I have spent the last week or so mulling over our conversation on The Artist: A Creator – thinking about how knowledge truly empowers us, we move better and do better when we know better. Every artist, even unconsciously, wants to break into the mainstream industry – we want our work to reach a wide audience. It is an ambitious ask to want your product to become a household name – but it is still a valid ask. So today I thought it fit to expand on the ideas we explored on the last post, looking at how new artists are breaking into the scene through independent means, how artists are expanding themselves through content creation, and how collaboration (skills trade) is the new start-up capital.

The internet is the new workspace for most of us, even outside the entertainment industry – because we can’t move around with as much freedom, we have had to be flexible about reaching out through virtual mediums.

These are interesting times. Let’s check out a few of our themes:

BREAKING INTO THE INDUSTRY INDEPENDENTLY

What I have found most interesting observing certain careers is how younger artists are learning to use money wisely – money is power after all. When we learn to invest our money in the activities that benefit our careers, then we start to see our careers take off. Our work at the very core, is creating – creating music, creating teams, creating opportunities. I started investing in my music when I started treating it as my job, not as a hobby. I gave myself assignments, wrote down deadlines, reached out to people who run blogs and sent them CVs – this helped me create an online presence. I actively established friendships with people who are doing great for themselves – I asked for help.

We see new artists bursting into the scene and we wonder how they did it. Cases are different but what’s common is that these artists really immerse themselves in creating an online presence. We see artists go out of their way for photo shoots, home videos of some of their music, covers, etc. You can do the same – create a schedule for your work, learn about different social media platforms and how each one works – more esp. how each one can work for you. All of these details are essential because they help us spread our already limited resources wisely. So when you spend that cash, do you sponsor a post on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter – which one is your space/worth the money?

CONTENT CREATION

Now on content creation, this is basically an ongoing process of interaction between an artist and their audience. When you’re in the entertainment business your job is to entertain – so if you’re not creating any supporting content for your music (i.e. music video, photo shoot, live shows, etc.) your audience will forget about you. A friend of mine at The Blacksmithed likes to say, “Consistency Is King”. If you do your work today and forget to do it tomorrow, people will listen to your work today and forget to listen to it tomorrow – and that’s a toxic relationship right there, run!

As well, creating content shouldn’t only be audience focused – it should also be actively contributing in your career direction and authenticity. The trick is to create an artist idea that you want to be and make sure they succeed. It usually helps to study other artists, your favourite music and moods – let that help you build an online portfolio of your work. Let us into your space and let us share in your stories and taste in music.

COLLABORATION

Collaboration is the ultimate plug – the levels at which people work together differ depending on the goal. When we choose to work with people it’s important to establish how long the relationship is running, what objectives are set and what are possible growth opportunities. Trading in skill set is the new start-up capital. We all know it’s easier to get people to invest their time than it is to invest their money – so when people give us their time let’s use it wisely by sharing our ideas, speaking about our work and where we want to take it. It’s surprising how helpful people are when they see how dedicated you are in making yourself a success.

However, working with people is a challenge – things can go left real quick. It happens, but if we’re willing to grow, we take the lessons and keep moving forward. An important thing to know is that you can’t build a team overnight, so don’t be discouraged – also, two people are a team too. Don’t be overwhelmed.

• The industry as a whole is big, but you can chip your way into it one idea at a time, one friend at a time, one song at a time. Now don’t forget to share some of your thoughts on the comments – let us know how your hustle is going!