Talent is an art that only the chosen few possess, whether it’s writing, singing, playing an instrument or being able to bend your legs behind your back. Having a certain talent separates you from others who may or may not possess it in the same way that you do, so when a person decides to capitalize on their ability, it is something to be admired.
However, simply having the talent won’t get you through the door, it takes a lot for a person to muster up whatever courage they possess to decide to use their talent and then to share it with the world with possible scrutiny. Given all of this pressure from the media, an audience and even from the artist themselves, it is a gift and a curse when it comes to an artist attempting to put themselves on the line for the sake of their art and what they believe in. For this, any artist that hits the stage or stands on a platform should be appreciated for at least what they do and not be taken advantage of for doing so.
As being part of the audience and being an artist myself, I’ve come to witness times when I feel either as the artist or watching an artist, that the work or talent that people choose to perform can be slightly unappreciated, especially if you are a local artist. Time after time I’ve seen people constantly perform for free with no reimbursement or get shafted when it comes to a set and it bothers me a great deal. It bothers me because when an artist performs, that is not the only time that they have worked on their craft. They have spent countless hours perfecting what they do for that 15-45min time that they have to show you what they can do.
There is a fashion documentary called 11 Minutes where Project Runway winner Jay McCarroll attempts to host a DIY runway show. The documentary exposes the hard work that he had to go through just for 11 minutes on the runway. This may have been a documentary about fashion, but it brings to light all of the trouble, emotional pain and struggle that an artist has might go through just for the short time that they have to expose it to an audience. If people only knew what physical and emotional work that a true artist has to go through in order to prepare for that big moment, situations like not paying, not compensating or just total negligence of an artist would not occur… unless someone just doesn’t give a fuck.
This is not to say that if you paint the Mona Lisa or make a nice jingle that you should be praised and given the utmost attention from any and everybody, but it boils down to simple respect. The same way that people should respect their parents for going through all of the hard work to provide for you is synonymous to the respect one should show an artist for all of the hard work that they go through in order to provide a good show for their audience, meaning you. If you happen to have a conversation with a real artist, I’m sure they’ll have similar “struggle stories” that your grandmother used to tell you when you were little because of the hard work, rejection and good times that they had to endure while trying to do something for themselves and possibly for you.
In this, if you really like an artist, instead of trying to get something for free out of them, give something to them either by buying a cd or even just saying how much you appreciate their time and their talent… you’ll be surprised at how much a little goes a long way and the artist will appreciate you in return for doing so.
Artist Appreciation
Talent is an art that only the chosen few possess, whether it’s writing, singing, playing an instrument or being able to bend your legs behind your back. Having a certain talent separates you from others who may or may not possess it in the same way that you do, so when a person decides to capitalize on their ability, it is something to be admired.
However, simply having the talent won’t get you through the door, it takes a lot for a person to muster up whatever courage they possess to decide to use their talent and then to share it with the world with possible scrutiny. Given all of this pressure from the media, an audience and even from the artist themselves, it is a gift and a curse when it comes to an artist attempting to put themselves on the line for the sake of their art and what they believe in. For this, any artist that hits the stage or stands on a platform should be appreciated for at least what they do and not be taken advantage of for doing so.
As being part of the audience and being an artist myself, I’ve come to witness times when I feel either as the artist or watching an artist, that the work or talent that people choose to perform can be slightly unappreciated, especially if you are a local artist. Time after time I’ve seen people constantly perform for free with no reimbursement or get shafted when it comes to a set and it bothers me a great deal. It bothers me because when an artist performs, that is not the only time that they have worked on their craft. They have spent countless hours perfecting what they do for that 15-45min time that they have to show you what they can do.
There is a fashion documentary called 11 Minutes where Project Runway winner Jay McCarroll attempts to host a DIY runway show. The documentary exposes the hard work that he had to go through just for 11 minutes on the runway. This may have been a documentary about fashion, but it brings to light all of the trouble, emotional pain and struggle that an artist has might go through just for the short time that they have to expose it to an audience. If people only knew what physical and emotional work that a true artist has to go through in order to prepare for that big moment, situations like not paying, not compensating or just total negligence of an artist would not occur… unless someone just doesn’t give a fuck.
In this, if you really like an artist, instead of trying to get something for free out of them, give something to them either by buying a cd or even just saying how much you appreciate their time and their talent… you’ll be surprised at how much a little goes a long way and the artist will appreciate you in return for doing so.
Later Days…
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