An Artist Needs to have Audacity

Let's look at a quote from Winston Churchill, in which he describes one of the chief qualities that an artist must have to be successful:

"The first quality that is needed is audacity."

-Winston Churchill, Painting as a Pleasure, Whittesay House 50.

Random House Dictionary defines Audacity has:

1. boldness or daring, esp. with confident or arrogant disregard for personal safety, conventional thought, or other restrictions.

So how could I not agree with the above quote? You have to be ruthless in your pursuit of your vision, for many people will not understand. Painting is on the surface a very selfish thing, a very indulgent activity devoid of practicality or necessity. Only on the surface though, for what would the world be without art? A grey place devoid of color and substance.