[ziggytrix]

Talent and drive can only take you as far as a given road goes. All the talent and determination in the world won't make a difference if your work isn't "discovered" until after your death, which has often been the case for famous artists.

That leaves chance, or nepotism, which ultimately is also chance in my estimation. Life is a crapshoot, and the dice were cast before you were born. Hooray!