When you think about it, isn’t that really the main reason people make art — to make these kinds of connections? I mean, yeah, you’ll hear many an artist in various fields say “I write for myself” or “I paint for myself” or “I make music for myself,” but they’re usually not just tossing their work into the garage once they’re finished with it. What they mean is, they’re not entertainers, figuring out what the audience wants and then supplying it. “Writing for yourself” means you’re capturing something you want to share — and releasing it means you’re hoping it strikes a chord with someone. Reporters used to ask the “Mystery Science Theater 3000” crew about all the obscure references — why include so many jokes that almost no one’s going to get? Their answer: the right people will get it.

- From "Letter to a Young Artist (Plus a Joke)" by Adam Cadre