I’ll be brief and direct ‘cause this is a hot one for me.

Artistic creators don’t owe anything to the fans. 

Their responsibility is to transform a thought or vision into a concrete object (or at least witnessable for even an instant), bring to life an abstract idea, or just simply become a vessel to express themselves… 

There, I said it.

IF, and this is a big if, IF their creations resonate with any of your senses, you may appreciate them, enjoy them —hell, even criticize them—. IF you don’t care for it, hey, it’s cool; ignore its existence into oblivion. But you can NEVER expect the artists to define his/her/their art according to what fans want. It contradicts the very notion of genuinely expressing yourself through art (which is what SUPPOSEDLY defines you as a true artist).

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not so binary.

Cater to fans, and satisfy them, IF THAT’S WHAT NURTURES YOUR ART.
Create a marketable product, and sell your art, IF THAT’S YOUR GOAL.
Seek validation and praise from your audiences, IF THAT’S WHAT MAKES YOU COMPLETE.

The prevailing concept here is: Do whatever you need to keep creating art, to keep feeling the need to express SOMETHING, to bring something personal into this world. 

Lost old fans? Get new fans!
Got criticized? Own it!
Wasn’t a big hit? Do another one!

It’s your vision, your voice, your sweat, your tears, your time… Do as you wish, then deal with the consequences. In the end, it’s your creation, and if you were honest with what you were trying to do, a certain beauty and singularity will always make it stand out from other pieces.

P.S.

I want to say that even though I just ranted about artistic freedom, being true to yourself and never catering to fans—> I DO NOT DEFEND/JUSTIFY/ACKNOWLEDGE Game of Thrones last season. Mediocrity will never be tolerated. The show-runners fucked-up.

“Never lose your tegridy”.