Listen carefully to first criticisms made of your work. Note just what it is about your work that critics don’t like – then cultivate it. That’s the only part of your work that’s individual and worth keeping. ~Jean Cocteau
Jean Cocteau was such a multifaceted artist that it actually worked against him. The media and the public like to put artists in a box and he was all but impossible to categorize. He was a poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, painter, playwright, artist and filmmaker. I remember seeing his film Beauty and the Beast in my late teens and the impact of that experience has stayed with me to this day.
Although I don’t necessarily completely agree with the above quote, I certainly get his point and there is more truth there than not. The greatest obstacle that most artists face is the real, or in many cases, imagined opinions and criticisms of others. The task of the artist is to ensure that his or her true vision is realized and then to do whatever necessary to get the art afloat. Like flying a kite, the hardest part is the initial launch. When it’s still low to the ground its’ the most vulnerable to rocks and stone hurled by others. Generally if no rocks or stones are hurled, there’s something wrong, so prepare for them.
But breaking the rules does not only apply to creating your art, that philosophy is just as important when it comes to marketing and branding your art. More than most arenas, the world of fine art is a midfield when it comes to rules and perceived rights and wrongs. The more savvy filmmakers and musicians learned long ago that breaking the rules and upsetting the status quo can be a good thing. Although there are many who break this mold, painter and sculptors generally seem to be more concerned about what the art world will think, how gallery owners will react, how curators will view what they do. This often leads to some of the most creative artists ending up in self-imposed prison cell when it comes to marketing their work or reaching the public.
They forget that the status quo has an expiration date. The world of art and marketing is constantly evolving. The internet has been a true game changer and yet most artists look to the rules that were set in stone in the early part of the 20th century to be their guiding light.
To honestly make your art chances are you’re going to break the rules, simply because you are the only you there is and rules that we made for the multitude will not apply to you as an individual. Still here you need to tread with care, breaking the rules simply to assume a rebel stance is boring and will generally get you nowhere, but doing so because you’re following your own light, listening to your singular drummer is imperative.
The same holds true for marketing, promoting or selling your works. Modes of sales distribution and communication are continually shifting. What the old guard insists you can never do, is something to consider. Don’t wait or stand still because you’re afraid to ruffle feathers of those who have developed a set of arbitrary rules for you to follow.
The other day I was talking to an artist who was worried about launching a public relations campaign because the curator he was working with was insisting on calling the shots on when and if a campaign could be launched. Building a bridge between your art and the public is imperative. Don’t wait for someone to build that bridge for you. Even if you’re told you’re doing it wrong, chances are you’re getting it right.
Copyright © Anthony Mora Communications 2014
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