What Makes You Famous?

Everyone now a day has the opportunity to write and publish on the web. Anyone can become a writer and author without needing a publisher to edit, print, bond and distribute their work. 

The same is for musicians and dancers and artist. Though much of the performing arts need to be seen and heard in public, all the advertising and promotion can be done electronically. 

So other than tickets at a show or sales slips, how do you know you are famous? Maybe you are not as good as you think you are.

Just like the NSA collecting data, every artist must evaluate their work and the public response to see if they wish to continue with this line of work. 

Some web sites are effective and get attention and some don’t. The same is true for books and magazines. 

If you measure the number of hits on a website, is that a conclusive number of views? If you sell so many magazines, does that mean everyone who buys it will read your article? What about books? No matter how many are published, unless they become classroom text may only windup in the bargain bin. 

But the promise of being on the New York Times bestseller list or welcoming a movie deal keeps every artist hoping. 

I started out with 3 to 4 reads when I started. Now I’m up to 40 to 50 averages reads. Is my writing any better? Probably not, but it is rewarding that more eyes read this mess. 

All artist want some response for their efforts otherwise they would just do cave drawing for themselves. Just like the paintings hanging in the museum, does everyone appreciate them even though that they have been valued by the appreciation experts that they are worthy of hanging in a museum?

Distribution

It is an economic reality. Whatever it takes to create art, and however the promotion is used to make the public become aware, the art has to be disturbed to the location the public uses. 

Today the distribution of artwork or music can be handled through the Internet. Website can be established for branding or distribution sites can be uploaded with samples that can be observed but not downloaded without a charge. There are also other social networks to inform the public and guide them to your site. 

There are also the tours of festivals and fairs but the booths will have to be carried from location to location and a library of work carried. With the music is by one or several, instruments and sound systems must be moved and repaired from place to place. The same process holds true for any other performance art. 

Along with travel to distant destinations the distribution off your art includes eating, sleeping, and washing arrangements along with financial processing. Also every state and community has certain legal requirements for setting up and displaying your art.

The Audience

Most of us are in the audience. 

We pay for a ticket and attend a venue to watch and listen and enjoy a performance, but we are the audience. 

The audience has paid their fare but they are rude. Most are not there to appreciate the artistry being performed before them. For high-end venues, the audience is to be seen and will cough and squirm and leave at the first intermission. The smaller stage will present an audience who paid less per ticket but are true fans of the performance.

Due to the constant chatter from the audience, the volume gets louder to gain attention. 

The same is true for artwork of every kind. 

Flashy and bright artwork zooms across computer screens trying to catch the viewer’s attention. It seems no one has the patience to sit and enjoy a full opera or walk quietly through a museum to view the details of the artwork.

For sales of static art or performing art helps to know what the audience wants. Don’t take a violin concerto to a rock festival.

So as you plan your website and book your presentations, consider your audience.

Why do you write?

 

There are hundreds of thousands of books, short stories, magazines, website presenting ideas, opinions, factual observations, historical research, and more. Fiction, Science Fiction, Graphic novels, Cooking, Science, History, and even E-Books, the list goes on and on about subjects and categories. Behind all the different methods to deliver these words, someone is writing them.

What drives a person to sit down and write their thoughts for others to read? Some strive for the recognition, fame and fortune. Some hope for changing ways of thinking. Some just enjoy creating sentences that will tell a story that someone else may connect with and enjoy.

The same is true for anyone with a creative slant. Painters, dancers, musicians, performers what to entertain, inspire, and overall influence their audience. The reviews and comments are much more cherished than the paycheck.

I Want Your Money

Everything is for sale; at a price. And we sell everything. 

We sell our personality and qualities and education and skills to acquire employment. We sell our ideas to make more money. We apply our experience and knowledge to make even more money.

Then once we have some money, everybody else wants it. 

