the success of your art has less to do with its quality than you think it does

Summary

The speaker discusses the disconnect between artistic talent and success, emphasizing that being in the top 1% of one's craft does not guarantee recognition. They argue that artists often focus solely on perfecting their craft, neglecting other crucial factors like community engagement and marketing. The speaker suggests artists should 'zoom out' and consider broader variables, such as collaborating with others, targeting specific communities, and adopting marketing strategies to gain visibility. They stress that even excellent artists must be adept marketers to succeed, and offer coaching services to help artists overcome these challenges.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The success of art is not solely determined by its quality; external factors play a significant role.
• 🔍 Many talented artists remain unnoticed despite being highly skilled in their craft, suggesting that visibility is not guaranteed by talent alone.
• 🤔 Artists often fall into the trap of focusing solely on perfecting their craft, neglecting other important variables that contribute to success.
• 🔄 The speaker suggests 'zooming out' to consider broader variables beyond the craft, such as community and marketing.
• 👥 Community involvement and collaboration with other artists can enhance an artist's visibility and provide inspiration.
• 📈 Marketing is crucial for an artist's success, and creating work tailored to specific communities can increase exposure.
• 🚫 Resistance to marketing is common among artists, but it's a hurdle that must be overcome to gain visibility.
• 💡 The idea that one can only create art for oneself or for others is a misconception; both aspects are intertwined.
• 🔗 To gain attention, artists may need to interface their work with popular media or create pieces for specific online communities.
• 💰 The speaker offers coaching services for a fee, including setting deadlines for art creation, marketing advice, and community building.

Q & A

What is the correlation between the success of art and its quality according to the speaker?

The speaker suggests that the success of art is not necessarily correlated with how good the art is, as there are many talented artists who remain unnoticed despite being top in their craft.

Why might an artist's work go unnoticed even if it's of high quality?

An artist's work might go unnoticed due to the niche nature of their field, which can be so narrow and specific that it remains unseen by a wider audience.

What does the speaker mean by 'zooming out' in the context of art creation?

The speaker means that artists should broaden their focus beyond just their craft to consider other variables such as community involvement, collaborations, and marketing strategies to increase visibility.

Why is community involvement important for an artist's success according to the transcript?

Community involvement is important because it can provide inspiration, collaboration opportunities, and a support network that can contribute to an artist's growth and exposure.

What is the role of marketing in an artist's career as discussed in the script?

Marketing plays a crucial role in an artist's career because it helps to get the artist's work seen by a wider audience. The speaker emphasizes that even excellent art may go unnoticed without proper marketing.

What marketing exercise does the speaker recommend for artists who want to increase their visibility?

The speaker recommends creating something specifically for a community or an online platform, which can help get a non-zero amount of eyes on the artist's work and provide feedback.

Why is it a 'devastating black pill' that an excellent marketer who is a mediocre artist can outperform an excellent artist who is a mediocre marketer?

It's considered a 'devastating black pill' because it highlights the harsh reality that marketing skills can be more influential in an artist's success than the quality of their art alone, which contradicts the romanticized notion that only talent and quality should matter.

What does the speaker suggest about the relationship between creating art for oneself and creating for others?

The speaker suggests that creating art is always a balance between self-expression and consideration of the audience. One cannot exist without the other, and successful artists must find a balance between making art for themselves and creating work that resonates with others.

How did the speaker's approach to art change when they started considering marketing and community?

The speaker transitioned from focusing solely on the craft of spoken word to creating rap music with a beat for a specific online community, which made the work more accessible and led to greater success.

What advice does the speaker give to artists who want to build a community around their work?

The speaker advises artists to create work that is specifically tailored to a community or platform, engage with peers, and consider marketing strategies that go beyond just the craft to build a community around their work.