Since I retired (early I might add, but not that early), I have jettisoned those portions of my (non music related) job that I only did because they paid the bills, and keep on doing those that I enjoy for free, because they keep my brain alive, contribute "something" to the world outside myself and keep me in stimulating contact with like minded people around the world. I also contribute to wikipedia for free (as do lots of other folk), make my photographs freely available online for others to use, and so on; now I rely on the contributions made during my period of paid employment to subsides my remaining years, I can do what I like (within reason!), which focuses the attention wonderfully on what it is you really like doing...

Over the years I have made much music and only occasionally been paid to do so (which has made no difference to the quality of the performance, or so I like to think anyway). Stringsinger above says:

"Ultimately all artistic endeavor is about acceptance. Making money at it is a side hustle."

Indeed, although the acceptance is initially, and primarily by oneself, I would submit. In the present context (music), only when you feel an arrangement or performance is up to whatever personal standard you self-impose should you inflict it on others. And then if they don't like or appreciate it, the integrity of the endeavour is still intact (the Van Gogh approach). In other words: how do you know if your work is any good: (a) when someone else tells you it is / (b) when *you* know it is. It's (b) for me...