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Many artists I know are mentally stuck in the idea that they need to “self-promote.” This worries me because, to succeed in marketing our creative work, I’m convinced that we need a different mental category for what we do when we share the things we create. I’ve wondered if we get stuck in the idea of self-promoting because it’s where we all get our start.
We live in a culture that is confused about how it feels about creative work. On one hand, we champion creative work more than other kinds of work. On the other hand, we wonder if creative work is actually work.
Like all young artists and creatives, I arrived in Nashville nearly 20 years ago, hoping to “make it.” I spent my first four years in Nashville at Belmont University, but my true focus wasn’t on learning. I wanted to be heard by “the right people.” I thought I was close a few times. I chuckle now, but there were times during school when my friends and I thought we were inches from our “big break.”
I made a new friend in early middle school who quickly became my best friend. Everything clicked because we liked many of the same things: we went to the same church, started learning guitar around the same time, and started singing and leading worship for youth group functions together. As we got older, teenage drama ensued, and our similarities transformed into a hum of competition and jealousy…
Most of the creative people I know roll their eyes at social media. And I get it. These platforms can easily amplify discouragement and overwhelm. But thinking about social media this way might help.
There are times when I’ve wondered if I made the wrong choice. Times when I’ve wondered, “Maybe I’m not supposed to be doing this creative work.“ I’ve often felt like nothing is working. I never seem to be able to get the traction and momentum that I want. I can’t seem to draw as much attention as I would like to the things I spend hours, days, months, and years working on. I’ve wondered if I should quit.
Have you considered that your need to make financial sense is keeping you from moving forward in your creative work?
I’ve been going to a kick-butt new gym that is kicking my butt. My recent experience there has contributed to some thoughts I have about greatness. Mainly, I’ve been thinking about this one insidious thing that tends to keep me from greatness. And I wonder if it’s sabotaging you too?
We’re all at different places in our creative journey. And we all have different things we’d like to accomplish with our creative work. But every creative person I know could use a little encouragement to keep going. No matter where you are or where you would like to go with your creative endeavors, I hope this blog will encourage you forward in three specific ways.
The pressure to “go viral” is exhausting.
Honestly, I didn’t think I cared to go “viral” because I genuinely don’t care to get millions of new eyes and ears on the things I create.
But I do find myself wanting to create and share something that will change my life overnight.
On one of my walks this week, I started thinking about some things I wish I had thought through when I was younger and getting started with my career. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but I’m hoping some of these might be helpful to you.
Do you have a creative idea that you’re itching to move on?
Maybe you dream of making a living with your creative work?
Maybe you simply want to take your first steps on a creative project?
The problem is: you’re not sure how to get started.
Not sure what career you should choose?
Feel like you're stuck in the wrong career?
Or maybe your wondering about a new career?
The truth is, we aren't very good predicting what career to pursue.
Like most young artists, I spent many years focusing on the wrong things.
If you're an artist, I hope this helps you focus your creative energy on the things that matter most.
This is a fable reminded me of how many artists and creatives have a similar way of coping when faced with disappointments and unrealized dreams.
If you’re like me, then you long to be creative. You want to do creative work, but you feel scared and stuck.
For some of us, creating is a hobby, and others a profession. The end goal doesn’t matter; what matters is that you want to create, but something is holding you back.
I’ve found a few creative breakthroughs when considering four reasons why kids are great at creating. Maybe these will help you too.
I’ve made many mistakes in my creative career and will likely make many more. But today, I want to talk with you about my biggest regret and a mistake I see many creatives making every day.
Abundance thinking often vibrates on the frequency of wishful thinking. The problem is that most of those who speak of "abundance" rarely give definition to what they mean. They might as well say that we live in a world of flying unicorns.
And yet, there is a note of truth ringing in the idea that we live in a world of abundance. This note has resonated deeply in me, making it hard to throw abundance thinking in the category of fantasy.
Maybe some people are motivated by trying to attain the elusive goal of being “good enough,” but worrying over this kills my creative energy.
Who am I trying to be “good enough” for anyway?
I’m all for getting better. Growing and improving is fun. If you enjoy doing something and you’re going to spend time doing it, why wouldn’t you want to get better at it?
But living for the approval and permission of others is a daunting task. I’m not sure I’m up for the challenge. In fact, I tend to be at my worst when I feel the pressure to be “good enough.”
Our attention is limited. We can only pay attention to one thing at a time. When I give my attention to one thing, it means I’m choosing to not give my attention to hundreds of other things at that moment.
When it comes to creating, getting started is the hardest part. The blank page is our first and most troubling obstacle. We want to create something, but what should it be?
If you want to do creative work, do creative work. You are what you do, not what people ascribe to you. If you want to be a photographer, go take pictures. Stop worrying about whether or not you are a “good” photographer. In time, you likely will be.