Thank you very much for this. Honestly, I cried about this very thing today. My upcoming novel release has already been a disaster in the making with absolutely no support from my peers, acquaintances, followers, or anyone. I am highly entertaining giving up completely because no matter how hard I try to market and promote it and put money into it, no one seems to care. Its the most disheartening thing in the world, but with this post I feel seen, heard, and understood. I just worry with how hard i’ve been marketing myself for years that nothing will ever come of it, and you’re right, theres that feeling of “whats the point if you’re not seen, understood, recognized through your art?” Im very much trying to grapple with this.
I’m sorry to hear that! My suggestion would be to continue to satisfy your creative ambitions and focus on what you gain intrinsically from the process, and hopefully the desired audience will come
Thanks for the thoughtful prose, Brock. It provided a much-needed boost in morale as no sooner than I posted a new story to my Substack, I immediately lost a follower (and my subs are few). Nevertheless, I'm not really here for the followers but for the drive to write and share what I have to offer, which I feel is valuable.
That aside, your piece sparked not just motivation but a bit of sadness. While reading, I was reminded of a female artist (her name escapes me) who recently passed. My wife is an artist, and her mentor, a collector, curator, and dealer, recently purchased an entire barn full of work from the deceased artist's family. The barn comprised the woman's life work. My wife’s mentor, who has a keen eye for fine art, scooped up the lot, and the pieces have since sold like proverbial hotcakes. This is a perfect example of how someone can remain in obscurity but finally break through. Unfortunately, this artist, like those mentioned in your piece, achieved recognition posthumously.
Still, it's all a reminder that if you have consistency and the right intention, your art will eventually get out there. Keep up the good work, man, and congrats on the recent success 👏.
I’d add that the grass always seems greener, that even some artists who did achieve fame in their lifetimes (thinking especially of DFW) realized it didn’t make them any happier in the end. Your first audience should always be yourself, but watch out for that audience being your worst critic.
This hit home. Doing art for the sake of art is what I have resolved to do but the yearning of an audience is always lingering, always nudging. If only all artists would have their financial anxieties solved in some way, this would work. The Vincis and Angelos of the world survived on patronage of the aristocrats. Today’s Patreon and Substack have scaled that model thousand times and all that has done is introduce sort of a rat race among creators. Standing out in the noise — as you rightly mentioned — is getting increasingly difficult. A stroke of luck is what everyone’s looking for. But fortune favors the brave so chop wood one must!
Thanks, Brock. Reading this, I got reminded of the timeless wisdom from ‘The Letters to the Poet’. Two things that are an absolute must in any creative pursuit: self-discovery and patience.
Yes, it's hard to stand out, and it's not getting easier with all that AI-generated stuff out there. I consider each new essay as a spin of the wheel of fortune for attention. You never know who reads your essays and when they come across them. Just like you point out, it can take months or years until something sticks (or a lifetime). But I guess that's just what the game as a creative or artist is like - 20% of creators get 80% of the attention. It's daunting, but I stay motivated by trying to stay connected to my joy of writing and never writing about anything I don't care about. I believe if you're not intrinsically motivated to create, you'll have a very tough time.
Definitely! Your desire to create must originate internally if it's to be sustainable in my opinion and like the Gass quote, you have to be content with the attention, or lack thereof, that you receive
Thank you very much for this. Honestly, I cried about this very thing today. My upcoming novel release has already been a disaster in the making with absolutely no support from my peers, acquaintances, followers, or anyone. I am highly entertaining giving up completely because no matter how hard I try to market and promote it and put money into it, no one seems to care. Its the most disheartening thing in the world, but with this post I feel seen, heard, and understood. I just worry with how hard i’ve been marketing myself for years that nothing will ever come of it, and you’re right, theres that feeling of “whats the point if you’re not seen, understood, recognized through your art?” Im very much trying to grapple with this.
I’m sorry to hear that! My suggestion would be to continue to satisfy your creative ambitions and focus on what you gain intrinsically from the process, and hopefully the desired audience will come
Thanks for the thoughtful prose, Brock. It provided a much-needed boost in morale as no sooner than I posted a new story to my Substack, I immediately lost a follower (and my subs are few). Nevertheless, I'm not really here for the followers but for the drive to write and share what I have to offer, which I feel is valuable.
That aside, your piece sparked not just motivation but a bit of sadness. While reading, I was reminded of a female artist (her name escapes me) who recently passed. My wife is an artist, and her mentor, a collector, curator, and dealer, recently purchased an entire barn full of work from the deceased artist's family. The barn comprised the woman's life work. My wife’s mentor, who has a keen eye for fine art, scooped up the lot, and the pieces have since sold like proverbial hotcakes. This is a perfect example of how someone can remain in obscurity but finally break through. Unfortunately, this artist, like those mentioned in your piece, achieved recognition posthumously.
Still, it's all a reminder that if you have consistency and the right intention, your art will eventually get out there. Keep up the good work, man, and congrats on the recent success 👏.
I appreciate you sharing that. Thank you!
I’d add that the grass always seems greener, that even some artists who did achieve fame in their lifetimes (thinking especially of DFW) realized it didn’t make them any happier in the end. Your first audience should always be yourself, but watch out for that audience being your worst critic.
This hit home. Doing art for the sake of art is what I have resolved to do but the yearning of an audience is always lingering, always nudging. If only all artists would have their financial anxieties solved in some way, this would work. The Vincis and Angelos of the world survived on patronage of the aristocrats. Today’s Patreon and Substack have scaled that model thousand times and all that has done is introduce sort of a rat race among creators. Standing out in the noise — as you rightly mentioned — is getting increasingly difficult. A stroke of luck is what everyone’s looking for. But fortune favors the brave so chop wood one must!
Thanks, Brock. Reading this, I got reminded of the timeless wisdom from ‘The Letters to the Poet’. Two things that are an absolute must in any creative pursuit: self-discovery and patience.
Yes, it's hard to stand out, and it's not getting easier with all that AI-generated stuff out there. I consider each new essay as a spin of the wheel of fortune for attention. You never know who reads your essays and when they come across them. Just like you point out, it can take months or years until something sticks (or a lifetime). But I guess that's just what the game as a creative or artist is like - 20% of creators get 80% of the attention. It's daunting, but I stay motivated by trying to stay connected to my joy of writing and never writing about anything I don't care about. I believe if you're not intrinsically motivated to create, you'll have a very tough time.
Definitely! Your desire to create must originate internally if it's to be sustainable in my opinion and like the Gass quote, you have to be content with the attention, or lack thereof, that you receive
Totally Yes. I am a musician - and this resonates.