Archive for October, 2009

“Used to be done” vs. “Can be done”

The rise of the social web is rendering many established methods of doing things irrelevant. Several of these relate directly to how creativity, Art and content are marketed and find their way to distribution, display and exposure to the public.

Type of ContentUsed to be doneCan be done
MusicYou had to get a record company representative to listen to your stuff and offer you a dealYou can offer your stuff directly via mp3 on your own site and build a following through your appearances, social networks & your web site.
Visual ArtSold through galleries, requires artist to be accepted by the gallery & work with them to build a following.Use social media to directly build your own following. You may still use a gallery, but they will likely find you.
Film/Video/Web SeriesYour project required approval before being produced, a production deal; you needed a track record of success.The distributors are watching the online video networks & web series for the ones attracting a large audience...your new track record.
WritingRequired an editor or reader to accept your writing as appropriate for their publishing firmThey're looking for those attracting the attention of many via social venues, for surer bets on what will sell.
insert whatever type of content creation you want hereyour stuff was juried or considered, and you had to get passed someone who's approval you had to gain...the gatekeepers have no leverage and they come to you if you can demonstrate a following

The potential is directly in your hands if you choose to go after it.

Please leave your comments on your own efforts to utilize social networks to directly reach those interested in your work.

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Proving your intention – Creative Leaps!

At some point, we all make choices. We choose not to choose and remain where we are or we make a plan and take action. Some bounce between this and that while constantly browsing around for the “widget” that will make it all better without much effort or that winning lottery ticket that will solve all the problems. The bad news is a “widget” or a winning lottery ticket is only as good as what you do with it. If you aren’t taking serious steps to move your agenda closer to the goals that would really make you happy, you’re just reinforcing the problematic issues by bouncing around.

So lets talk about happiness. Would you really be more happy with lots and lots of money? That may make life less troublesome, it would definitely take care of a lot of expenses, but would it make you happy? If you’re someone who really spends time on creative pursuits my guess is no. You may require money or resources for a goal and that’s worth pursuing, but in and of itself it isn’t what you’re passionate about.

Money can’t make you friends worth having or find you love worth returning. It can’t give you the sense of satisfaction of making something happen for others when no one else saw the potential in the situation.

So you describe yourself as creative…a person who thinks creatively, who doesn’t take the first answer off the shelf, but who looks for graceful and meaningful solutions that end up being more than the sum of their parts.

What is that really about? ..that this collection of abilities and insights and skills and intentions has been deposited and developed in you and by you, for you to do something with?

This leaves you with a pretty big responsibility and a continuing problem of constantly looking for opportunities to use what you have for those purposes and to find ways to expand your ability to do that.

You might want to take a look at this post on Dan Goodwin’s blog about acting on your creativity:

Are You Serious About Your Creativity? It’s Time You Proved It…

Please add your own experiences and comments…how much better did you feel when you did something about your need to create? How did it change your life?

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