Be honest. You don’t create for the sake of art. You create because you enjoy it, you have some skill with it, and you want to use those abilities to support yourself, perhaps even become a household name.
I’m sure money, fame, and what luxuries come with it have an effect as well. Every creative wants to make it to the top. If you’re too high-minded to believe that, please explain why so many people rake in money teaching other creatives to grow explosively.
There’s a common belief that if you create quality work, people will find you. You just need to focus on writing the best book, making the best music, and generally creating the best [whatever] you’re capable of. It’s a rather noble stance.
Be the best you can be, and people will notice. It works on a small scale, for those close to you. But if you want to become wealthy and famous, and be able to live whatever life you want to live, this theory doesn’t do much for you.
How does anyone become famous? They get recognized. The quality of what you create, while important, has little to do with becoming a household name. People have discover you. They have to realize you and your great work actually exist!
The Kardashians/Jenners and the Damn Daniel duo got famous for what? A leaked video and a mildly humorous wardrobe analysis. For every famous musician, there’s 10 absolutely astounding musicians still playing in neighborhood dives.
You don’t become famous be being great at something. You become famous by putting yourself out there. By taking what you’ve created and sticking it in front of as many eyes and ears as you can possibly find. You become a household name by physically placing your name into every household (or smartphone). Thankfully, the internet makes this relatively easy, if you play your cards right.
If you want to become a famous creative, it’s good for you to continually hone your craft. But to make it big, you’ve got to be recognized and discovered, particularly by people in important roles. You’ve got to pitch everyone you can, build your social media profile(s), get into as many shows and galleries as you can find, and throw your name as far out there as you can. Before you can make it big, you have to make yourself a public figure.
Sadly, history and culture tell us that you can be great at something without being recognized for it. You can also be mediocre and have everyone love you. Sure, some of it’s marketing. But if you want to become a famous creative, keep getting better at what you do, and place what you do in front of everyone.
