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If a tree falls in the forest and no one writes a press release about it, does it make a sound? By the same token, if an artist creates a work and no one else experiences it, does it have any artistic impact? Is it a viable creation? The act of creation guarantees only that a work will come into existence, but this is an incomplete equation without the presence of an audience. Whenever you hear an artist say that he/she creates “just for myself,” don’t believe it. Everyone knows that the audience isn’t secondary to the artistic process — it’s a crucial, necessary component. An audience, however, does not come into being on its own; there’s an intermediary step between creating art and the formation of an audience. That step is promotion.

Many fine artists regard self-promotion as a base activity that is at odds with the creative process. In the extreme, they see it as dubious and sleazy, a mercenary endeavor that can only corrupt the purity of their vision. At best, it is a necessary evil that is totally divorced from the real business of making art. This attitude is increasingly unrealistic and burdened with the quaint notion of the artist as a gifted exile in a pristine realm, completely insulated from the world at large. More importantly, this attitude can be fatal to artists’ careers and may preclude them from realizing even the most basic level of success.

Artists are often reluctant to thrust themselves and their work into the arena of self-promotion. If they don’t harbor the prejudice that self-promotion is tainted, then they may simply dread the whole process because it is so unnatural for them and doesn’t mesh with their sensibilities. Their focus and training is on creating art, so promoting it seems like an intrusion and an endeavor for which they are wholly unprepared. This attitude assumes that art and promotion are totally distinct activities, functioning practically independent of one another.

Inherent in this view is the idea that specialists are best suited for the respective roles of artist and promoter. Yet artists who are not established rarely have the luxury of being able to completely entrust all of their promotional needs to a specialist. So, if an artist does not promote him/herself then this necessary task will go undone, in which case it is likely that the work, no matter how good it is, will not find an audience. Artists must “get their hands dirty” and lay some of the groundwork required for initiating their own careers.

Copyright © 2009 by Adam Eisenstat

Adam Eisenstat is a professional writer with extensive experience writing for artists (artist statements, bios, grant essays, etc.). To learn more about how Adam can help you create powerful written communications that will advance your work, contact him at: adameisenstat@aol.com or visit his online portfolio at www.mediabistro.com/AdamEisenstat.

Adam Eisenstat

917.282.8949

adameisenstat@aol.com

We’ve all been there…

If you’re in a slump right now, you know what I mean.

You might have goals and dreams, but right now, they
seem like a distant fantasy–unimportant and detached
from reality.

So what do you do? If you’re like most people, you take
a break from all of your projects and aspirations. And
you spend some time feeling depressed and indifferent
to progress.

http://aureliustjin.com/21-powerful-ways-to-motivate-yourself-when-youre-in-a-slump

What do you do? The task is sitting in front of your you know what needs ot be done, but you are tired. You need your rest to prepare for the next day at cubicle world.
Do you push thru?
How?
Do you Step Back?
Or What strategy do you use?
Looking for advice.

New FCC rules state, I should tell you if you purchase the book through this link, I will get a commission.

1. Creativity is the natural order of life. Life is energy: pure creative energy.

2. There is an underlying, in-dwelling creative force infusing all of life–including ourselves.

3. When we open ourselves to our creativity, we open ourselves to the creator’s creativity within us and our lives.

4. We are, ourselves, creations. And we, in turn, are meant to continue creativity by being creative ourselves.

5. Creativity is God’s gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God.

6. The refusal to be creative is self-will and is counter to our true nature.

7. When we open ourselves to exploring our creativity, we open ourselves to God: good orderly direction.

8. As we open our creative channel to the creator, many gentle but powerful changes are to be expected.

9. It is safe to open ourselves up to greater and greater creativity.

10. Our creative dreams and yearnings come from a divine source. As we move toward our dreams, we move toward divinity.

I am currently involved in a the course, I am taking it from a teacher here in San Diego. It is helping me to answer the important thing about my creativity and art. It is stirring up my thoughts and my approach to life. As my instructor Earl Storm said, “You art and creativity are not a matter of life and death. They are really much more important than that!”

-
Jeremy

Comments? I will write more soon. In another week or I will wrap up and report on the 30 day experiment. Be excellent to each other.