I was watching this fascinating interview of Austin Kleon  by  Chase Jarvis when one of the guests asked an interesting question at the end,

“I’ve heard from other creatives, that it’s always important to include family. Was that always the case when you started and had to work long hours? [Family] is really important. How do you begin in that stage?”

Kleon discussed the important of mentors, but also emphasized that who you marry is extremely important. This topic is so important in fact that Kleon has devoted a whole chapter in his book, Steal Like an Artist, advising artists to “Marry Well”. In a different interview he was even  quoted as saying that this was the most important thing an artist can do for their career.

“My wife is my biggest fan “, Kleon admitted ” She should get an Editorial credit”.

But nobody sadly has heard of Kleon’s wife. Jarvis, agreed that the same was true of his wife. As both men sung the praises of their wives and how instrumental they are to their work, I couldn’t help remembering the tired old adage, ” behind every powerful [or in this case influential/ creative] man is a woman”.

Surely, this is not what these men were intending to convey by singing their wives praises. However, it got me thinking if marrying well is one of the keys of success for these creative men, does the same also hold true for women artists? What about those who are both wives and mothers? Does “marrying well” mean something different as a female creative then it does as a man? If so, what is the difference in terms of creativity, success and overall life satisfaction? Are creative women who want to make a difference in the world, better off “marrying well” or not marrying at all?