Jennifer Palmer is the subject of the upcoming documentary on synchronicity: Time is Art. She is also a writer and the co-founder of SyncChast, a platform that connects people with thought leaders, artists, and pioneers for change. In this episode, Jennifer talked about how her aunt’s death changed her life, what it was like being the subject of a documentary, and how technology is a powerful tool for connecting people.
Marketing Your Art the Right Way
Selling Art, Not Selling Out
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Steven Shewach is the creator of Bogus Belief Busters, an idea dedicated to bringing self-help to the masses. He is also the author of Man Date, a manual for men on how to make meaningful relationships with fascinating dudes without being weird or awkward. In this episode Steven talks about how he plans to help people overcome their bogus beliefs, his thoughts on masculinity, and how he turned his life around after being a self-described asshole.
“I know writing helps me build a connection with my fans, but I don’t know what to write about.”
As artists, all we want to do is work on our craft. The canvas calls to us like a newborn baby calls to her mom. We don’t want to step away from our art because that’s the thing we know how to do best. Others keep telling you to “Tell your story. It’s what people want to see.”
You might think “I’m not a writer.” or “I don’t know what to talk about.” Is writing about yourself and your art really that important? Yes, and I’ll tell you why.
Let’s say you have two similar paintings. They are equally beautiful and they are the same price. Next to one, all you see is the artist’s name and the title of the painting. Next to the other, you see the same thing, but there is also a description of the piece. It talks about the emotions and history behind the work. It tells you the artist’s perspective and why she created the piece. Which painting would you rather buy?
I’m guessing the painting with the story. As humans, we are born to like stories. It has helped our civilizations survive and thrive. You can use this tool of story to draw people to your art.
If you need help figuring out what topics to talk about, here are seven topics to get you started.
“People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.” – Paulo Coelho
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As creatives, we are often thought of as dreamers. We dream of our art being “discovered”. We dream of people clamoring over our work. We dream of a life where we can just create.
The thing is, we are dreamers, but often times, we are not doers.
A little over a year ago, I was a dreamer too. I dreamed that I could help artists get exposure for their work. I dreamed that I could help artists in the subject they are most uncomfortable: marketing. I dreamed that I could have my own podcast and share my thoughts with the world.
I am no longer just a dreamer. I am a doer too. Instead of letting my dreams die, I took action on them. That is the only reason you are reading this. Without action, I would be like many creatives, dreaming my life away.
Dreams will get you nowhere without action Click To TweetThere is nothing wrong with being a dreamer. In fact, I would argue it is absolutely essential for artists to be dreamers. The problem is, you can’t just be a dreamer. Dreams will get you nowhere without action.
The only thing that separates those who succeed from those who don’t is taking action and not giving up. When I embarked on this adventure, I didn’t have everything planned out.
Often times we want a perfect blueprint of what we should be doing and when we should be doing it. We want someone to tell us exactly what to do without figuring it out for ourselves.
The path to success is not linear. Nothing is ever perfect Click To TweetI’ll tell you this, the path to success is not linear. Nothing is ever perfect. If you have been waiting for the perfect formula to bring you success, you will be waiting a very long time.
And that’s a good thing. If life were a formula you could just follow, it would quickly become dull. Life is about the journey, not the destination.
I’ve talked to many creatives and one commonality they all have is their unconventional paths. No one told them what to do. They discovered it on their own.
When we are children, we think the adults have it figured out. We think there is this magical switch that turns on and we’ll know exactly what to do. If you haven’t figured it out yet, that switch doesn’t exist.
If you have a dream, there is only one thing left to do: take action Click To TweetIf you have a dream, there is only one thing left to do: take action. Instead of hoping your dreams will come true, make them come true.
Tim Lawrence is a copy editor, writer and adversity researcher. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Barclays Center, and Lincoln Center, and has copyedited for New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling authors. In this episode, Tim talks about growing through adversity, the benefits of a minimalist lifestyle, and the power of listening.
Mark McClung is the creator of My Daily Mark, a blog dedicated to helping people, especially high school students, take action in their lives. In this episode Mark talks about the lessons he has learned, why you need to find your passion, and leveraging projects to your advantage.
“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” – Babe Ruth
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Babe Ruth was one of the most prolific hitters in baseball history. In 1923 he broke the record for most home runs in a season. He also had the second highest batting average that year.By the time he retired, he held the home run record at 714.
These statistics may be well known, but what isn’t as well known is, he also had the most strikeouts that year. Not only that, he also held the record for the most career strikeouts at 1,330.
Great accomplishment does not come without great failure Click To TweetBoth of these records lasted many years before they were broken. The point is, Babe Ruth was not afraid to strike out. He realized that great accomplishment does not come without great failure.
This quote also comes in many variations. The words are different, but the message is always the same. Without risk, there is no reward.
“The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” – Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg went to Harvard, one of the most well respected schools in the entire world. He could have played it safe and gotten a degree, found a good job, worked for 50 years, and retired.
Instead, he started working on a little project in his dorm room with a few classmates. They began sharing it on other campuses, and it became so successful that they dropped out of Harvard and brought it to Silicon Valley. That was the start of Facebook.
“Never was anything great achieved without danger.” – Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò Machiavelli is considered the “father of modern political theory.” He was a diplomat in the Florentine Republic for 14 years while the Medici family was out of power in Florence.
