The Slow Artist: Part I
Our world moves fast, and it seems to accelerate steadily. In an environment where music is reduced to serving the algorithmic requirements of various "social" platforms, it can feel overwhelming for artists to keep up with all the new tasks associated with being a musician in the digital age. It may even lead to questioning whether one actually enjoys making music, as the focus often shifts towards self-promotion and self-marketing on social media, which detracts from the original reasons for pursuing music: playing, performing, writing songs, and connecting with people in real life.
The problem with this dogma, where creating a ton of content for social media is seen as the most crucial part of making it as a musician, is that it's not based on facts but merely on the general assumption in our society that creating a digital version of oneself, or personal brand, is unavoidable for success in any industry.
Where does this assumption come from? Why is nobody questioning it, and why are we accepting it as the norm?
Personally, I believe that following this path not only leads to burnout and a loss of purpose for artists, but also devalues the creative process as a whole.
I don't want this to happen, not to myself and not to any other artists struggling with this distorted view of what it means to be a musician.
Therefore, I have coined a term, which I will investigate in a series of articles, called "The Slow Artist."
I will divide it into three chapters, where I aim to offer an alternative to the content creator archetype of the artist:
Chapters:
Deliberately shifting your focus
Mindfully control your input
Choosing depth
Chapter I: Deliberately shifting your focus
“In a world that entices us to browse through the lives of others to help us better determine how we feel about ourselves and to in turn feel the need to be constantly visible – for visibility, these days, seems to somehow equate to success – do not be afraid to disappear. From it, from us, for a while, and see what comes to you in the silence." Michaela Cole, 2021
Let's begin with part one of understanding the concept of being a slow artist.
In order to break free from the cycle where social media presence is prioritized over the actual craft, we need to establish an alternative approach. This approach should guide us towards immersing ourselves completely in our art, dedicating time to refine our skills, improving our craft, creating work that is genuine, and living intentionally to have a wide range of experiences and emotions to draw inspiration from.
So, how can we achieve this?
It all starts with shifting our focus to what truly matters. As simple as it may sound, it requires a significant change in perspective.
Shift your focus from creating content with the hope of someday going viral and achieving overnight success to simply being the best musician you can be. As the saying goes, "Be so good, they can't ignore you."
The key factor in building a sustainable life as an artist is to shift your attention to what really matters: your craft. Instead of chasing the empty promise of instant fame on social media, focus on honing your skills and creating the highest quality art possible. You will experience a level of satisfaction that far exceeds what you will ever feel from online popularity. Additionally, it will be much more sustainable.
What sets you apart from others is your unique voice and the quality of your art. However, achieving this requires hard work, practice, learning, and embracing failure. Dedicate the necessary hours to your craft and find joy in the journey, rather than fixating on others' paths to success. Remember that every experience is unique, so trust in your own path.
Strive to create something truly great, not for others but for yourself. Create art that aligns with your own taste and values, ensuring that it is always honest and authentic.
Instead of placing too much emphasis on what "industry experts" say about the importance of social media for artists, prioritize becoming exceptionally good at what you do. Cal Newport recently discussed this in his podcast and offered a simple yet powerful way to decide where to focus your efforts. Ask yourself, "How would you have started as a musician 12 years ago?"
It's important to remember that ubiquitous social media use was virtually nonexistent around 12 years ago.
If you ask yourself this question, you will realize that virtually every mechanism that was in place back then is still here today. The problem is that with social media taking over almost every aspect of modern life, including the life of a musician, the key promise it delivers - making it big with the shortcut of going viral - is solely based on their goal of getting you to use those platforms more and more.
There is always this tiny chance of suddenly hitting the jackpot with a video of yours getting millions of views, which will make you believe that the time and effort put into being active on those platforms is worth it.
This is dangerous because it ultimately pulls you away from what really matters and will always matter most: creating good art.