Television, radio, Internet, stores, transportation companies, health companies, investment planners, animal shelters, public service organizations, even the beggar on the street wants some of your money. 

Certain requirements in life demand you give them some of your money. Shelter, food, clothing, transportation, childcare or education, and the occasional gift to your sweetie to keep life balanced. Then all the insurance companies come by to tell you that you MUST have insurance on your auto, house, and family or you are a bum. Then the health companies come by and tell you that you MUST have health insurance to cover catastrophic accidents and to cover the massive array of meds to keep you healthy. The list goes on and on.

Now bankers and investment planners say you should save money, so give it to them to keep in a safe place. They even offer a tiny interest while they use your money for their own purposes. If they didn’t no one could get a mortgage or loan. Who would let you buy a house if you didn’t have that much money in assets? 

Yikes! Did I say “loan”? Borrow money from someone else to purchase something that you cannot afford with only the legal agreement and your signature to pay back. Shoot there in an entire industry for credit. There are ratings and score, just like football teams. If you rank high enough, in their calculation, you get a ton of junk mail offering you “free money” for only a little fee. If your score is not the best, you better pay the cash that is in your pocket and when that is all gone; stop buying. 

So how are all these big expensive projects get paid for and how do all those rich people make all their money? I’m not an economist or a financial advisor by any means. All I know is I have some money in the bank. After I pay my bills and taxes, the rest of it can be spent on anything I choose. I can buy myself gifts, or splurge on fancy dinners, or indulge in luxurious entertainment, or just keep it in the bank. I also know that if I spend more than I have, I’m in trouble. 

But I will give this advice. Get a sponsor! 

Think about it for a minute. Take NASCAR for example. They have a huge outlay of money in equipment, transportation, salaries, and repairs. Some money they can get from network coverage, but if you look at the drivers (and the cars), they are covered with stickers. Logos of companies who will give money to a team are plastered all over the place. These companies want to associate their name with a winner. It isn’t charity or a free grant, but a partnership with one who has money and one who wants money.

So when you are trying to be creative, your mind should be on your work and not on making money. Find an organization, company, foundation, or philanthropies and sell your reason why they should invest in you. Have a good business plan for success and with a little leg work, your financial troubles will be over. 

Don’t say, “I want your money.” That is robbery.

Interesting Question

After waking at five this morning to a neighbor’s truck that sounds like a tank, then hearing more trees trimming, I decided it was time for coffee. It is suppose to be a sunny cool day so I take off through the neighborhood. There are not a lot of Halloween decorations around this year. Spiders seem big, but I’ve not seen any of those half buried bodies coming out of the ground yet.

As I traveled I had the usual question to myself. “What will I have for lunch?” “Burgers” today, “Pizza” tomorrow. It is all settled.

Then I think of all the questions we are asked, but cannot or will not answer.

“Do you make a lot of money?”

“Do you love me?”

“Did I make you feel good?”

“Are you happy?”

“Will you be mine?”

“Did you do that?”

But the big question yesterday was in the e-mail. Some person who I have no idea said they’d read one of my blogs and offered an invitation to a new site to post stories. I hadn’t heard of the site, so I Google it and the site was real. It even looked pretty good.

I like the concept.

“ReadWave is a new place for sharing 3-minute stories.

We believe that 3 minutes is all it takes to tell a story that can change your life. We call these stories ReadWaves. 

A ReadWave can be about anything - a confession, an experience, and an inspiration a life-changing decision or even something fictional.” 

It looks legit enough and the price “FREE” is right, but I wondered. I read a couple of stories and they were very clever and well written. So what would be the harm? 

The question was “How did this person find my e-mail address?”

So I did a little more searching and found a blog site discussing the request made to others from this ReadWave. I guess in today’s security conscience society, any message by anyone must be examined. 

Writing is a personal expression, just like painting or playing music or dancing. It can be posted for all to see or secured to only a few. The words can be copied or protect by copyright laws. The ideas behind he writing could be original or mulled over for centuries.

