From Agnes Martin's "Writings"

Many people think that if they are attuned to fate, all their
Inspirations will lead them toward what they want and need.
But inspiration is really just the guide to the next thing
And may be what we call success or failure.
The bad paintings have to be painted
And to the artists these are more valuable than those paintings
Later brought before the public.
A work of art is successful when there is a hint of perfection
Present—
At the slightest hint…the work is alive.

…To feel confident and successful is not natural to the artist.
To feel insufficient,
To experience disappointment and defeat in waiting
For inspiration
Is the natural state of mind of an artist.
As a result praise to most artists is a little embarrassing.
They cannot take credit for inspiration
For we can see perfectly but we cannot do perfectly.