Artists Should Never Create For An Audience.
Even If They Want To Profit From Their Work.
Last night, I attended a workshop for Artists who are navigating the business aspect of their work. Most of the advice given was about how your brand should be crafted with your intended audience in mind.
We were prompted to think of who we want to reach, and what those people want: what colors, messaging, and fonts would resonate. Think of how they would like to feel: Does your audience want to feel intelligent, or do they want to feel happy? Or perhaps, to feel comforted? What problem can your product can solve for them?
All the while, I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell any of this has to do with Art.
I thought about Artists like Basquiat, or Lauryn Hill, or Maya Angelou, and how none of this shit has ever applied to the most impactful, successful Artists of our time.
Most importantly, I have never found this to be true for myself.
So when I got home, I published a note sharing my thoughts on the matter.
This is what I wrote:
…
Artists should never create for an audience, even if they want to profit from their work.
Traditional business advice will tell you otherwise. But not every successful entrepreneur is an Artist. You have to decide if you’re going to be a machine for some amorphous idea of an “audience”, or if you’re going to be a vessel for your spirit.
Create what’s in your heart, learn how to market what you have, and let your audience come to you.
When you develop a relationship with your audience, they might inspire you to create new things, but basing your Creative business on what you think others want is just a recipe for soulless, disconnected work.
Sure, you might make money—but what most of us want in doing our art for a living, is freedom. Once you sell your freedom of expression, you lose that distinguishing spark that makes your creative voice special.
Not only will you be searching for what others want from you, you will also be comparing yourself, because you have lost touch with your distinctiveness.
A true Artist has no competition.
Audience should mould to you, not the other way around. You attract who resonates with you right now, and it will change as you evolve. People will always come and go.
If you’re meant to profit from your work, you will. It is possible to profit very handsomely for creating exactly what your heart wants.
If not, don’t force your creations to be something that they are not. Profitability is not the only marker of value.