What Determines Likes or Dislikes?

What determines whether an artist likes a particular medium or not? I have had many positive comments on the chihuahua painting but I don't particularly like it nor do I like the medium of (chalk-type or soft) pastel very much. I would like to be a well-rounded artist, proficient in many mediums including pastel because I love the look of it. But, I just can't seem to get the hang of it.

Is this why I don't like it very much? Because it doesn't come easily for me? I also hate the way my hands feel while using it and I avoid using my fingers to blend. That may or may not be a good thing, depending on who you ask, but I do know it's easier to blend using the fingers than something else. Does the way it feels on my hands contribute to my dislike of pastels? I also hate the mess it makes but I've certainly worked with messier mediums and just accept the mess as part of the process.

All of the serious artists I've met have to be drawing, painting or sculpting, etc. on a regular basis and, in a pinch or fit of exploration, will work outside their medium of choice. Also, many of the serious artists I've met work happily in several mediums even though they may be best known for only one.

So, what makes us choose a certain medium over all of the others? Perhaps it's the strike system. Pastels have three strikes against them as far as I'm concerned (1. they seem hard to master, 2. they feel awful on the hands, 3. they're very messy) but maybe one day this will change and I'll suddenly love pastels - wonder if this is really possible?