Just because they are your friends doesn't mean they will be your fans

Oct 01, 2004 11:59

And this has been a theme that has come up over and over again lately ( Read more... )

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Agreed enoelie October 1 2004, 11:53:51 UTC
I agree with what you've said there.

Especially...
If I were given $100,000 to develop my career, I'm quite sure that I would make a decent return on that investment. It would be just as legit a gamble as investing in a new restaurant, or a Hollywood movie, or even an advertising scheme. Many people are turning to auctions right now as a means of protecting their wealth. There was a time when some would also invest in emerging artists. Possibilities for a windfall are great.

It takes special people to recognize when you are going to skyrocket at some point and put their money where their mouth is. I have a hard time with this. Most people do not want to do that with a risky "sure thing"... I am one of those to some. I have witnessed patron's remorse and it stings.

Besides, I don't know many patrons out there who would just dish out to a no-name like me, and even with friends and I happen to be "a name" to them... few and far between. This is probably why a lot of people who could be *great* aren't reaching their full potential of greatness because a.) lack of support in several forms and b.) they become so disenchanted that they give up on themselves and their work. Even guys with famous names have a hard time proving their cred for a great investment from another.

I am an up-and-coming artist. Even if there's no formalized exchange of contracts re: what I can give as a return on your investment, given that I am an artist with one helluva work ethic, I will make good. But it may be a few years or months before that can happen with whatever they have invested in me and my cause... whether it is their time, support, money, etc.

The point of my tongue-in-cheek post is that some artists do not know when to stop it with the guilt and the hardsell. Some people don't know when they have started to become a pest about their self-centered little worlds. I am totally against the hard sell... I am not into spam and artists acting like in-person spammers to get their message across: show me appreciation and support dammit! Artists need to keep their chin up... too bad it usually turns into something more of a hobby because it is a while before you can live off your work; hence the miserable day jobs.

The soft sell is a more elegant method... sometimes you just need to find the right types to be interested in your work... and there's the difficulty for artists who want their their works to jump from $3k to $30k. I don't think annoying one's friends is the right course of action to get there. I'm working with a group to make this task a bit better for artists. ;-)

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Re: Agreed enoelie October 1 2004, 12:09:09 UTC
I am all about supporting someone... chances are though, I will like their work at least somewhat. I have a hard time outright hating anyone pours their time, passion, soul, efforts into... if it means something to them, I can go beyond the end result (whether I really dig it or not) and just experience/witness their happiness of sharing their work with the world and people who will totally dig it through and through.

Bullying = desperation.
People should not have to risk their dignity over some form of recognition.

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Re: Agreed enoelie October 1 2004, 12:21:16 UTC
Dignity... depends on the context.

The context here is what you are willing to do promote your work after the work has been done.

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