You don’t get to choose your masterpiece.

Painters don’t get to choose which work of theirs will be the most popular and recognizable in our culture. Nor do they get to tell us which one will resonate with us for ages to come.

Writers don’t get to tell their audience which one of their works is their highest achievement, nor do they get to dictate what constitutes a literary marvel.

Musicians have no say in which of their pieces is their apex of achievement.

Composers don’t get to tell us which work of theirs will stand the test of time.

The artist never gets to decide. Instead, they can only produce and the world will decide for them.