There was a time you could write and people would find your book and follow you. Now you need them to follow you to find your book. And as someone who has no desire to be famous, but still remain influential, it seems the only people who can do that are those who had celebrity pre-social media. Ugh.
Even great artists such as Mozart or Bach had to "sell out" by composing pieces dedicated to wealthy patrons or members of royal families in order to secure well-paying gigs. For Bach in particular, stable employment was something of a must since he had 20 kids! The trick is not to pander to everyone but rather to keep searching until you find the right audience for your art. Mozart's career only started to flourish after he left his prestigious position as a court musician for the Archbishop of Salzburg to move to Vienna where the elites were much more receptive to his innovative but "rebellious" style. Similarly, Bach only found success after resigning from his well-respected post as director of music at the court of Weimar in order to work for more open-minded patrons (Bach was actually jailed for a month by the Weimar court for repeatedly demanding to be dismissed!). I guess in our modern time, this means not settling until you find the right employer/market/community/channel/platform etc. where your art/work can "sell" itself. And until you find such an opportunity, it is perfectly fine to "sell out" to stay alive. In the end, true artists will be remembered and celebrated not for the occasional "puff pieces" they had to write to put food on the table, but rather for their best works.
There’s an interesting question that came up for me about “authenticity” of brand development. The market might incentivize inauthenticity, which affords the flexibility of what “people want to hear.” But I think in this new world where everyone owns their own brand, you can’t fool yourself - whatever “selling out” means, in the end, will always be judged by yourself (NOT your audience) and your personal integrity as a creative…
The fact that this is true makes me sad. It would be awesome to get your foot in the door with a solid manuscript, but that's not the most feasible way now. Because brands matter so much, it can make interactions with people (especially online) feel inauthentic. Like does this person genuinely enjoy what I've written, or are they seeking something from interacting. Very interesting piece. I can see the truth in it as a black dude myself.
Great take!
There was a time you could write and people would find your book and follow you. Now you need them to follow you to find your book. And as someone who has no desire to be famous, but still remain influential, it seems the only people who can do that are those who had celebrity pre-social media. Ugh.
Even great artists such as Mozart or Bach had to "sell out" by composing pieces dedicated to wealthy patrons or members of royal families in order to secure well-paying gigs. For Bach in particular, stable employment was something of a must since he had 20 kids! The trick is not to pander to everyone but rather to keep searching until you find the right audience for your art. Mozart's career only started to flourish after he left his prestigious position as a court musician for the Archbishop of Salzburg to move to Vienna where the elites were much more receptive to his innovative but "rebellious" style. Similarly, Bach only found success after resigning from his well-respected post as director of music at the court of Weimar in order to work for more open-minded patrons (Bach was actually jailed for a month by the Weimar court for repeatedly demanding to be dismissed!). I guess in our modern time, this means not settling until you find the right employer/market/community/channel/platform etc. where your art/work can "sell" itself. And until you find such an opportunity, it is perfectly fine to "sell out" to stay alive. In the end, true artists will be remembered and celebrated not for the occasional "puff pieces" they had to write to put food on the table, but rather for their best works.
There’s an interesting question that came up for me about “authenticity” of brand development. The market might incentivize inauthenticity, which affords the flexibility of what “people want to hear.” But I think in this new world where everyone owns their own brand, you can’t fool yourself - whatever “selling out” means, in the end, will always be judged by yourself (NOT your audience) and your personal integrity as a creative…
The fact that this is true makes me sad. It would be awesome to get your foot in the door with a solid manuscript, but that's not the most feasible way now. Because brands matter so much, it can make interactions with people (especially online) feel inauthentic. Like does this person genuinely enjoy what I've written, or are they seeking something from interacting. Very interesting piece. I can see the truth in it as a black dude myself.