On August 18th, Josh Groban made a very profound statement while hosting Rising Star. He said, "An entertainer gives people what they want; an artist gives people what they didn’t know they wanted.” He was speaking about artists who poses a truly creative talent. They can see past fog of current success and popularity. They have the vision and courage to create moments that raise the bar of musical entertainment.
I was thinking about this concept during my Orlando vacation. It seems that amusement parks suffer from the same issue. It is difficult to come up with an entertainment concept that is original. Every ride I went on reminded me of at least three others from either the same or a competing park.
The truth is that all creative people are scared. We are scared that our audience will not appreciate our creation. Commercial entities like amusement parks and record labels seek assurance of audience acceptance. They cannot afford to invest in a creation that does not earn them a profit. If a ride or a song proves itself to be successful it becomes a mold for future creations. They take the same concept, change a few minor details and call it a new creation.
This is the method of an entertainer. They find out what the people want and supply it. Larger entertainment entities will mass produce a concept until the interest in is runs dry. Music labels utilize this process to such a degree that every song on the charts sounds the same. Small scale musical entertainers join in the process by performing popular cover songs exactly the way the original artist recorded them.
True artists find it very difficult to conform to this method. We want to express our ideas and push the boundaries of entertainment into new and exiting territories. Unfortunately, we become torn between the desire to create and the desire to make money at our craft. It is far easier to land paying gigs as a talented cover artist or tribute band as opposed to an original act. My wife faces the same dilemma in photography. She could easily achieve monetary success as a wedding or portrait photographer. However, she desires to create art and inspire people.
All creative people need to consider this trade-off while planning their strategy. If you are a pure artists, you may have to retain a separate occupation and pursue your art on the side. If you can stomach some compromise, you may pursue entertainment as an occupation while dabbling in artistry. The main point to take away from all of this is that it is important to know yourself, know how things work in the world, and find the best way for these two things to coexist. Artists who do not take the time to understand these things find themselves constantly frustrated. The world is naturally resistant to change and reluctant to explore new things. Artists need to find ways to disarm this resistance if they are going to "... gives people what they didn’t know they wanted."
I was thinking about this concept during my Orlando vacation. It seems that amusement parks suffer from the same issue. It is difficult to come up with an entertainment concept that is original. Every ride I went on reminded me of at least three others from either the same or a competing park.
The truth is that all creative people are scared. We are scared that our audience will not appreciate our creation. Commercial entities like amusement parks and record labels seek assurance of audience acceptance. They cannot afford to invest in a creation that does not earn them a profit. If a ride or a song proves itself to be successful it becomes a mold for future creations. They take the same concept, change a few minor details and call it a new creation.
This is the method of an entertainer. They find out what the people want and supply it. Larger entertainment entities will mass produce a concept until the interest in is runs dry. Music labels utilize this process to such a degree that every song on the charts sounds the same. Small scale musical entertainers join in the process by performing popular cover songs exactly the way the original artist recorded them.
True artists find it very difficult to conform to this method. We want to express our ideas and push the boundaries of entertainment into new and exiting territories. Unfortunately, we become torn between the desire to create and the desire to make money at our craft. It is far easier to land paying gigs as a talented cover artist or tribute band as opposed to an original act. My wife faces the same dilemma in photography. She could easily achieve monetary success as a wedding or portrait photographer. However, she desires to create art and inspire people.
All creative people need to consider this trade-off while planning their strategy. If you are a pure artists, you may have to retain a separate occupation and pursue your art on the side. If you can stomach some compromise, you may pursue entertainment as an occupation while dabbling in artistry. The main point to take away from all of this is that it is important to know yourself, know how things work in the world, and find the best way for these two things to coexist. Artists who do not take the time to understand these things find themselves constantly frustrated. The world is naturally resistant to change and reluctant to explore new things. Artists need to find ways to disarm this resistance if they are going to "... gives people what they didn’t know they wanted."
RSS Feed
