mleiv.com

Validation

I consider validation the reverse of the previous subject, dissatisfaction: whereas dissatisfaction is an internal desire for better work, validation is instead the external desire for better feedback. It varies dramatically between artists, and the problems here range from destructive criticism, to praise from people you dislike, to the simple sound of crickets on your website. I think we all want to please people with our art, but who we want to please and how much we are willing to go through to get that effect is a tricky thing to consider.

It is also the aspect of art that we have the least control over.

As an older artist who was long since buried by anonymity, I personally find I derive most of my own satisfaction from creating art rather than sharing it. But I recognize that I am still motivated by respect from the artists I admire, and by the heartfelt messages from fans who were touched by something I have made. Accordingly, my suggestions for increasing your fan base are cautious and aimed more at quality than at quantity. If you are really desperate for some attention and don't care what kind, I imagine there are better guides out there to whoring yourself out on the internet. :P I hear getting into flame wars is a great way to climb the google ranking! No really, please don't do that. :(

1. Make New Connections

   At the beginning, validation is simply about getting more people to see your work and respond to it.

   1. Meet In Person.

      Go to conventions. Join a weekly art group for coffee. Nothing beats a face-to-face connection. It is a lot more powerful than an email or deviantArt comment. Also, the more you connect with people who love your work, the more you will respect them and value their feedback.

   2. Advertize.

      Coming up with an ad to sell your work is a pain in the butt, but it will help you focus on who you are, what you want, and what you have to offer. DeviantArt, FaceBook, Top Web Comics, and lots of other places have inexpensive options for targetted advertising.

   3. Don't Be A Dick.

      You don't have to muzzle yourself. Just try not to take out your personal stuff on random visitors to your site. They won't come back when you are finally in a better mood.

   4. Promote Other People.

      It can't hurt to put a little good karma out there and help out some artists who are equally talented and equally obscure. And they might return the favor when they get more famous, you never know.

2. You Are Expecting Too Much Too Soon.

   If you are frustrated that you aren't getting the mountains of praise you expected by now, well maybe your timeline for success is a little off.

   1. Get Rich Quick = Never Gonna Happen.

      Did you really think you were going to be rich and famous right off the bat? Quick fame has everything to do with dumb luck and nothing whatsoever to do with talent. Since you can't magically win the lottery, just work on getting better.

   2. Stop Comparing Yourself To People With Less Skill And More Success.

      See the above point: lots of hugely successful artists are complete hacks (cv. Thomas Kinkaid), and lots of excellent artists live in relative obscurity. The world does not hand out popularity and wealth with fairness in mind.

   3. Successful Artists May Not Be As Successful As You Think.

      People don't talk about money often in the art world. Most artists I know are broke, and in almost all the arts in general, people work a second job (or first job, depending on how you look at it). I know Johnny Bunko says you can make a modest living at this, but for most people that just isn't true. :(

   4. What Are You Missing?

      If a lot of artists with your approximate skills seem to be moving ahead faster than you are, start researching what they have that you don't. Maybe it's popular subject matter. Maybe it's frequency of updates. Maybe it's social skills or marketing savvy (I certainly lack either). It takes a lot more to be successful than just being handy with a pencil. Some things you can acquire if you work at it, and some things you are just going to have to accept as a handicap.

3. Stop Counting.

   I've had people disappear for months and then come back and rave over what they missed. I've had online friends disappear forever, with no reason. I've outgrown some artists I used to love. :/ Don't take the fluctuations personally.

4. Take A Feedback Hiatus.

   We all need to get away occasionally from our public failures/stagnation/irritating comments. Some people exploit this act as dramatic pity-party time to coerce others into begging them not to leave, which seems pretty pathetic to me. Some artists disappear with no comment whatsoever and are gravely missed. You do what you need to in order to get your mind back in the game, but if you don't want to pay for it later, maybe keep up a minimal online presence (or ask a friend to).

5. Remember That Fans Do Not Equal Money.

   The people who comment or fav your work are just readers, not consumers. Despite the "freemium" internet craze, there is not even a correlation between the two. If you give your art away online for free, you can expect that most of your validation audience will never consider giving you money for the pieces you decide to sell.

6. Negative Feedback Sucks The Wind From Your Sails.

   As I'm sure you've gathered from a few of remarks already, sometimes an artist gets too much feedback, and it's the mean kind of feedback. Myself, I sometimes think I'd rather have the aforementioned crickets all day than be handed some of the awful shit people have said to me over the past few decades.

7. Get A Job/Get A Life.

   I want to stress when I include this point that I am not advocating taking time off from art. I will never suggest that. These are just suggestions for ways to diversify your validation sources and fill time until you find you can live without feedback, or you start getting the feedback you want.

   1. Validation AND Rent.

      A job is a great way to get validation, not necessarily because anyone will praise what you do there, but the warm feeling a regular paycheck lends your self-esteem has a powerful effect. And if you are really committed to your art, I think you will find that working 20-40 hours a week does not crimp your style as much as you think it will. You really only have so many art hours in you during any given week, only now those hours will be compressed into your evenings and weekends.

   2. Improve Yourself.

      Neil Gaiman said that an author who isn't happy with their writing should go do something with their life - travel, take classes, grow. Get out there. Take figure drawing. Learn karate. Study subatomic physics. Expanding your world view gives your art a special niche that can only make it more popular.

   3. Keep A Well-Rounded Validation Portfolio.

      Like in investing! Cultivate many different sources of validation: friends, family, hobbies, interests, charitable causes. When you wrap up your talents as an artist into lots of different outlets, you will find that one can fall through while the others are still paying back to cover it.

Next week? Depression. When you really can't draw because you are huddled under your bed in the fetal position.

Also, read the previous articles on Fear and Dissatisfaction.