Building an Artist

Many people want to be an artist. They want to build a life of creative freedom and minimal responsibilities outside of themselves.

I get it.

As an artist your only job is to create, and you create what you feel, how you want and with no one to tell you you can't and or shouldn't be doing so. My last story talked about how I started to take that risk on my own; and I explained a few steps or essentials to keep in mind o your own journey, that I had learned along the way.

Thing is, that was only the first half of the work. The "Establishers" if you will. I want to delve a little deeper and show you the second half of the process. These steps will be a bit more of long-term practices than establishing ideas. I'll be honest, even I have not yet perfected my schedule of doing all of these things. But when I do get them all done, things tend to fall in place a lot easier.

If I called the first half The Establishers, I'd like to name this second half The Developers.

So here we go.

1. Making a record/body of work.

While this step may seem redundant it's the core of your career and therefore an essential part of developing an artist in any way.

There are 2 key thoughts to keep in mind when actually working;

1. Consistency
2. Quality

As a brand new artist, just starting out, you have to build a catalog. You have to have something for your audience to attach to you. In music that has to be more than 2 songs. In other mediums it has to be more than one piece of work. There are tons of "One-Hit-Wonders" but they have a backlog of work that was never received before they got that one hit. They remained consistent and kept pushing to be heard until something stuck.

But you catalog can't be filled with just anything. Be selective of what you release and show off to the world. Everything won't be perfect, some things will be absolute garbage, others will be mediocre, and then there are the pieces that make you see your own potential. Quality is key.

A portfolio that is 30/70 good to bad isn't going to get you seen or heard; and it's not gonna stick with potential fans. A portfolio that's 50/50 may get you a few fans. but they wont share as much of your work because it's hit or miss with every new release. So put yourself to that 80/20 Good/Bad ratio, really analyze your work and compare it's quality to those you aspire to be among the ranks of and see if you fit. If it matches release it, if it doesn't don't, and if you think its there or its message is worth sharing, use it as your 20. But stay vigilant in your consistency and don't overthink it.

2. Branding

Now you may ask, "wouldn't this fall under artist's persona?". The answer is, yes and no. While your persona is apart of your brand, your brand is not solely your persona. Many up and coming artist struggle with this piece because everything else seems to already be done. However, the brand is the identifier. The logo the key phrase, the iconic photo, that one thing that immediately brings you to the mind of your audience.

Personally, I have developed a brand around Old English script style font on my clothing and project titles and supporting creativity in all forms. It's a font that I personally favor and so everything I release has it stamped on there somewhere, somehow. The platform is how people understand that I'm truly doing what I love.

Find your stint, or identifier, and implement it in everything you do or release somehow. Figure out your why and develop a platform for your music to be attached to. Build your releases campaigns around it and get people registering it with you and who you are. This is key for going into the last 2 steps.

3. Developing a Live Show/Showcase

This isn't an easy task. In most cases as a new artist you can't really invest in all the bells and whistles of a full concert; don't let that hinder you. A live show is about more than just lights and special effects. It's an experience you create for your current fans and possible new fans.

Plan out your set list or pick your pieces for showing, have your shoutouts ready, know when to advertise for your mailing list or merch table, what songs do you want crowd participation, what pieces require a longer description, how will you include your platform. All of these things influence your show's success and can help propel your career.

Know someone that's a DJ? See if they will come and DJ your set, it them becomes mutually beneficial, but don't expect free work, always offer some kind of compensation if they don't charge you a flat fee. People are more likely to help out with your shows in the future if you show love in return for the work. ESPECIALLY when they don't ask.

Consider some of these ideas when planning your next show, and share some of your own in the comments if you'd like.

4. Growing your career

Much easier said than done, and really the shortest section of the list.

The key to really growing your career is paying close attention to all of the small details we've discussed. A solid brand, a matching persona, music that is well written and of quality sound, a strong marketing plan, a great show, and consistency are essential to building any career.

It's not easy to keep up with everything and make sure your thoughts and ideas continue to line up or stay updated every single day; but building a schedule for yourself, and stick to it. Build some discipline within yourself to push your way to your success and I promise you will see progress.

Until next time, Stay Creative.

CreNaetive