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: