Professional Happiness?

I woke up a month or so ago with this clumsy phrase turning itself over and over in my mind. I'm not entirely sure I whole heartedly believe it myself but I think it goes some way towards the right idea.

A dear friend suggested it sounded rather a lonely philosophy, he thought perhaps that 'independent creative endeavor' meant no other could be involved in the process. This isn't the case. For me independence relates to freedom from imposed stipulations by others not the absence of human co-operation. My own experience has taught me that I by far prefer collaborative enterprise to solus enterprise.

But then I ask myself what profession actually fits this ideology, does any? I can think of only one- the artist. Only the writer, painter, photographer et al can know this pleasure, but even then only a fractional few. Certainly not journalists who write/broadcast according to predefined contexts, historically even the greatest painters have at some point tailored their output according to client demand/commision. Authors too must conform to the requirements set out by their publishing houses.

Perhaps I'm full of shit and Dylan was right all along? Perhaps 'constraint' irrespective of what form it takes is in fact a healthy necessity that on very rare occasions induces individuals to startling creative brilliance.