Interesting talk about the struggles artists go through.
She explained in her own poetic and artistic way something that even psychoanalysis (from Freud to Lacan) acknowledged: the “Other”.
Art is relationship. The most common misconception is that art is a selfish and self-centered act simply because when artists work they are physically alone.
Some artists think that way too, leading to the problems Gilbert mentioned.
Which is why adopting a mental construct like the muse or the genie works very well in order to symbolically shift the focus to the “other” (that is relationship).
Consequently the process of art making has to be nurtured continuously as we do with a partner. It doesn’t simply happen and it’s not something to give for granted. It requires dedication, compromise, sensibility and constant work.