How Hard is it to be an Artist Right Now?

I can only speak for myself, but I imagine there are alot of us out there who feel the same way. We want our work to be seen, we want people to connect to us and to our work, and we want to be SUCCESSFUL. There's nothing quite like the feeling I get when one of my paintings sells. It's great! I feel like, "Wow, someone out there appreciates my work and really connects to it". But it's really hard selling artwork. Even if you're represented by a gallery (which I was, and it wasn't the greatest experience) there are no guarantees. While some galleries are great to work with, there are some horror stories out there. So, after becoming completely fed up with my gallery experience, here I am- I've decided to join the ranks of self representing artists-and the ranks are huge. That means self marketing, which I'm still learning, and exhibiting in as many shows as possible on a limited budget. I may someday try my luck with a gallery again; I'm a little skiddish right now. It's really tough, and just when I think the aggravation is too much, something great happens, like I sell a painting. While I'd like more sales to be pouring in, I realize I need to build a reputation first. Hopefully the rest will come....