"It can become an exercise in trying to get the reader to like and admire you instead of an exercise in creative art"

In this quote, David Foster Wallace is highlighting the possible threat of composing for the sole function of gaining approval and appreciation from readers. He suggests that when writers focus too much on attempting to please their audience, they might forget the true function of their craft, which is to produce something significant and initial. Instead of utilizing writing as a kind of creative expression, it can become a calculated effort to win over readers. This can cause an absence of authenticity and genuineness in the writing, as the author's main objective becomes gaining approval rather than developing something authentic. Eventually, Wallace is cautioning versus compromising artistic stability for the sake of appeal.