Struggling Artist Syndrome
Some professions only have two types of people: struggling artists and sell outs. Whilst you are working your butt off trying to make a living doing what you love it can be really tempting to suspect that the people who are living the dream have made a deal with the devil.
In our experience this way of thinking is particularly prevalent in the creative industries, especially among performers and artists. No doubt it can be galling to see someone else who does what you do rise to the top, especially if you know you are more talented than they are. The sense of injustice in those circumstances can be crushing, but you may be focusing on the wrong thing. In reality often the people who make it aren’t the most talented, but they are the most business like. They know how to create a portable, distinctive and high impact message, how to persevere to be seen in the right places and how to make the most of the free and low cost marketing and PR tools available to them. They also often had to acknowledge that their success will damage their credibility with some of their peers…. but they’ve done it anyway.
Whatever industry you are in, if you’re finding yourself part of conversations which deride and criticise others who have done well, take a step back and see if you can work out what skills and expertise they developed or borrowed to support their success, and see if you can replicate it.
Posted by Rachel Warhurst | 0 comments
