Artists are decision-makers from a different mold who see the world with a fresh viewpoint that often defies conventional logic. Your individualized voice, which manifests through expression in your chosen medium/industry, is a gift that separates you from others when nurtured and developed. Your voice is your perspective, and when harmoniously combined with technical skills and creativity, people recognize it as authentic because you leaned in that thing only you can do. That sounds pretty, but it can be a challenge in everyday living when faced with the demands and pressures of regular life. Pop culture, trends, attention, money, etc., can affect your art positively or negatively. Think of when Dave Chappelle walked away from comedy central and the $50 million deal for The Chapelle Show. In an interview with Time magazine, he mentioned what influenced his decision. "I want to make sure I'm dancing and not shuffling," he says. "Whatever decisions I make right now, I'm going to have live with. Your soul is priceless." The first two seasons of his show "had a real spirit to them," he says. "I want to make sure whatever I do has spirit."
Wow, great words by someone who walks it as he talks it at the highest level. (Definitely check out Chappelle's acceptance speech at his old high school that is currently on Netflix, he drops a lot of gems for artists).
At around 1:03 in the interview below, Chappelle is eloquently speaking facts about art in under 60 sec.
For all of the artists on the come up like me and others who read this blog, it's easy to get caught up in the distractions out here if you can't view things in the proper context to keep things in perspective for where you see yourself in the future. One of the many traps you will have to learn to navigate is when you decide to make money from your artistic abilities. You'll have to find the right balance between business and creative vision because 100% on either end of the spectrum 100% of the time will hinder your growth. Think about it; the more successful you become, the more doors and opportunities are opened up to you with the resources to produce bigger and bigger ideas. Conversely, if your entire voice as an artist is nothing but a corporate bot/sellout where you don't stand for anything, that will also affect you, and the gimmick will be very short-lived. The key is to follow in the footsteps of the greats who figured out a way to connect, create and still put asses in the seats.
"Any living organism that becomes entirely rational becomes completely predictable, and being completely predictable is simply a shortcut to being dead. "
Even though our industries are creative, the culture within them doesn't foster creativity. They mostly operate with "defensive decision making," where decisions are based solely on data and money and minimizing risk to themselves in case of a negative outcome, which is why nothing ever moves the needle. You see the herd following the same predictable trends, with the same productions repeatedly. People become unwilling to take any risk when it includes any personal downside, even if those risks benefit them the most. Deviating from the default comes with more responsibility because more is at stake, and people don't like taking risks. Keep that in mind next time you second guess yourself artistically because something didn't go your way with a gig or client. The temporary setbacks could be nothing to do with your talent and more about data that makes someone perceive security.
So what is the solution? As mentioned above, find the balance between your artistic expression and business understanding where you know and play the game to your advantage. Be more like a Military Strategist where you have a fear of the obvious. You can't be conventionally logical in the military because people will be able to predict what you do. While the millions in your genre are chasing the same carrot within the corporate parameters of the same apps/algorithms, you'll be able to see the whole picture and carve your own path while also taking advantage of those same resources.
❤️🔥
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