When the Medici family returned to power, he was suspected of conspiracy, sent to jail, tortured, and exiled. While exiled he wrote one of the seminal works of political theory: The Prince.
In The Prince, Machiavelli writes about monarchical rule and man’s ability to determine his own destiny. The book is known for showing politicians how to be ruthless, self-serving, and cunning. It even inspired the term Machiavellian.
You should not be afraid to disturb the status quo Click To TweetMachiavelli’s story shows that you should not be afraid to disturb the status quo. He could have sat by and let circumstances happen to him. Instead, he stuck by his ideals, even though he was punished for them, and is now immortalized through his work.
“The greatest risk to man is not that he aims too high and misses, but that he aims too low and hits.” – Michelangelo
Michelangelo is often cited as one of the most influential artists of all time. He has created some of the most recognizable pieces of art known to the world.
This only happened because he was willing to take risks with his art. Two great examples of this come in the form of his statue of David and his fresco painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Before Michelangelo created the statue of David, two prior sculptors attempted and abandoned it. A committee consulted several artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, about creating the statue. Yet Michelangelo, who was only 26 years old at the time, convinced the committee he deserved the commission.
This feat is so impressive because the statue stands at 17 ft tall and was made from a single giant piece of marble. It is now one of the most recognizable figures in the world.
The ceiling painting of the Sistine Chapel is an equally impressive feat. Although he was known as a sculptor, not a painter, Pope Julius II commissioned him adorn the ceiling with twelve large figures of the Apostles. Michelangelo negotiated a much grander scheme. He eventually created the painting with over 300 figures.
It took four years to complete the massive, complicated painting. An estimated six million people visit the chapel each year to catch a glimpse of the painting.
If Michelangelo did not take risks, these two complicated and spectacular pieces of art would have never been created.
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No one ever made something great without taking on great risk Click To TweetThese are just a few notable examples of what can be achieved when you are willing to take a risk. No one ever made something great without taking on great risk.
Don't let the fear of failure prevent you from achieving greatness Click To TweetThere is so much we can learn by studying those who came before us. Don’t let the fear of failure prevent you from achieving greatness. Don’t be fooled by the safety of the status quo. You have to be willing to strike out if you want to hit a home run.
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates
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I’ll admit it. I don’t know all the answers. Anyone who tells you they know all the answers is lying.
As someone who is trying to help artists market themselves and their work, you might assume I know every aspect about marketing. I can tell you this right now, I don’t. If you are looking for a guru who can give you all the answers, you will be looking for a very long time.
We all look to the experts to figure things out for us. We want to do as little work as possible. This is your wake up call. If you want to find success, you must first acknowledge you don’t know everything. Next, you must admit that you will never know everything.
Some people may find this idea a burden. They want to take shortcuts. They want to know it all and they want to know it now.
I, on the other hand, think this idea is liberating. Sometimes the biggest burdens are the burdens of knowledge. When you know all the answers, you are less willing to take risks. You are less willing to break from convention. You believe your way is the right way, even if better alternatives exist.
Not knowing all the answers can lead to spectacular results. Here are some reasons you should admit to not knowing:
People will respect you more
When you are honest with others, they respect you more. It is better to tell people when you don’t know something than to make it up.
Don’t try to make yourself looks smarter by making it up. If people find out you were being dishonest, they will resent and lose respect for you.
When someone asks you a question, that you don’t know the answer to, simply tell them you don’t know, but you would like to find out. It will make you look better in the long run.
You can learn from others
We only have a finite amount of time on Earth, which means we can never know everything. Instead of trying to learn everything ourselves, we should lean on the knowledge of others.
No matter how much we think we know, there is always something we can learn from other people. Don’t close yourself off to the knowledge others can give you.
One of the best ways to do this is through Masterminds. Napoleon Hill found that the most successful people in his lifetime made use of a Mastermind. People from Andrew Carnegie to Henry Ford made use of this extraordinary tool.
Instead of trying to figure everything out on their own, these men relied on the wisdom of others. This allowed them to grow some of the largest, most successful businesses of their times.
By opening themselves up to the knowledge of others, they were able to solve problems they couldn’t figure out on their own.
It allows you to experiment
Every great discovery and invention started with a question. It was the result of someone not knowing something.
Just look at the scientific method as proof. Everything we know about science is based off of a question. Before we can claim something is true, we must first experiment and review the results.
If we were didn’t test our hypotheses, people would still believe the world is flat. We would still think the universe revolves around the Earth. We would still be experimenting with alchemy.
Through experimentation, we have made many new discoveries and debunked old theories. This is only possible by admitting we don’t know everything.
Dan Galperin is the man behind the Man Power Project, the Fight Club for the Soul. Through one on one coaching and group calls, he helps men discover what it means to live well. In this episode Dan talks about his travels around the world, why you need to love yourself, and how you can become more confident.
Dorie Clark is a marketing strategy consultant, speaker and contributor to the Harvard Business Review, Time, and Entrepreneur. She authored the books Reinventing You and Stand Out, and is also an adjunct professor of business at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. In this episode, Dorie talks about how she went from working on Howard Dean’s political campaign to being a business consultant, how you can reinvent yourself, and what you can do to stand out.
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