Oh, what a timely post. I have a piece of work in the gallery (I'm a photographer) and the only reason I hope it sells is that I don't want to put another hole in my wall to hang yet another picture :P I'm lazy, you see.

I think a lot of artists and image / artefact makers do it because it satisfies some sort of internal desire to create stuff. Not necessarily to make money. There's also the archetype of the starving artist which... I personally like to project upon myself, because if my work was the only way to obtain calories, I'd be dead.

I'm not dead, and my work is certainly not the source of my current financial position.

Nonetheless, your comments on the relentless marketing is across every industry, and I do not, and cannot understand how it is acceptable for a company or individual to have something new to sell to you every day, or an offer for you everyday.

I am far less likely to buy from a company that sends an email every single day. I unsubscribe from every such "newsletter" and it is so frustrating when that "ubsubscription" lapses because the next time you buy something from them, you're automatically subscribed all over again.

Like, I do not need to buy cat food or cat litter every single day, or speciality wall hooks... or whatever other product a store is peddling.