Leaders and Followers

I'm a member of a production company that is just starting out. Once established, we will be making both cinematic and theatrical productions. There's about twenty of us and we are all actors, filmmakers, business people, etc. and we are all great at what we do.

Since we are a brand new production group, we've been quick to begin to set a franchise (commercial identity) for ourselves. We thought it would be fun to split the group down the middle and have the two sides compete to see who could create the better brand.

It's been interesting to see how the competition has changed the relationships between the two sides of the company. Of course, the competition is a healthy one, (we're all normal and friendly when the day is over), but being as competative as we all are, it gets a little intense.

The main issue that I see is that the company is made up of leaders, (and strong ones at that), and very few who are content in following. As a result We are beginning to notice subtle authority clashes and minor power struggles among the members of the group.

Now, having a company full of driven workers, all with a strong sense of responsibility and initiative should be a good thing.

The result should always be that the job gets done with excellence. 
However, this will not be the case if the workers all want to sit in the BIG CHAIR and bark out the orders.

It takes followers and leaders to ensure that any team is successful, and everyone, regardless of their status, should possess the ability to both be a leader, but also a follower when the time is appropriate. If your art requires you to work with a team and you can't truthfully say that you show both of these skills, then you better figure out how you will make this a part of your personality. 

It takes followers and leaders to successfully run a company, and it's better that the new company has learned this lesson early in the game. We should be operational and moving at full force In about a week's time, (I'll reveal our brand to you then), so look out for us!

- The Artist

Do It for the Love

I find that the media these days is becoming more and more commercialized; it's all for the money, and creativity is becoming a thing to be ignored. Money is important don't get me wrong, but it should never be the reason for creativity to be lost. That really is the difference between an average artist and an exceptional one.

Michael Jackson, probably one of the most successful artists of all time, didn't ever throw his voice under auto-tune and hope that he could get extra ringtone downloads. Gimmicks should never compromise the art, or the artist for that matter. A few years ago, Will Smith decided to leave the comedy scene, not for financial reasons, he could be a life-long comedian and more than comfortably support himself. He did it in pursuit of an artistic challenge, taking on harder roles to become a better actor and artist. This is something that we should all make our own personal goals; to be artists first, and let commercial appeal fall to a secondary concern. 

I chose the name 'The Artist' for a reason, and it is for the same reason that I am not 'The Gimmick' or 'The Cash Machine.'

When an artist makes it their sole aim to please the public, all kinds of problems begin to surface. Do this and you will quickly find that the joy that once came from your craft has disappeared.

But on the flip side, if you shut out the consumer's demands completely, you will unfortunately find yourself out of touch and out of work.

So as in all things, it's a good idea to find your balance; your own personal standard so that you can showcase your unique style while pleasing the public as well. 

It is your job to please the public, but it's your calling to move them like no one else can. If you're happy with being a spotlight gimmick then good for you, but if you chose your craft because you truly love it, it's now your job to take it to the world and change their lives.

- The Artist

Musical Choice

I have a passion for music. It is what drives me out of my bed in the morning and it's my natural sleeping pill at night. And because I love music so much, I have a certain standard that I use to judge every song that I hear or make.

I've been really turned off by much of the mainstream music that is out there right now. The radio is spinning off one generic tune after another and the over predictable music is enough to give me a headache.

I actually found a website [hiphopearly.com] that gives the latest in mainstream hip hop, songs from last week, yesterday, and even a few hours ago if you check it now. The thing is that every song pretty much every single song has a life expectancy of about 2 minutes before getting played out and forgotten, which is really sad because most songs are about 5 minutes in length, (though it's amusing to know where the song will go before you even start the track). 

Personally, I'm into music that has a little more depth, and that may just mean rappers that are lyrically sound, or a nice classy singer that doesn't need the autotune to hit a note. Being a saxophonist, I'm naturally drawn to the melodic depth and beauty of Jazz music. If you're a rapper and you notice that all of your tunes are starting to sound dry, take a listen to some Smooth Funk and Jazz and you will see the difference between grown music and your current 'Gucci!' loops.

I'm not saying that cheap ATL loops, repetitive rap and Soulja boy doesn't have an upside, It can be very catchy. I'm just saying that it sucks.

Now, my purpose is not to beat down any genre of music, so artists, (especially Hip Hop loopers and Noise Metal bangers), do yourself a favour and add something new to your sound (i.e. a chord progression). Change it up once in a while!

Have you ever noticed that parents of each generation have a negative view of their kids' music? That's no coincidence; the substance is steadily slipping further into the gutter. Songs used to last years people! And many old songs are still huge today. So musicians, singers, rappers, the next time you write some music, remember this little talk we just had.

- The Artist

What Makes an Artist?

I would like to start by welcoming you to this blog. This is a great thing because it allows me to share my personal insights with anyone who desires to gain a greater knowledge of what it means to be an artist. And what better way to begin than with the question that inspired me to begin this page in the first place: What makes an artist?

I call myself an artist because I find the little things in life and view them not as insignificant, but as the objects of greatest potential. Words on a sheet of paper change lives; organized noises can be the only thing keeping people sane. An artist is has the ability to create from what was not there before. With nothing but a vision, they are able to bring out emotions in you that you didn't even know you possessed.

I struggled for a long time, unsure If I could actually consider myself to be an artist. I felt that I was never good enough, and the answer would always be to fix what was wrong with me. I would turn out lousy work with absolutely no creativity and then criticize the work like crazy even though I WASN'T EVEN SURE WHY THE WORK WAS SO HORRIBLE!

When I finally got it, I realized that the problem was that I spent too much time focusing on what was wrong with me and never once stopped to appreciate the abilities that I have been blessed with. Even though a critical eye can be useful for improvement, when you can see the good in what you have created, it goes a long way.

I realized that it was the way that the creation affected people's emotions that made it a work of art. And I learned that it doesn't matter the level of difficulty because the simplest things in life can carry the greatest significance.

I find now, that I can never seem to truly leave my art behind me. I always catch myself thinking, 'that would be funny in a T.V. script' I 'this will make a great picture,' lately I've even caught myself doing sax solos in my head when I should be listening to what people are saying to me. My art never leaves me. It's not only a part of me, it is who I am because it's from me.

So if you truly believe that your calling is within the arts, I challenge you to take the next step and make your art limitless. Take your acting studies beyond your classes and study the people that you meet for their subtle nuances and behaviours. discover your musical instrument even when you don't physically have it with you, and watch how quickly your art will jump to the next level.

- The Artist