Artist Myth #9a: Artists are Flakes

Myth Nine: Artists are flakes
Art as an item for sale isn’t the same thing as a vacuum cleaner or a hamburger or a pair of socks. A piece of artwork, regardless of the medium, is a creation that an artist has a very intimate connection to. It’s created using a great deal of intuition, emotion, and abstract thinking; things that don’t figure into a world which is based mostly on quantification and measurement.

When the two worlds of business and art collide, it can look as though artists have a difficult time finding their place and coming to terms with how they fit in. Being on time and keeping track of finances may not come easy to every artist, but there are things in the artist’s studio the general population would find extremely hard to do as well. As my marriage counselor used to say, “Before you make an assumption, consider the source.” People generally have a lot more going on than what meets the eye. And with artists especially, this process isn’t necessarily linear.

Jeri Goldstein, artist consultant and author of the book “How to be Your Own Booking Agent,” says, “ I’ve found that artists may be specifically challenged in regard to certain business aspects, but it’s not because they are disorganized, it’s usually because there are certain knowledge gaps in their business skill set.”

Jeri Goldstein is a former music agent and manager who is author of the award-winning self-published book How To Be Your Own Booking Agent (now in it’s 7^th printing). The book is used as a text book in music business courses at Universities across the US and in Canada and by musicians and performing artists world-wide. Jeri is also a performing arts consultant who offers strategies and techniques on booking tours, negotiation techniques, marketing, music business and performing arts career development. www.performingbiz.com.

Artist Myth 10g: Agents

Myth Ten: If I only had an agent, my worries would be over.
Consider this. Charles Ross premiered his "One Man Star Wars," in Toronto, Canada in 2001, and toured the show for the past 8 years. In the show, Ross, plays all the characters, makes all the sound effects, and hums all the in-between music.

As Neda Ulaby mentions in my NPR interview (8.12.09 - nprinterview) Ross hasn't been known as anything but the "Star Wars Guy" for the past 8 years. My friend Noah in the last blog entry is known as the skull guy. Are you able to place yourself in an easily defineable box?

In terms of your career and attracting the attention of an agent, focus can mean all the difference in the world.

So, what's a creative rebel to do if you like to keep your creative brushes in a little bit of everything? When I began to sharpen my focus I visited the website of artists I admired who seemed to have a lot of the same renaissance spirit I have - that double-edged sword.

First stop - Steve Martins website. What you'll notice is that he considers himself a comedian/actor. Ignore the fact that he's written a bunch of books, is a re-known musician, has written and produced a ton of plays and started it all as a magician. In all likelihood it was this very focus that helped him find his agent.

Artist Myth #10d: Agents

Myth Ten: If I only had an agent, my worries would be over.

Often times there are certain things we artists look at in terms of others who have "made it," or who are in the "big time." Martha Randoplh Carr is one of those artists, as a novelist, syndicated columnist and national speaker. She's got four books out in the world, one with a movie option, a syndicated column, and a radio show. In terms of finding an agent, one would think she was an agents dream.

"But my agent said that she didn’t know what to do with me," Martha said during our interview. "Yes, my projects showcased my talents, but the nugget of my work was not consistent enough from a marketing perspective."

Look at her bio below and you'll get a feel for what I'm talking about. Publishers want to be able to brand writers because then they’ll know that they’ll get their investment back. When you stick with one thing, your ability to build a large, loyal audience over time increases.

In the past, my artistic endeavors have taken me through mediums as fast as some people change their underwear - as a jazz pianist, visual artist, alternaive rock musician, singer/songwriter, massage therapist, performer, playwright, upholsterer, etc. I could continue the list. The point is focus is the key to attracting the attention of an agent. The question is. Do you want to be an artist or do you want ot have a career as an artist?

Martha Randolph Carr

Martha Randolph Carr, is a nationally syndicated columnist, author, and speaker. She is the author of “A Place to Call Home,” (Prometheus), “Wired” (Nimrod House) and “The Sitting Sisters” (Cumberland House). Carr speaks to groups across the country through The New Voice Movement speaker’s bureau on the topics of race & politics, change, celebrating your children and spiritual growth. She is also the founder of the Family Tree Project, an online orphan registry to reunite the more than 200,000 older alumni of U.S. orphanages. She resides in New York City. www.martharandolphcarr.com

Artist Myth #10b: Agents

Myth Ten: If I only had an agent, my worries would be over.

Q: I've written this great children's book, I've created this great play, I've got this killer album, etc. and I just can't seem to get an agent interested, can you give me some advice?

A: There is a myth that talent is enough. Shows like "American Idol," perpetuate this myth. They have all of us thinking that all you have to do is show up, show people what you've got, and you'll be the next big thing.

The truth is everyone wants to know that you can sell what you've created on your own before they'll take a chance on you. In the last paragraph of your query letter you're supposed to describe your platform aka "the size of your soapbox."

It all comes down to your platform/ soapbox. How big is your e-mail database of fans? What's your presence like on Facebook, Twitter, My Space? How many public appearances are you doing this year? How many articles have been written about you in the last month, six months, year?

My advice? Put your brilliant project aside, work on your platform and then approach an agent.

Artist Myth #10a: Agents

Myth Ten: If I only had an agent, my worries would be over.

You may have an idea that an agent will finally do all the things that you hate doing – making phone calls, networking, selling. Guess what? It’s not true. Plenty of my performer friends have agents who only get them work once a month. The truth is, with an agent, you may just become just one more client on their relatively long list of clients. Agents will pitch your work and may sell some of your work, but it won’t be the agent who will take your career to the next level, it’ll be you.

In fact, TV Producer, Christina Kolock who books talent for her CBS show "Virginia This Morning"  has this to say in terms of artists and their agents. “If the artist can make the time to communicate with other people, it's so much easier to work directly with them. Adding an agent to the mix just adds one more cook to the kitchen and can slow down the channels of communication."

If you want to find an agent or even if you want your agent to do more for you, you’re going to have to do the work first.

As singer/songwriter Kyle Vincent told me, "I've never had an agent in my life. It's a lot like a real estate agent.One day I saw a house I liked. I went up to the guy in the yard, asked him if he'd ever consider selling it, he said he would, and 2 months later I had a home. No agents, no commission."

Kyle Vincent, is a singer/song writer and the current lead singer of the Bay City Rollers. He is the former lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the teen pop band, Candy. As a solo artist Vincent toured with Barry Manilow. His songs have appeared on MTV's Road Rules, The Real World, Daria, ABC's All My Children, and "Save the Planet: A CBS/Hard Rock Cafe Special". For more visit www.kylevincent.com.