How do we measure art, and decide what is the best?
Contrary to popular belief, the best art isn’t decided by who gets the most clicks, listens, or attention. The best art doesn’t, necessarily, make a lot of money. Vincent Van Gogh’s lifetime earnings from his works come to mind.
Rather, the best measurement for art is if it inspires the artist to create more art; if it inspires others artists to create; if it has a meaningful conversation with past works; if the audience leave their experience after the work with a new sense of being…
If the art makes money, then a second success was achieved; but don’t let that measurement overshadow the initial measurements of success.
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Here’s what I’m digging today:
The Soil and the Sun’s “I Know It (I Feel It, Too)”
Before my baby arrives in March, I’m touring a bit in February and releasing a new music this year!
Shows are all ages and no cover unless specified:
Feb 7 – Plymouth Coffee Bean Co. in Plymouth, MI, 8 PM
Feb 13 – Midtown Brewing Company in Lansing, MI, 9 PM, 21+ (Hosted by Great Lakes Collective)
Feb 19 – Crescendo in Madison, WI with Frances Luke Accord, 7 PM (FB event) ($5)
Feb 20 – House Show in Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL with Frances Luke Accord, 8 PM (RSVP: FB event) ($8 suggested donation)
Feb 21 – Gallery Brewery in Portland, MI, 8 PM
Feb 26 – mash in Ann Arbor, MI with Carrie McFerrin, 6 PM, 21+ (RSVP: FB event)
Feb 27 – Raven Cafe in Port Huron, MI, 7:30 PM
Feb 28 – Black-Eyed Susan Acoustic Cafe in Angelica, NY, 7:30 PM (RSVP: 585-466-3399)
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[UPDATE 1/24/2015] I’ve been pondering if I should release a full-length or lots of singles. February will mark my dedication to release more music, one song a month, rather waiting all year to do an album. More about this here.
Natalie’s been feeling pretty good during the third trimester! Lois, however, is clueless that anything big is happening with the Vial/Burg family!
We’ve tried to explain to Lois she will soon have to share us when the baby arrives, but she’s clueless.
Musicians, writers, artists, creators, let’s play the numbers game!
The numbers we shouldn’t worry about counting:
How many:
- followers do I have on Twitter?
- likes does my page on Facebook have?
- subscribers does my Youtube channel have?
- [insert numbers] other musicians have in comparison to myself?
- negative comments did my work receive by anonymous trolls?
- pieces of my gear are the most expensive, industry standard?
- bad things could happen if I release this work?
- times did a famous person get written about in the news?
The numbers we should be counting:
How many:
- hours did I spend working today?
- hours did I read something thought-provoking?
- writing sessions have I challenged myself?
- projects have I created this week, this month, this year?
- moments have I improved my craft?
- times have I shared inspiration with others?
- compliments have I shared with others creators?
- times did I beat procrastination?
As creators, we often view our artistic-life like dieting. We step on the scale too often, and measure things that really don’t matter.
What matters is having a healthy artistic life.
Let’s stop counting, go create.
PS: I don’t know where to put, “How many cups of coffee have I had today?”
My daily count of cups of coffee: three; unless I’m at Fourth Coast in Kzoo, then it’s four.
The Artist vs Fear: You Beat It Yesterday, and You Will Beat It Today
We are all scared of something, but our fears aren’t always rational.
I’m more nervous to post a Youtube video of myself singing one of my songs, than I am to do a four-hour bar gig.
However, when my duo partner Aaron Noone left Michigan in 2008 to perform on cruise ships, I feared I couldn’t do a four-hour bar gig by myself.
And my freshmen year of college, I was scared to sing in public.
Yet when I was in high school, I was too nervous to play guitar with the church band, and quit after once rehearsal.
Fear is always taunting the mind of the artist, writer, or musician. Fear thrives on attaching itself to our next goal–like a monkey on our back, or a giant dog on our lap–which is why we must continually remind ourselves how we’ve conquered fear many time before the next project.
You beat fear yesterday, and you will be it today.
Lois knows what it means to “go big”!
Lois, my most critical audience member
Today, I’m rehearsing my set for Folk the Police, which is Sunday, Jan 25 at the Blind Pig. (Tickets available here.)
Lois doesn’t want to say it, but it’s good I have ten more days to memorize nine pages of lyrics for songs with word counts totaling 584 & 841!
These songs are longer than the essays I assigned freshmen in my English classroom.
Lois is not impressed yet.
