Artists, It's Time to Get Over Feeling Icky about Self Promotion

As artists we strive to be authentic. We search for truth as we take something unseen and bring it to light. Our creativity is born of our unique vision, heart, and soul. It's hard then to see the concept of making a sale as fitting in with this pure self-expression. Time and again, through mass media and even our own artistic creations (particularly film and TV), we've been shown that salespeople are inauthentic. At best they're shallow and pleasantly disconnected (the QVC archetype), and at worst they're slimy, underhanded manipulators greedy for our hard-earned cash (the Snake Oil archetype).

With this kind of spectrum we're naturally repelled by the idea of trying to sell something.

We take the day job and keep art as a side gig or hobby, so it remains untarnished by the murky underworld of money. Yet, we simultaneously lament our lack of time and opportunity when it comes to our art.

Time and again artists who become successful at selling their own wares are seen as "sell-outs," the art world's dirtiest word and most scathing insult.

We've come to believe that artists who achieve status as not only full-time artists, but financially sound ones at that, lose something in the process - their soul, their vision, their edge.

This is unfair and a double standard. We can't yearn for a culture that supports artists then criticize those who receive support - monetary or otherwise. At this point in our cultural history, sales is no longer something to shy away from due to an outdated belief that doing so requires pimping a product we don't care about to an unsuspecting audience.

Selling is simply about finding a compatible home for the work we make so we can continue to make it. Today, artists who want to be doing it full-time must embrace making a living from their art, and understand that our creative expression doesn't just remain intact in the face of money, but thrives with the acquisition of it.

Truthfully, when we're turned off by someone promoting themselves it's not that they're promoting themselves, it's how they're doing it.

Being authentic is easier than ever. Thanks to the internet and social media we can now directly connect our daily lives with a growing audience. We can share images or thoughts about our creative process. We can ask questions to engage with fans, or for informative feedback. We can show works-in-progress, bringing people into the fold as we navigate our way through creation. We can even post about our kids, our animals, our food and more.

We can do these things, and we should if we want to be financially successful. These authentic day-to-day offerings are how we share our essence and our work with people we feel aligned with, people who want to own what we make. It's time for creative folks to show up, be visible, and let go of the idea that it's wrong to promote our work. The world needs successful, authentic, creative people who embrace their life's purpose by allowing themselves to be supported.

And, hey, even if you put yourself out there and don't make many sales for whatever reason (a reason you'll likely uncover if you keep at it), you can be sure that sharing your creative work will inspire other potential creators to express themselves, or encourage fellow artists to show up and be seen too.

If you want to learn to become a better receiver - of joy, pleasure, money, creativity, and more - please join me for theTao of Receivingonline program starting May 24, 2015!

Photo by MartinaK15/cc

Are You Leaving Enough White Space?

In the film industry when a producer, manager, agent (or, more likely, their assistants) receives a screenplay, the first thing they are said to do is flip through the pages looking at the ratio of white space to black text.

If there isn't enough white space the script automatically goes into the rejection pile. It sounds harsh, but it's for good reason since, generally speaking, one page of a screenplay is equivalent to one minute on the screen.

The white space shows the executive that the writer understands this tight, relatively unforgiving structure. It lets them know the writer did not succumb to flowery, descriptive language, that they likely didn't include a boatload of unimportant details, and that they didn't - God willing - meander.

In screenwriting and in life white space is necessary.

The presence of white space in screenwriting holds the promise of a focused, nuanced, yet engaging and entertaining script. It says, "I'm readable! I might even be a page turner!" That white space is breathing room. It's the pause between ideas, or the time jump between locations and scenes. White space is an exhale.

In life the white space reminds us that we cannot exist within the constant chatter of metaphoric black text. We cannot focus only on output and accomplishments. We must build in the pauses and breaks, because they allow us to rest and help us gather momentum to give birth to the Next Thing.

The birth metaphor is apt, because as with childbirth, we artists conceive, gestate, and labor. The white space is pregnancy, and it can't be rushed, hurried, or skimmed over. Yet, in our culture, we aren't taught to value the white space.

We are taught to be Productivity Machines, and, therefore, are prone to imbalance.

If you don't regularly step back and look at your creative practice as a whole, I recommend it. It's a living thing and it needs tending to. Ask yourself, "Am I leaving enough time in between? Am I exhaling? Am I balanced and focused?"

When we honor the white space we bring ourselves back to center and allow for a more fruitful creative life.

Don't Do What I Did

When I was a budding screenwriter I would do more than 20 revisions on a script before sending it to contests, managers, or production companies. Typically, professional screenwriters do 3 to 5 revisions before sending their work out. So even though I had to tack on some extra work for being a newbie, 20 revisions was total OVERKILL. It's no exaggeration to say that I spent years doing something that should've taken months. Instead of having 10 screenplays in my arsenal, I had 3. Some lessons I've learned in hindsight:

* Trying to make each work perfect is short-sighted. Instead of looking at your creative practice or creative career as a marathon, you're treating like a sprint. In doing so, you sacrifice the big picture for the small.

* The quest for perfection comes from a place of insecurity. We claim that we're only trying to "do our best," when really we're obsessively looking for flaws and missteps and systematically eradicating them in order to avoid the judgement of others.

* The most successful people abide by the rule of, "Done is better than perfect." Instead of giving in to the fear and mistrust of our own abilities, we have to retrain ourselves to do our best within the time, energy and expertise currently available then move on to the next so the work can continue to flow - and grow.

