Here’s the thing about making art: it’s hard to get seen. It’s always been that way; in the past, it was difficult because art was localized and difficult to replicate, and now it’s for the opposite reason. In any case, it’s hard to get stuff seen and it’s even harder to get paid. That’s not a complaint, but it needs saying.
I graduated from my Master’s program about a year and a half ago. Since then, I’ve done more creative work than any other year-and-a-half period in my life. Some pieces have gotten published, and a lot of background work that will be invisible until it’s… not… has been done. In the words of Captain Raymond Holt from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, “It’s… a lot.” Making things, promoting them, not giving up… it’s a lot.
That being said, the more often I sit down and work on whatever project I’m knee-deep in, whether or not I want to, whether or not I think anything useable will come of it, the more productive that time becomes. When Rory and I decided to launch Spoilers Ahead, there was literally nothing (within reason) anyone could do to prevent us from making a podcast and putting it out there. Twenty-Three EP? Avoiding Trainwrecks EP? Side Effects? Once the team got on board with making the thing, there was no stopping it.
I love traditional avenues of publishing and I’m hoping to spend the bulk of my career there. Here at the beginning of my career, the best thing I can do is keep making things and putting them out there. Every project shows growth from the last. I have the freedom to experiment and grow my creative vocabulary. I also have the freedom to learn consistency without the consequence of a contract – ie, I’m learning how to show up with a poem every Monday and a blog every Friday and a podcast episode every other Tuesday without risking a professional relationship.
No one that can stop me from making things. There’s also no one that can stop you from making things. Get out there. Make the thing. I promise it’s worth it.
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Photo by Dallas Reedy on Unsplash