Why you will never be a successful artist?

A lot of artists today want success but very few have the culture that attracts it. It hurts when you see someone with incredible talent try to make it in their industry and still end up failing or not reaching the height of success they could potentially be at.

With the way technology and information is being consumed, a lot of things are changing at such a fast rate that sometimes it can be hard to keep up. One of the places where this effect can be seen in within the entertainment industry.

Art is evolving right before our eyes, new mediums of expression are being created and update constantly. Artists, across all boards, are finding themselves being faced with many challenges in this regard as well.

This article is a personal statement from me on what I think are the contributing factors, to why so many artists (talented or not) are not meeting the success they deserve.

-          No Passion and No Discipline

No matter the piece of art being consumed, it needs to be threaded with passion. As a consumer, I need to feel at one point of another that the artist behind this piece has passion for what they have produced.

If I can’t feel the passion then perhaps the fact that that piece of art is in front of me, is a testament to their personal discipline to consistently produce art and put it out for the world to consume. That alone is enough for investors to want to take a chance on you.

“You have to be consistent enough for the breakthrough to come”

-          No Authenticity

In case you haven’t noticed, there’s no such thing as originality. At least not in the way we think. Everyone is doing the same thing, but they are doing it in their own way and with their own style – that’s where the originality comes in. Many people can put on make-up but no one can put on make-up like you.

If your art is not personal to you, if you don’t tell a story that is from your heart, a story that is unique to you and your environment, then it will be difficult for you to achieve success.

Artists are the ones who make us feel, think and provoke us – if your art doesn’t do this even to you, then it will not achieve that when you release out into the world. The message you are sending out needs to be unique, it needs to help me relate to you on a human level, not just artist to consumer.

-          Bare Minimum Effort due to pure laziness

Many people think being a true artist is easy and that anyone can do it. This could not be further from the truth. Being a True Artist takes incredible talent and even more hustle (Because luck doesn’t work everyone but hard-work and smart-work does)

Many artists think that by putting in bare minimum effort they will land a good deal and suddenly be on their way to the top.

Nope.

If you are lazy and you only put bare minimum effort into your work then be prepared to stay right where you are for the next couple of years, if not decades.

You have to ask yourself, why you are an artist and what is the aim of each piece of art you produce and release into the world? You have to be in it for the right reasons, because that’s what will keep you going every day, especially when times are tough.

-          Hustle over Talent

There is a quote I heard that goes “hustle will beat talent any day if talent doesn’t know how to hustle” and I completely agree. Granted some of you are very talented. True, but you are also equally lazy and thinking that the golden opportunity you need to get to the top will magically land on your doorsteps simply because you are talented.

WRONG!

You have to hustle just as much as anyone to get yourself out there consistently and in front of those who can invest in your talent.

Luck is misleading and only happens to one in a million, but you can create your own luck by being consistent.

Get out there and hustle. Consistent smart work will put you ahead.

-          Pride

A lot of artists have too much pride from people who have no money or credibility to bank on. Even when people want to help you, your attitude is so off-putting that they decide to not lift a finger in your direction. Even if it’s people you’ve known for a long time.

Throw. It. Away.

You don’t have to beg but you do have to listen and hear what they are saying, suggesting or asking of you. You have to be smart enough to allow yourself be guided by people who probably have more experience than you in a certain area.

(In the TV Series Insecure, a struggling music producer (Let’s call him Drew) allowed his pride cost him an opportunity with an artist (Reggie) that could’ve changed his career for the better. He wanted to prove himself better and smarter instead of listening to his friend (Tom) who knew the artist before him and suggested that Reggie would prefer a different style of music. Drew went ahead and messed up the opportunity by producing a beat that Reggie liked but Tom didn’t, and this made the relationship between all 3 awkward- watch it to find out what happens at the end.)

Do not let your pride cost you great opportunities. Stay Humble. And remember that if you have to tell yourself that you’re humble, then you are not.

There are so many tools available to you, use them. Number one of those tools is Social Media.

“I don’t know about that Facebook stuff, I’ll need to get a manager for that” - You have no money for a manager, master social media for yourself and use it to your advantage. There have been too many breakthroughs that have happened for people on social media for you not to take it very seriously.

There are so many mediums of expression available to limit yourself to traditional ways (which is not as relevant as it used to be)

Surround yourself with the right people

You have to surround yourself with people who push you to try things and explore your talents! Don't surround yourself with "Yes" men. People will want to stay around you to caress your ego because of what they can get from you. You have to be smart enough to discern who wants you to grow and who wants to keep you where you are so they can feed off you.

Be Accessible

Make sure your contact number/email works all the time and people are able to reach you when they need to. A lot of people miss opportunities because they are simply unreachable. This doesn't show professionalism or that you take your art and your clients seriously. 

If you are truly as hungry for success as you say you are, you will work everyday.

Wake up!

Be stubborn about your goal, but flexible in your methods. You have to be consistent enough to meet your breakthrough.

Create art every day.

If you don’t love it enough to do it every day for free and still be happy – then you need to ask yourself if you are on the right path in the first place.