If you find yourself tending toward perfection more than completion take a look at your motivation. Is it driven by love or fear? If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't belabor my work. I'd have released it sooner rather than later and let it live on its own. Too many creative opportunities passed me by while I was searching for "perfection."

All Creativelike: An Interview with Artist William Schaff

I've said this before, but my creative life is an embarrassment of riches, full of truly dazzling artists who inspire me, challenge me, and cause me to think and feel on a deeper level. Will Schaff is one of those artists. He is dedicated, generous, and always thought-provoking.

Will's home/studio is a place of constant creative motion. Unfortunately, it's in peril. Will and friends are in the middle of an active fundraising campaign to keep this treasure intact, and there are LOTS of beautiful perks for artists and art-lovers who give to the cause. Be sure to check it out HERE.

Will, how do you define creativity? Creativity to me has always just seemed like a way of looking at things. Anything, really. It is certainly not limited to the traditional arts. In fact, I guess a truly creative person wouldn’t let a word like “tradition” confine their actions. So, be it a computer programmer, a visual artist, or a bagger at the grocery shop, creativity is how you look at your task ahead of you.

You work in lots of mediums from drawing and embroidery, to stencil and paper cut. Do you let the subject matter define the medium, or vice versa? Both, really. It can change from piece to piece.

Your work often deals with suffering, whether it be suffering from illness or at the hands of authority figures. Do you look at artmaking as a cathartic practice? Does it help you process and somehow transform the suffering you see and/or experience? It has been a cathartic experience for me, and I feel it certainly can be for others as well. It is cathartic in the way asking questions is a cathartic experience. Being brought to a new level of understanding, or to a better question, can be difficult, but also there is a relief in getting to move on to the next point.

I've noticed dogs and birds show up a lot in your imagery. Can you talk about the connection you have to animals? For years my work only dealt with weighty topics. Folks would often ask, “Why don’t you draw something nice?” I felt there were enough folks doing that, and not enough asking important questions. And, with all my other jobs then, I had limited time to create art, so I focused on what I felt was important. As I have made art a full-time practice I now have the time to comment on that which I find beautiful as well. Animals are what I wish humans could seem to me, a true and high example of the beauty that is God’s creation.

You've collaborated with some awesome musicians (Okkervil River, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Goodspeed You! Black Emperor, etc.) on album covers. How does that process work, do you listen to the music first and then come up with imagery, or something else? I do it simultaneously. A lot of the imagery I provide is as much a look into where my head is on those days, as well as my response to the music. Listening to the music while I work, over and over again, is a big and useful part of the process. And again, none of the imagery I have made for musicians has been devoid of where my mind is at while making it. Hopefully that shows in the work, and helps to make a stronger connection for folks.

You're in the middle of a big fundraising campaign to raise money for your amazing, welcoming, art-filled home studio. Tell me about the campaign and some of the perks folks can get when they donate. The campaign is intended to help get me out of the repetitive cycle of having utilities shut off, and falling into foreclosure. (This is my third time.) I try to keep my art as affordable as possible, while still providing myself with a living. Combine that with the fact that art is not a steady paycheck, and it makes for a tenuous business plan. I have tried to offer perks that allow folks, no matter what their own situation is, to be able to participate. I am offering original work, prints, playing cards I have designed, and an artist residency here at the Fort. The best way to find out all the wonderful options is to go to the campaign webpage.

Everyone's had moments on their creative journey where they really doubt their path. Can you recall a time when you wanted to give it up, and the thing (or person) that kept you going?  Most days I shake my head at what it is I am trying to do. What keeps me going is many things. Mostly, though, people like you, and all those who continue to encourage me.

Favorite artists or influences? Too many to mention.

How about one artist you admire, and what it is you like about their work? Hard working ones. I don't mean to be cagey with my answer, but there are so many I admire. And yet, I have met so many artists who pick and pluck at it like they should be exempt from hard work because they are an "artist." One example of an artist I admire is David Lamb of Brown Bird. He's my house mate and inspiration. Both he and his wife don't take for granted the blessing they have to be working artists. When he is not on the road, I will hear him practicing for hours throughout the day, and then, every night, he and his wife and fellow bandmate, MorganEve, practice together for hours. I really respect that, and it is a reminder to me to never stop honing your craft for the people who are, ultimately, helping you to be able to do that craft for a living. There are others, but I chose him because I literally see him right around me most days.

Daily habits or practices? Probably not many that should be followed by others. Don’t ever be “bored.” If you find yourself bored, scold yourself for not figuring out some way to make use of your time towards a goal you want.

Advice for aspiring artists? I always find this to be one of the toughest questions to answer. Between my cynical side, and the side of me that does really believe in the wonders of this world, I try to refrain from giving any advice. It would depend too much on what mood you catch me in. I wouldn’t claim how I have done things is the best way, or the most successful. Instead, I just try to remind the new, nervous artist that if it is meant to be, you will find a way to make it happen. Might not be the most comfortable way, and you might not have a very long run, but like breathing, you find a way to do it. So just keep at it. Keep your loved ones and friends close, because you will need them, and they you as they struggle with their own efforts.

William Schaff has been known for a lot of things. Some of them admirable, some not so much so. In all things, he gives glory to God. You can track Will down on Flickr, Facebook and Twitter. (Photo of Will and his dog Dinner above by Michael Cevoli.)