Apprehensions of Artists Being on an Online Platform

Do online videos destroy the spectacle of a performing artist? As a pervasive medium, does the digital space significantly challenge the ability to evoke curiosity? Has social media replaced live performances? While the most reflective and intense form of experiencing performance art is in the skin and real-time, the answers to all of the above is NO.

As a millennial artist, it is hard to disprove the power of social media and its influence. A modern day artist is a product of technologies available and his form of excellence. Speak to any of them and you would know that a growing community of artists today create possibilities of visibility on social media. As a game changer, Internet undoubtedly has changed the way we think, communicate, learn, equate, draw parallel and access information.

While the experience of visiting concerts, attending musicals, watching recitals or enjoying street performers in the city emotionally binds the audience, watching these videos on a little screen can never transform energies as in real time spectacles. However, as an aspiring artist in the digital space today, if you do not gain advantage from the countless opportunities that Social Media has opened up, you are likely to sabotage your career prospects. Seemingly small steps like creating a Facebook page to showcase your works of art can aid in establishing community pockets and also engage in business partnerships to create economic viability. If that were true, then what halts them to go all out and discover the power of social media?

Well, the common fears of creative professionals are many, the most important being “Self Doubt”. Am I good enough? Will I be able to sell my skill? What if I do not get praised for my work? Incidentally, there is no instant success formula that can put these feelings of depression and self-doubt at rest. It is rather important to value the creative process of evolution as much as the work of art and approach the social medium.

Artists also fear the fact that the digital audience might not take them seriously. Well, the truth is that your artistic ambition is only as serious as you consider it. When craft blends with excellence, it gets easier for an artist to rise above these inhibitions. If you are a true artist and pursue it as your profession, being on the online media is only going to get you closer to your ideal audience.

One of the biggest fears of being on social media is that artists feel that their ideas and works of art might get stolen. Online or offline, this is a common practice and happens all the time. While this is a logjam and poses serious threat to creative professionals, one must also bear in mind that the medium provides a huge audience that enjoy and appreciate your work and have no intent to steal your work. At some point, you must let go and live your art.

No artist is content completely with their work of art. It is an ongoing pursuit of perfection that goes on to create masterpieces. Thus, an artist always fear that the work put up online is only half as good as he had imagined. Well, you must strive for the next stage of creation to enjoy your journey of evolving as an artist.

Having said that, what could be the possible ways of getting started in the online medium for creative professionals? Let us discuss couple of realistic ways of approaching the social media to gain the maximum mileage to promote artistic talent.

  1. Create your brand personality like you would want people to perceive of you. Follow similar websites; check how other people in the industry are presenting their work and how information is shared in social media.

  2. Do not start with the intent of selling your work on Facebook and YouTube. Use the social media to showcase your talent, document your experiences and demonstrate your passion. If you are a stage artist, you could share videos of documentaries and movie clips featuring you. Similarly, voice artists can upload voice files to reach out to music directors.

  3. Social media is an open platform that must be used to articulate your vision. It must be used to develop and discover your talent. If you are a writer, start by writing a blog. Let your audience equally savour your journey of a writer through your literary works. Bond with your audience regularly and enrich the experience of building an online community.

  4. Understand your audience clearly. And then decide on the medium that would rightly connect you to your ideal audience since different mediums reach different audiences. There is no joy in trying to satisfy the world but there is immense fulfilment in reaching out to the right audience, bond over your works of art and receive accolades and appreciation for your craft.

It is therefore time to go full throttle and establish your connect with social media. You will soon realize that it is worthwhile to loosen up and lower your inhibitions in order to be part of the online community that you would need to promote and synergize your professional strengths. Honest and open communication with your digital audience will not only help you grow as an artist but ensure reach, broaden scope of work and amplify opportunities for you.