Novels like Thomas Bernhard’s The Loser and W. Somerset Maugham’s The Moon and Sixpence

I am looking for a novel that explores the life and struggles of a protagonist who fails or succeeds in some art form – music, literature, etc. Could be non-fiction, too. I very much enjoyed Thomas Bernhard's The Loser and W. Somerset Maugham's The Moon and Sixpence. And Stoner, too.