I think I read this ReadWave site for a couple of months before deciding. That is just the way I am, but I will suggest you take a look and give me your opinions.

Poetry vs. Lyrics

Strange thing about comparing creative productions is how to title them. Dancing as appose to painting? Composing a symphony as appose to writing a novel? Directing a play as apposed to recording a movie? It is hard to compare. 

I recently read or saw or was told about a poetry book. A songwriter wrote the book or so that is what he is famous for. The question came when if any of the pages contained lyrics instead of poetry. So what is the difference?

It is like comparing ballet to hip-hop or an electric guitar solo to a country western ballade or “Harry Potter” to “War and Peace”. There are so many variables to different generations but the idea of expressing creative ideas is the same.

So I pondered the idea of poetry vs. lyrics. I am certainly not an expert on the English language or the difference between prose or verse or any other method of writing thoughts to express our ideas and feelings.

Poetry, back from a time remembered, was to rhyme at every other line. Then the “beat” poets came along and disrupted that idea of clean poetry. Poetry gave a story with feeling.

Lyrics were a story put to music. Before printing, minstrels would wander about telling tales, some true, some not, to whoever would listen to their music. 

So are lyrics really poetry? Is dancing just painting with your feet? Is singing the vocalization of reading?

What Makes You So Special?

Whether writing a resume or in an interview, the possible employer wants to know what makes you so special? What makes you stand out from the crowd?

The same is true of an artist or a dancer or a musician or a writer. As any talent show on television shows, there are millions who think they have a special something that will make them rich and famous if only someone will notice.

Some will dye their hair some strange color or act weird in crowds to get attention. Some will wear brightly colored clothing to stand out from the crowd. Some will withdraw into a dark place to appear different and some will battle with their demons to get media attention.

There are a whole industry of managers and agents and manipulators who can for a special identity for you to become to be special. Is this really you? 

Do you have enough internal fortitude to make it on your own? Did you practice and study and rehearse and stand before the critics naked to the bone to just fit into a mold? 

Even if we think we have the best ideas or the most wonderful creative talent, there are a lot of others who think the same.

So plan to present your special with a positive attitude and don’t take it too seriously if you fail. Get back up and climb back on that horse.

Follow your dream.

What is your backup plan?

Well you spend all that time in school chasing your dream and finally you are graduated. Prepared to take on the world and follow your passion. Maybe your passion doesn’t grow in this area. So what do you do?

By this time in life, you are on your own. You’ve got the knowledge that is the cutting edge to your intended profession. You are at the top of your game, but there is rent to pay and food to buy and your friends might want to go out and celebrate but you don’t have any money.

We’ve all heard stories of actors waiting tables hoping for an audition or singers washing dishes until discovered. So many times that “American Idol” moment doesn’t happen off the bat. 

So what is your backup plan? Are you prepared to put your passion aside to live? What if you are not immediately accepted in your given field? Are you ready to dummy down your desires to accommodate the reality of the job market?

Think of it this way. A painter or dancer or performance artist may have to spend hours learning a different profession just to survive, but then again the second job might become even more rewarding. People and places that were not anticipated might, just might, prove to be a new adventure.

None of us are guaranteed a career in our given talent field. Sometimes we must adjust to the current times. A singer may become a dancer or a classical guitar player may join a heavy metal band. Just like a painter might switch mediums from watercolors to oils, even the most determined may have to adjust. 

They don’t teach this in school. You graduate with your heads in the clouds that you will be immediately sought after due to your qualifications and talents. 

Guess what? There are a gazillion more just like you trying to break into the market. So good luck and grow up. Things might not work out how you had planned it. 

Then again you might become the next Picasso or Beethoven or Tom Wolfe? Good luck.

Is it the Art or the Artist?

Is it the Art or the Artist?

The question has come about with the artist viewing the audience who participate in the creation and wonders. Do they approve of the art or the artist?

