So white privileged he got black friends...
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No one can prepare you to be an artist. If you think you are being prepared to be an artist; you are not an artist. Artists kill themselves and sometimes literally. Artists suffer and sometimes financially. It's hard to be an artist; you will question yourself to degradation. No drugs or alcohol will make you an artist. You will be shunned at some point. You cannot be prepared to be an artist.
Other artists will tell you what it is like and they won't know or won't even be artists. There is no religion, meditation, song, doctor and/or, education that will make you an artist. You are or you aren't an artist. And, everyone closest to you will tell you, you can't be an artist and tell you what you should be instead. Goddammit!