If life were a chessboard, every time we'd jaywalk, we'd get hit by a car. I grew up jaywalking on my way to school; as I sit here, I can attest that a vehicle has never hit me. Why is that?
All in Self-Effectiveness
Art: Steps, Balance, & Response.
A recap on the “Be a Better Artist” mini-series!
The artist's desire to communicate an idea and create better art is only as strong as their audience's desire to give meaning and definition to the piece. You need your audience, readers, listeners, clients, customers to create art.
The shine, polish, error-checking, tweaks, bells, and whistles are the "surface." It's our first impression. Something as important as first impressions often receives little attention. Why?
Apply Craft.
I feel if you build without knowing what you're trying to make, you're making it wrong. Craft is big, but not more important than any other step in making better art.
Organizing your idea, your process, and your talent into a meaningful way that produces something better is structure. The mistake that many of us make is, we start with "structure" and then go to the other steps.
To create better art, start with an idea, visualize the form, and then pick an idiom that best resonates with your audience.
An idea only exists in your head or your journal. It does not exist in any other concrete form we can manipulate into something that makes the "something better." We need to think about - "form."
The Idea.
We build better art when we start with an idea.
An idea begins in your head.
I've never been a great writer, but I'm working on getting better. Writing every day helps! However, what percentage of what I see and feel within gets transmitted to you? How much do you receive? Learn more.
You can't build a bridge across a chasm if you can't see the other side.
You can't connect with another human being if you can't see them.
Connect with others by learning to see and to speak.
Help others see the "something better."
A recap of the marketing mini-series. If you haven’t seen the other articles, this article is a great summary.
Passionate people want to believe that what they do matters. What you do does matter.
Passionate people want to believe that what they do matters and leads to success.
What you do matters, but what's your definition of success?
Everybody doing the same thing the same way means every provider is the same. That's boring! It's also confusing for the customer. Be different. Create clarity.
A great marriage forms when you reconcile the differences between what matters to you, and what matters to others, and make something better from both. However, this is not often the case.
Enjoyment Wins.
If you are a serious musician making high art, represent yourself that way. Find others who want serious music and high art. They will gladly pay you for you to share your craft. But then, in the same way, don't represent yourself as the party musician. That's not you, and to be what you're not is fake.
You operate a string quartet. You are one of ten string quartets in the area, and it's reasonable to assume you're all proficient. You all charge, relatively, the same amount with a few dollars difference. As a customer, who do I choose?
Stop Racing.
Be different than the rest. Create quality over quantity. Focus on what your customer needs. Deliver on that need better than anybody else. People will gladly pay top dollar for someone to meet their needs.
All of the musical talent in the world is meaningless unless you can effectively recreate memories.
The future of the general business, casuals, jobbing musician has changed, is changing; it's "changed!" Learn more.