Thank you for your thoughts. The piece was written for a specific site and was supposed to include what I had done to showcase a working artist. Showing what I had started with and how I progressed from there offering info on where I submitted and venues where I showcased so people could check out those venues as well. In the actual article, the hyperlinks and pictures where included so it made more sense.
namaste
barbee
Journalism / Follow your bliss
Follow your bliss. I was watching a behind the scenes documentary recently at The Blue Man Group and the founders were discussing what inspired them to get started. One important concept that empowered them was to “follow your bliss” and today seems to be the essence of their shows. This is something I can relate to.
Ten years ago I stepped out of the corporate structure and followed my bliss and decided to make a living as an artist. The most wonderful thing about doing what you love and living a job of self expression is the journey, not the end result. It is a beautiful concept to give of yourself, communicate and to make a living at it. Everyday is my job and who I am. It takes a tremendous amount of tenacity, will and determination to create yourself as a commodity. You work much harder than you would for another as we have ourselves to satiate. When you are your own commodity you have the power to determine the quality of what you have to offer. In this day and age we are so much more empowered to create the outcome of our artistic future.
There is only a minute percent of the society that is being sold to us as artistic expression and I don’t believe it represents my tastes. The same song drones on the radio, the same formula of action hero garbage is on the theatre screen and there is general lack luster of entertainment in the mainstream. I stopped watching TV, listening to the radio and reading the paper because to me it was all rubbish. I am not a hermit that lives in a cave but I tend to select how I entertain myself a bit differently than what the “market” is selling. I see local bands that are amazing and should most certainly be heard globally. I read articles and stories posted on the internet by “unknown” writers that are very intriguing and informative. I communicate with my community as to what other people have found to capture their interests. I have been immersed in scads more culture by being a part of it instead of just paying my X amount of dollars to see what has been deemed as entertainment. This is an incredible time to express yourself, and make a living at it. With the emergence of the internet, email, social networks and the ever growing distaste of how things have been done, we are in an era that is seeking true creativity. It’s the corporate buzzword and what people are seeking. At one time you had to get through someone’s “people” to have audience with them and now you are as close as a click of a button. A new way of connecting is moving in and it puts the ball in your court. I have been able to be in front of people that I would have never imagined because of the accessibility due to the electronic age. If people can preview who you are and what you do online, then THEY can decide if you have what they want.
I searched my interests, joined social networks and started submitting my stuff anywhere and everywhere and the ball began to roll. You have to be proactive, consistent and determined to showcase your talents in every possible arena. You don’t have to be dead to be appreciated as an artist! You constantly have to put your energy out and IT WILL COME BACK! It seldom comes back the way you expect it but it always comes back.
Here are some of the avenues I have taken:
Google alerts are awesome! You simply key in precise words i.e.: “writer needed” and it will scour all that has been posted on the web and send you alerts in your email. This has proven to be a very valuable tool for me.
After doing Google searches for henna and artists as well as photography, eventually I was asked to submit my work for this issue of The Art Fix.
(pic) I also had an entry accepted for another issue of The Art Fix
By joining a photo sharing network flickr.com, I submitted to JPG magazine and was accepted.
By sending out press releases every time I do a show, eventually someone showed up and did a story on me
Orlando sentinel (located through my website under Press)
http://www.barbeecain.com/main.html
I was asked by a filmmaker at one of my shows to be the subject of a documentary and held a show at The AKA, in Orlando, teamed up with other creative types and created a show to preview the film. I invited the media once again and they came.
(picture) I got a job filming a couple of TV shows from an online ad
I did a film from online casting site mandy.com
I was asked to be a part of Soulclipse the solar eclipse in Turkey via a fellow photographer that I had met on Tribe.net
barbee
www.barbeecain.com
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Chago reviewed Version 1 -
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Your first three paragraphs have some small errors, but work well. You idea and feelings come across easy. It makes it easy for a reader to really try to relate to you and the ideas you are stressing about living the life. However, after the third graph you drop your form and create a list…a move that hurts the piece. You created a personal piece from the start, then seem to give up and just list things….
You seem to feel strongly about you topic, and the list created the feeling as if you stop caring to continue to tell the piece. You could easily turn your list into a few paragraphs. Turn the resume-looking list into a personal statment. Good luck…
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Whiskey reviewed Version 1 -
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It ended a little suddenly, but this was quite a good piece. Very informative, well written and useful to the aspiring artist.
I do think that it may have come across as more professional if it had not been focussed so much on your own personal experience. I realize that the point of this article was to use that experience in order to benefit others, but it does seem at times as though you are more interested in parading your own successes than in aiding the new artist, or creating a picture of a changing industry.
stevierey1 reviewed Version 1 -
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Thanks for sharing this barbee. Your writing is clear and concise, but more importantly you have something to say that needs to be said. I, too, am on the cusp of leaving the corporate world to be an artist (I hope) and appreciate your viewpoint. Thanks for having the courage to take the leap and tell us how it all turned out!
Best,
Stevie Rey
maureenVM reviewed Version 1 -
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I thought this was very informative and well thought out. This will help a lot of people using the internet to branch out find new ways!
Great article! Congrats!
~Maureen
Deleen reviewed Version 1 -
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Great article. What the world needs is more people who do what they love and do it passionately, rather than people who squash their inborn talents to do something more “practical”. The internet is a godsend for the artistically inclined, and you are a perfect example of someone who has made the most of the opportunities it presents. I hope others who read this article are inspired and empowered by your tale of an “ordinary” person using your art and your motivation to make a successful living doing what you love.
Trisha reviewed Version 1 -
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Great to see you sharing, I agree that artists need the opening the internet gives them, the doors are closed to so many these days, you know no-one taking unsolicited mail that sort of thing, the internet gives us the opportunity to show what we do, what we have a passion for and as you say it lets us be who we are.
Daniel_rain reviewed Version 1 -
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Very interesring article.Great subject and well-written.
Giid stuff.
mysticwolfpress reviewed Version 1 -
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Excellent!
Barbee,
How about submitting this at my articles directory at www.mysticvillage.org/articles/ ?
I think you are making some excellent point here about looking inside and identifying what we want, and then looking for ways to capialize on it.
Nicely written as well.
Robert:)
Mystic Wolf Press, Inc.
www.mysticwolfpress.com
www.mysticvillage.org
kaelynclaire reviewed Version 1 -
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your entry is very inspiring – i’m at a cross road in my life right now, trying to figure out what i want to do; continue my career and financial stability or start graduate school to pursue my passion for writing. it’s really quite interesting that everyone in the world has similar situations, we just all chose to adapt and create what we can of them in different ways. best of luck to you!
kritzic reviewed Version 1 -
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This piece is full of good advice on how to put yourself out there if you are waiting around to be found. It also says a lot about being your own person and not going with the flow. Also very good advice. Thank you for this information.
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