I agree: developing an aesthetic is a journey of personal discovery and confrontation with one's own shadows.
The authentic artist agrees to confront his or her limitations and evolve, even at the cost of destroying what he or she has already created.
This process is at odds with the market's desire to fix the artist in a recognizable and repeatable style.
But it is precisely in the tension between these two poles that true art lies: not in the construction of a brand, but in the constant search for self, even at the risk of being misunderstood or unappreciated.