Art, whether it is painting or dancing or music or any creative action is a subjective emotion. With the continuing variety of choices the quality of art can be as good or not as the critics or educational information on the subject allows.

With the inspiration of colors or movement or sound, one may wonder who has created the art. Some fabulous pieces of crafts are constructed by some of the poorest people in the world. Those who have never heard another sound or had any formal instruction create some amazing music. Free celebration can make a body moves in ways no one has ever seen. Colors and materials can be combined into visions unforeseen without formal training. 

The art is then categorized and analysis by the experts in their fields to provide the general public with a basic understanding of what they hear or see, as described by another. To emphasis the importance of the art a single artist is attached to it, as a symbol or perhaps a celebrity. 

So an individual who may be more talented or more expressive or the first becomes the name associated to a style of art. With thousands of others who may be as good or not better, the celebrity will receive the accolades and many times the financial rewards above all others. 

Is it the Art or the Artist?

Storytelling

Once upon a time songs, books, movies, and dances were designed around stories. Stories are what we want to see and hear. Stories are what connect us as a species. 

Think I’m wrong? Then think about the great stories we remember. “Sound of Music” or “Roots” or “Star Wars” or “The Nutcracker” are all fine examples of stories. OK? What is the greatest selling book of all time? The Bible is nothing more than lots of stories. With characters like Mary Poppins or Frankenstein or Harry Potter or Alice and her rabbit the stories can go on and on.

Going back to the early folk songs, they were sung to tell a tale that could be repeated and told again and again. Today’s songs are the same. The tell stories of love and pain and experiences we all share.

So how does this story telling relate to artwork? A painting or a drawing or sketches have to do with telling a story? Many of the old wall drawings were to tell the story of a hunt or a war. The hieroglyphics told stories etched in stone. Paintings of figures who could pay for the attention or were symbols of the moment grace museum walls. Then other paintings show us a detail of previous life telling us the story of our history. Quilts were not just constructed for warmth but to also tell a family story.

Even abstractions, whether in music, writing, movies, or artwork tells the story of the artists? For every time a person with an open mind expresses their thoughts, they are telling a story. 

It is your turn

Imagine if you will, watching an orchestra. A mass of bodies in their black outfits studying the pages in front of them patiently waiting for the conductor to beckon their participation. An impressive figure walks out of the darkness onto a podium in front of the assembled group. After flipping a few pages and acknowledging the applause of the crowd who know not what will be accomplished, turns to the performers and raises the wand.

Not many jobs require a leader to have this much power over your work or require that you blend into the crowd so to not be recognizes for your outstanding accomplishment. 

Some do rise above the class with certain virtuosity or fervor and are rewarded by being made first chair. What happens to the rest of the team? They sit and wait their turn to join the group in the belief that more is better. What about the oboe player? A difficult instrument to play yet there are very few pieces of music that will highlight the effort. Blending in with the other reeds but often lost in it’s own quiet breath. 

The strings work together to make their swirling sound while the brass accents in it volume. The percussion carries the power but what of the triangle? 

A foreign language of dots and lines only known to a few translate a composer’s thoughts into words for the musical performer. Up and down scales with assorted pitch changes and timing variations is what the player is required to read, understand, and give back with the precision of a surgeon. Smaller groups can make variations on a theme causing a unique performance but the audience wants to hear what it recognizes and questions a deviance to the norm. 

Everyone works in a similar team concept whether we know it or not. Like a football organization, each player has his or her unique place and necessary requirement to compete. Any business will acknowledge what their mission and vision is and how each position must be filled to acquire the ultimate goal.

Through our careers we claw our way through the maze of different experiences retaining some and forwarding others. Surprisingly enough during this journey each of us gets a chance to exceed. Some become followers and some become leaders as we separate our talents or perceived abilities but we all get a chance.

So I nod to the oboe player who will wait your turn. All your sweat, blood and tears is appreciated.