close, and trends will change overnight. Yes, it can all seem a little unstable, even disheartening. But art itself, the drive to create, to collect, to connect through image and idea, that remains. And it has always made room for those who are willing to commit. What looks like a closed-off kingdom is, in reality, just a space filled with people trying, failing, learning, and growing. There’s no secret key, no magic password. The door opens for those who knock long enough.

So don’t let the intimidating facade of the art world scare you off. Don’t let a headline or a bad experience make you believe there’s no place for you here. It’s not as tragic as it seems. In fact, once you get past the surface, it’s a deeply human place, built on stories, passion, and persistence. Start where you are. Ask questions. Make bad art. Buy a piece that speaks to you even if no one else gets it. Keep showing up.

Because the art world isn’t just auction houses and art fairs. It’s also late nights in the studio. It’s conversations between artists and collectors who believe in each other. It’s the first painting you ever loved. The first one you ever sold. The first time you looked at something and felt understood. That’s the real kingdom, and it’s yours to enter, not by perfection, but by participation. Don’t let the fear keep you out. There’s more beauty here than tragedy, if you’re willing to look closer.