I think either way you are trying to appease the superego. For secular people the superego is the Tribe (capital T). For religious people they have their God(s). Our brain is hardwired to care how we're looked at. The superego has their demands and they are similarly implacable no matter who you are. But at least with religion it's kinda clear what God wants.

The only way you can do what the author suggests, to do it for yourself, is if you have all your needs met already. Otherwise, you'd feel that making art is a bit of a waste of time, or you'd rationalize it by making it about status somehow.