Michelangelo, the Sistine Chapel, and Why the Bullsh*t Is Ancient | Ten Year Town Bonus Episode episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 11, 2026 · 7 MIN

Michelangelo, the Sistine Chapel, and Why the Bullsh*t Is Ancient | Ten Year Town Bonus Episode

from Ten Year Town · host Troy Cartwright

Michelangelo didn't wake up one morning wanting to spend four years painting a ceiling. He was a sculptor. But the Pope had a ceiling, and the Pope had money.In this bonus episode, Troy Cartwright reads an essay about an artist named Aaron Reese, who bought a newsstand at 39th and 4th in New York City to sell his ceramics — and about the uncomfortable, ancient intersection of art and commerce that every working artist has had to figure out.There was never an Eden where artists made exactly what they wanted and everybody showed up. Aaron Reese has an old newsstand. Michelangelo had a pope. And I have an Instagram.This piece started as a letter I wrote for my newsletter, Letters to Myself, at https://troycartwright.substack.com — short things like this, whenever they come to me. All free.New Episodes every Tuesday.Find the host Troy Cartwright on Twitter, Instagram.  Social Channels for Ten Year Town:YoutubeFacebookInstagramTwitterTikTokThis podcast was produced by Ben VanMaarth. Intro and Outro music for this episode was composed by Troy Cartwright, Monty Criswell, and Derek George. It is called "Same" and you can listen to it in it's entirety here.  Additional music for this episode was composed by Thomas Ventura. Artwork design by Brad Vetter. Creative Direction by Mary Lucille Noah.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 11, 2026

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Michelangelo didn't wake up one morning wanting to spend four years painting a ceiling. He was a sculptor. But the Pope had a ceiling, and the Pope had money. In this bonus episode, Troy Cartwright reads an essay about an artist named Aaron Reese, who bought a newsstand at 39th and 4th in New York City to sell his ceramics — and about the uncomfortable, ancient intersection of art and commerce that every working artist has had to figure out. There was never an Eden where artists made exactl...

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Michelangelo, the Sistine Chapel, and Why the Bullsh*t Is Ancient | Ten Year Town Bonus Episode

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