The Coronavirus Does NOT Mean Curtains For Artists
If you’re an artist, you have the choice to stop thinking like a starving artist. You have the choice, right now, to start thinking like a leader.
Even if (and especially if) you’re just leading yourself, you need to start thinking like a business owner. You need to start thinking like the CEO, CTO, CMO, CFO of your company.
Look, I get it. That’s not your thing.
You paint, you dance, you do magic tricks, you play instruments, you write. You are your art. You don’t care about money. You don’t care about business. You’ve always performed your art and everything else fell into place. I get it.
So now the easiest thing to do is to resign to the current situation. To lament the loss of financial support that you’ve had so far and to believe — as one article shared by many of my artist friends says — that “Coronavirus Means Curtains For Artists.”
I don’t think it is.
Which Artists Will Suffer?
Let me apologize up front about the following statement which may seem rude, but here it goes: It’s curtains for artists who focus more on themselves, rather than the people they perform for.
Because if you’re an artist who cares about your audience, well then, let me tell you: The Coronavirus is a RENAISSANCE for artists.
Rather than a destruction of live, face-to-face events, it’s an opportunity to present at more events and reach more people, all from the comfort of your home.
That may not be as exciting as hitting the road on tour, but if what drives you is communicating your personal viewpoint through your art, well then nothing has changed.
I believe this digital revolution can be a virtual renaissance for artists who want to expand their reach and engage their audiences through technology.
I get it's not for everyone. But don't just give up because you can't do exactly what you were doing before. Artists are supposed to evolve, change and adapt. Now is the time to do that. I want you to know that you can survive and thrive, even in these difficult times.
In that article, lamenting the loss of revenue from live events, the author writes:
Artistic careers are also such that you cannot just put them on hold—for three, six, 12, 24 months—and expect to pick up where you left off. Artistic work is project-to-project. Your album or your play can make a splash, but then it is back to square one. Attention and momentum quickly fade and must be constantly regenerated.
Yes, AND… this is a new project. This is your chance to make a splash. It’s a new way to gain attention and momentum quickly. It’s a new way to generate interest in your work.
Then this:
Many of us are hoping to go back, eventually, to some kind of normal, but for artists, with few exceptions, there is nothing there, no job or position, to “go back” to.
Ugh, this perspective makes me so sad to read. Stop hoping to go back to some kind of normal. As the author writes: “You are the job. You are the small business.” Exactly! So stop thinking like an artist and think instead like a small business owner.
How Can You Grow Your Business Right Now?
Think about what you offer, what the marketplace needs, and the ways and means you can get your product (you!) to the marketplace.
Who needs you? And who can you partner with to bring your art to more people?
For 20 years, I’ve been a sleight-of-hand magician. I typically perform and present as a keynote speaker in person at 25-50 national conferences, meetings and events a year. And I do another 50-100 local appearances. My business was shut down in March, and every event rescheduled or postponed. I’ve documented my progress and how I first resisted and then embraced the virtual world here, here and here.
A screen-shot from a virtual magic show performance for the community of a local restaurant.
Since March, I’ve presented dozens of virtual magic shows and have grown my audience one show at a time by over 1,500 households. That’s three to six thousand people who didn’t know me before and have now interacted with me directly and engaged with my art.
I’ve never had greater demand for my art than this very moment. My business is flourishing. The #1 reason is because my art is not about me as an artist. It’s about the positive energy and sense of community I create for my audiences.
Again, I want to emphasize that these are difficult times and not everyone wants to, is able to, needs to or should adapt. Perhaps you or a loved one is ill, perhaps you’re exhausted by a lack of childcare, or perhaps you just aren’t in a financial position to invest in supplies or equipment. But if you’re considering it, I want you to know there is potential and possibility.
What Else Is Great About Performing Your Art Virtually?
Here’s are just a few positives that come from performing your art on a virtual stage:
It’s easier than ever to promote your gig.
It’s easier than ever to get to the gig.
It’s easier than ever to get new social media followers.
It’s easier than ever to see every person in your audience.
It’s easier than ever to engage every person in your audience. (Everyone is in the front row!)
It’s easier than ever to sell your audience on yourself and your art.
You get to eat all the garlic you want and perform in your socks
OK, that last one may be just for me. But the rest are all about embracing the technology and using it to transform your relationship with your audience. You don’t need a gallery or a movie studio to anoint you. You get to reach your audience directly. And while that’s been true for many years, you’ve never had a captive audience so eager to see your art than at this moment in time.
If it’s difficult for you to perform your art at this moment, there are other ways you can stay active and keep your business afloat.
You can teach people who are new to your art.
You can coach and mentor people who aspire to reach your level of artistry.
You can connect with your community of colleagues and support each other.
You can practice and perfect your craft.
You can engage your community of clients and fans to watch you develop and create new art.
There is SO MUCH you can do right now. But first, please stop believing that coronavirus means it’s “curtains” for your art.
That’s not helping you. That’s not helping your community.
And it’s not helping the world, which is clamoring for you to raise your digital curtain and get back to creating.
As the author of that sad article says: “You are the job. You are the small business.”
Exactly. You and your art are essential.
So, get to work.
Thanks for reading. Learn more about how I’m helping communities stay connected through virtual magic shows and business owners transform their businesses in transformational times as a virtual motivational speaker.
