Guest Post: Robert Bruce is one of the most widely read, linked and reviled poets working on the web today. Grab yourself a free poem every Monday morning, subscribe to Knife Gun Pen.
1. There’s never been a better time to be a working artist. Ever.
2. There’s never been a worse time to be a working artist (if you’re not truly dedicated to your craft).
3. Social Media will not help you if you’re sending folks to sniff out a pile of crap.
4. If you’re thinking about SEO while writing your digital novel, you’re already screwed. Quit now.
5. The tech tools do not make the artist.
6. If you’re spending more time on Twitter than on your novel/painting/film/poem/play/sculpture, you’re dead.
7. The creation of great art has nothing to do with Community.
8. You will never have as many readers/listeners/viewers as TechCrunch. Get over it.
9. If you’re the real thing, you’ll be around in 30 years, still working. Most of these services and sites you now admire will not.
10. Your Technorati rank is not as important as you think it is.
11. Do not try to please an “audience”. They will ultimately hate you for it.
12. Income isn’t proof of anything. Ask Van Gogh.
13. Aim for Greatness, not the front page of Digg.
14. If you have a fall back plan, you will, inevitably, fall back onto it.
15. Though tempting, you’ll never crush your own mediocrity working only four hours a week.
16. If success finds you, please resist the urge to open a restaurant or start a line of clothing.
17. You do not need the middleman anymore. Quit begging.
18. If you wouldn’t do it without an audience, don’t do it all.
19. Ultimately, nobody really cares about your work. It may seem “negative” but trust me, this knowledge will serve you well.
20. Artists don’t outsource. Unless you’re Andy Warhol.
21. Make the technology work for you. Not the other way around.
22. Remember that the mainstream culture has yet to catch on to the power of the individual artist online. Keep working.
23. Consider getting a second job instead of slapping another Adsense unit next to the .jpg of your latest painting. Contrary to popular belief, work won’t kill you.
24. You no longer need to live in New York or Los Angeles. See: Hugh.
25. Do not work for the good opinion of anyone. Work for joy, wonder and the Lord God Almighty.
26. You do not need a signed letter from The American Academy of Arts and Letters to begin.
27. Blogging is easy. Art is not.
Hey Robert,
I love this post. It helps put some stuff that I tend to take really seriously sometimes in perspective. So many of these hit home with me big time…like 6-27. Thanks for shaking things up :-)
Excellent – thanks for a few welcome reminders.
Great points all. Thank you.
As a younger artist, I used to jump and shout. Now,
as an older artist – I just shout. It’s the act of doing that gets it done.
Wow. Straight to the point ouch! :p Thanks!
As an artist myself, I agree with your comments and appreciate the last one especially. I remember it being hard to embrace blogging and marketing at first. All I wanted to do was paint. Soon, I learned what other successful artists preach–half of your time is spent in marketing. Use it effectively. I actually find the time spend blogging and marketing a great diversion when the Muse is being rather silent.
To all… do you think blogging really promotes your art? Can you attribute any real success to a blog? Thanks for sharing :)
I am reading a post from a ‘blogger’ on a ‘blog’ full of affiliated links and ‘Adsense Deluxe’ plug in. I find this post completely contradictory. I do agree that you can be consumed with the marketing side of art and not get enough real work done however the Internet and SEO is a valuable side of promoting your work and creating a wider audience. I use my blog and blog newsletter to connect with other artist and keep me creative and stimulated even in quiet times.
It is all about balance. Sometimes you have to concentrate hard on your marketing and sometimes on your work. But you do need both. I have personally found Adsense a waist of time so far but blogging has created work for myself and other artist friend I have helped with web sites and marketing ideas.
In my personal opinion balancing is the challenge and doing enough of what you enjoy makes for a fore filling life; financially successful or not.
so cool!
I think it’s the best time to be a working artist
I love social media
we love pleasing ourselves and if that does not please our audience, then they are not the audience we want or need.
we are the real thing
I love twitter, and I love that I promote other artists with it too!
Thanks for this problogger. This is really useful for me as a person that coaches artists how to promote themselves online. Point 21 is very key for me, the technology really should work for you, not the other way around.
Good points, but to me the author sound full of bitterness and resentment. This doesn’t sound like an inspired artist, which is odd because I enjoy his writing.
Just found this post. It’s brilliant, true and very funny. As a professional artist for 25 years you have to have a sence of humour.