Do I have taste?
Everyone has personal taste. Taste is the product of both training and personality, and it constantly evolves. (Consider how dated the music, food or clothes you preferred in high school seem to you today.) So don't let new or challenging art intimidate you — just think of it as an opportunity to explore and refine your tastes. You may find that pieces that didn't initially appeal to you grow on you, and deepen your appreciation of the art that you already know and like.

Tastes evolve
Each generation, society, and community has its own standards of taste, and these change with time and circumstance. Because contemporary artists often introduce entirely new ways of seeing the world, they usually challenge the established standards of taste.

Distinguishing taste from trend
When we relinquish decisions of taste to follow trends, we impede the evolution of our own taste in favor of imitating those whom we consider to have better taste. When we convince ourselves our taste is inferior to others', the whole issue of taste becomes a source of anxiety.

Taste testing
Trust yourself. When evaluating a work of art, ask yourself if it has an effect on you. Does it change you? Can you take something new from it with each encounter?

Refining your tastes
Our tastes reflect who we are, and evolve with our experience over time. The more information you absorb, the more informed and refined your tastes become. At any given moment, your taste is a reflection of your personality, and to impose someone else's taste onto yours is like borrowing someone else's personality. No one's taste is better for you than yours.

Next: Collecting Strategies — How do I build a collection?