artists turn marketing on its head

I love this No Rain video by Blind Melon. Watch first:

Spoiler if you haven't yet watched the video yet is coming up. Here's your second chance to watch. Pause.

Had the bumblebee girl taken Marketing 101 she'd certainly by now altered her act. Probably pretty radically based on the weak applause and hearty gaffaws she was garnering.

There are a couple of reasons I don't really chat about marketing any longer (if you haven't noticed). (I view marketing as being an important part of the larger picture of greasing the wheels of commerce. Marketing done right relegates the salesperson as superfluous - ssshh don't tell sales that.)

However, and this is a big however... marketing assumes a market-driven monetary system is how the expression of our unique quintessence thrives.

Not so. Although it's how the monetary system thrives. But you dear tap dancing bumblebee (or however your expression of Life naturally expresses itself from moment to moment) don't need to change your act if it's really an authentic expression of the you at your core that nobody else is.

I'm finding there's no need to freak out that you're going to be one of those archetypal starving artists (and I use "artist" in the broadest way - anyone that follows their innate muse and intrinsic motivation rather than the beck and call of the "market").

Because....

Here's the secret: Life supports it Self in all its myriad of expressions. Only and only when we cut ourselves off from our real self do things get dicey.

p.s. If you've watched the video, you'll see there's other honeyed rewards of being true to yourself.

p.p.s. "Prepare to challenge conventional notions of the artist as an isolated and improverished figure in society and discover a new paradigm for ways in which artists can create value in the world through their own creative process."

I like that call to action. A free one-day symposium on "Art and Abundance" will be held at JFK University Department of Arts & Consciousness Berkeley (California) Campus on November 11 from 2-5 p.m. RSVP at jfku.edu or call 510-649-0499 for more information. I intend to go.

Comments

[Len Edgerly]

Wonderful! I'm not sure how I ended up here before dawn, insomniac web surfing on a visit to the coast of Maine, but I'm glad I did! I'm preparing to give a presentation titled The Arts 2.0 at PodCamp Boston 2 on Sunday morning and have put the dance of this bumblebee in my del.icio.us tag for possible use at the start. Thanks!

[Amie Gillingham]

Here via Len's tweet. This was so inspirational. I have always loved the Bumblebee Girl's timeless message, "To Thine Own Self Be True," and that video has stayed with me for years. I even dressed my daughter (now three) as the Bumblebee Girl for her very first Halloween. Maybe it's rubbing off on her. This year she's going as a made-up creation of Zebra-Butterfly-Fairy. I hope she never gives in to what's popular and holds onto herself and her own unique ways of expressing herself always!

[jen lemen]

oh please consider live-blogging that and putting the url on twitter. this sounds fantastic.

[Lisa Pijuan-Nomura]

Evelyn,
Just as Len has done, in the wee hours of the morning, i have found my self online writing a note to the women of my creativity classes about overcoming creative blocks. And i find your blog, which is such a breathe of fresh air, it is divine. As an artist and a creativity coach and teacher...I thank you for putting it out there so clearly and simply. Much appreciated.

Best, Lisa Pijuan-Nomura

[Rita]

So perfectly put! You put the perfect order of words to thoughts running in my mind of what I am trying to get others to understand - thank you!

[Maximillian Kaizen]

Glorious! scattering the seeds of this where I know it'll find fruitfulness >>
thank you Evelyn

[Tina Su]

I really enjoy the content of your blog.Good post.

Love & Gratitude,
Tina
Think Simple. Be Decisive.
~ Productivity, Motivation & Happiness

[Eric Pellissier]

i found you on the freegan map. you seem cool.
myspace.com/ericoliverp

[mystic7]

Being true to yourself. What a radical idea!

[David Chamberlain]

"Find your true weakness and surrender to it. Therein lies the path to genius. Most people spend their lives using their strengths to overcome or cover up their weaknesses. Those few who use their strengths to incorporate their weaknesses, who don't divide themselves, those people are very rare. In any generation there are a few and they lead their generation."

[Princess Haiku]

Your blog is a splash on cold, invigorating water on the creative spirit. In particular I like your book list. I will be linking as I intend to visit regularly. I found your blog via Brow of Calm and glad that I did.