Anyone can whip up a blog post and pour their heart out. If you want to be great, Matthew Sweet shows you the way.
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I was wrestling with a bout of procrastination. It was trying to drag me away. Trying to make me look at this, watch that, and read this. I wasn’t having it. I was about to win.
And then I saw the headline:
“Drake-ify Your Life – How the internet’s rapper wields soft power”
Knock out blow. Firstly, I love reading about strategy and how people accumulate and wield influence. Secondly, I listen to Drake. I couldn’t resist. The article had one very interesting paragraph:
“Drizzy’s online popularity says just as much about digital life as it does him. The Internet is a place where vulnerability is both fostered and seized upon; where subversion reigns supreme. It’s basically a bio-dome for brands like Drake, who has mastered the art of soft power — using sensitivity as a tool, not a crutch.”
How Your Body of Work Can Make an Impact
The willingness to talk about struggles, pain and triumph in your work—whether it’s writing or drawing or music or video— determines how impactful it will be.
“BE VERY AFRAID: Don’t hit publish unless you’re scared what people will think of you.”
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John Romaniello wrote a powerful article about his experience with depression and suicide. Here’s how he felt right before he published it:
“I’m sitting here at my computer. Contemplating whether I should hit Publish. Wondering what the reaction will be. Staring at this tattoo, this silly little piece of self-congratulatory art I’ve been carrying around for five years, this thing that’s suddenly become more. “Scared” isn’t the right word. “Nervous” doesn’t cover it by half.The truth is, the idea of sharing this is causing physical pain. My mouth is dry, my palms are sweating, and my stomach is churning. I feel like I’m about to make a tremendous mistake.”
It’s Not Just About Putting Yourself Out There
It’s not just about taking your deepest fears, your most traumatic episodes, and your least known thoughts and spraying them onto the page.
Anyone can whip up a blog and pour their heart out. Anyone can get on Facebook and force their happiness or resentment or angst into someone else’s life.
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Bleeding, by itself, isn’t enough.
Anyone can whip up a blog and pour their heart out. Anyone can get on Facebook and force their happiness or resentment or angst into someone else’s life.
Again… bleeding, by itself, isn’t enough.
The true artist is vulnerable. They are an open book to their audience through the medium of their work. The really great artists practice Open Book Art: Talib Kweli in his song Ms Hill, or Kanye West’s Big Brother where he talks about his relationship with Jay Z.
The people that we praise for bleeding, for being honest, for sharing the variety and depth of their experiences are artists. They’re craftsmen. Kanye West became a world-level producer and rapper before he wrote Big Brother. Talib Kweli had been writing and rapping for years before he wrote Ms Hill. James Altucher had been writing for two decades before he became one of the best bloggers around. Roman was a published author and student of the writing craft before he wrote his piece on depression.
How Does the Work of an Artist Resonate so Powerfully?
First, they master their craft. They spend years testing, refining and experimenting with their abilities. They follow the first rule: be really fucking good.
Second, they bleed. They talk about issues and events close to their hearts. They narrate stories that are unique to their lives but universal experiences that everyone can relate to. They talk about pain, suffering, fear, love, and happiness.
Third, they are sincere. They share their stories because they could help someone going through the same thing. Consider what Roman says at the beginning of his piece:
“Today, I’d like to talk to you about depression. Specifically, my experience with depression. I’d like to share my story with you, because I think there are those it might help. And because right now, as I type this, I’m experiencing a low-level bout—and I’m hoping that the catharsis of sharing this may help.”
Do These Two Things. Then Inject Blood, Heart and Humanity into Your Work.
Bleeding in your art isn’t what gets you to the top. It helps, but it’s not the most important thing.
- First, there is no substitute for being really good at what you do. This is the foundation that everything rests upon.
- Second, your work must be created for an audience. Not just because you want to see your name in lights. You must create with the intention to help or communicate with another.
That’s how you reach the pinnacle. That’s how you become what all artists aspire to be; someone whose work has changed the life of another human being for the better.
Article first published on Phronetic.co.uk
Photo by Syrian Soosay