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There are plenty of people out there who share Bill Watterson's beliefs about art or their creations. You just don't hear about it because obviously they aren't
by d1l 4y ago
There are plenty of people out there who share Bill Watterson's beliefs about art or their creations. You just don't hear about it because obviously they aren't interested in shilling.
I do, however, wish that blatant self-promotion was more frowned-upon by our culture. It's hard to tell when the creator is motivated by sincerity or a cynical desire for personal gain.
I personally believe, though, that we don't live by money (or prestige) alone. I take comfort from the fact that for thousands of years others have shared this belief.
- nemo44x 4y agoWell, we live in a world where it isn’t considered sociopathic to refer to and think of yourself as a “brand” somehow.
- wussboy 4y agoRight now. It isn't consider sociopathic right now. But it is my sincere hope that it will soon be again.
- d1l 4y agoI think it's easy to overestimate how many people approve of this attitude, because the ones who do are also extremely loud and present in mass media.
- batman-farts 4y agoCurrent technology reinforces and incentivizes this model. You, your friends, and the people whose thoughts you find interesting are placed in the same feed, on an equivalent level, with global brands that have astronomical marketing budgets. The individual must evolve toward a brand in order to remain relevant in the feed.
- nemo44x 4y agoI think categorizing users for marketing purposes is different than someone proclaiming they’re a brand.
- cableshaft 4y agoIf you don't promote then your work is much less likely to be noticed by the people who would like or appreciate it, though. There's SOOO much crap being released now, you're really knee-capping your chances at success if you don't promote as much as possible (speaking as someone who has thrown away opportunities because I've been pretty terrible at self-promotion). I'm watching it right now with my wife. She's been relentlessly promoting her first book, and she's gone from someone no one knows about and 0 preorders, 0 followers to beating several established authors in her writing groups' in having more preorders for her first book than they've gotten for any book they've ever released. She's creating her own promo graphics, writing and engaging in Facebook group takeovers, and filming her own Instagram and Tik Tok videos. She's up to almost 1000 followers in just a couple months. And this is for a pen name she doesn't want to share with friends or family, so not even getting any initial boost from them. Meanwhile I've been trying to make it as a board game designer for the past six years (as a side-thing), and haven't really gotten anywhere, since I've been mostly just networking with publishers and other designers and not the fans, and have hesitated to really put myself out there much (still get nervous talking to a publisher for the first time). I do have one signed game, but it's probably not coming out for a few years still.
- d1l 4y agoYou said it in your first paragraph. You've equated success with some kind of approval from others. I'm saying some people, like Bill or the dwarf fortress brothers, or countless others, have a different idea of success.
- FPGAhacker 4y agoOr perhaps they just want people to enjoy the work. Success is an overloaded term. I would definitely prefer people producing things I’m interested in promote them than not.
- sixstringtheory 4y agoYes, I also read “success” as in “getting your message heard”. Art is a statement and is pointless in a vacuum. As Sufjan says, “What's the point of singing songs / If they'll never even hear you?” Or the old “if a tree falls…”
- nathanvanfleet 4y agoIt generally irks me when I hear about someone who tried to get famous in about 5 distinctly different categories before they actually became famous. It seems like that is just not looked down upon enough. I was reading about how Blippi was apparently a Jackass like videos where he shit on his naked friend in a Harlem Shake video. It really tells you what he's after and it informs you about his goals. And when Blippi came out with his own NFTs it made sense because you know what he's out for.
- AndyNemmity 4y agoThis very idea that you should be trying to determine if a creator is motivated by sincerity or a cynical desire for personal gain, assumes negative intentions. When you assume negative intentions, you accuse sincere people of a cynical desire for personal gain. The reality is, you can't tell what someone's motivations are, and believing you can sets you up for a world of intentionally hurting people who are just trying to live their life.