What is Good writing? What makes a work Art?

While watching the interview of Zadie Smith a few things that she stated stuck with me. As someone who wishes to begin writing novels I took to heart her opinion about what makes a good novel and what makes a novel political. If our vanities and self-perceptions stand as an obstacle to us being a good writer, the only thing to overcome this obstacle is by being truthful and honest about your perception of the world and of life within it. Though it is easily stated, it's idea is extremely difficult to imagine. I have always thought that my writing is good if it is true to me, if it is told in my voice, and if it is of my experience. But what is self expression if it is not a selfish desire to outshine my contemporary writers and sit beside Shakespeare in popular status? Is telling your story an attempt to become part of them instead of becoming a part of us--the multicultural world we inhabit? I'm not saying you cannot create a story based on your experiences, but rather take those experiences and write about the people that influenced it and how it mirrors humanity and worldly ideology. Artful literature encompass the morality of its time through analogies or the political battles between government and individuals, individuals against one another, and individuals against societal standards. Art to me screams against normalities, expresses perceptions of truthful realities, and tries to move the audience. I try not to fall into the elitist-made pit full of books of so-called genius writers, by reading only great names and approach any book by any author with the attitude to accept it as art if it demands such a title.