This is a guest post by Barnaby Hazen. Check out his Kickstarter campaign here.
“The separation of talent and skill is one of the greatest misunderstood concepts for people who are trying to excel, who have dreams, who want to do things. Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft.
I’ve never really viewed myself as particularly talented. Where I excel is ridiculous, sickening work ethic. You know, while the other guy’s sleeping, I’m working. While the other guy’s eating, I’m working.
There’s no easy way around it. No matter how talented you are, your talent is going to fail you if you’re not skilled. If you don’t study, if you don’t work really hard and dedicate yourself to being better every single day, you’ll never be able to communicate with people – with your artistry – the way that you want….” – Will Smith
For creative types, 2014 is an exciting time to be alive. The crowdfunding revolution has democratized funding for the arts. Now, as an artist, musician, or tinkerer, you can attract a fan base online through crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and RocketHub.
In 1987, it may have been blind luck whether or not your band got signed on the Sunset Strip and got to play for a roaring crowd. As a sculptor, it might have been sheer chance if you were able to get the right connections to be able to show off your art at a prestigious gallery in Manhattan and have access to art lovers and patrons.
Today, you have access to an entire world of online patrons and art fanatics through crowdfunding, many of whom may be tapping into their devices right now to see some of the cool projects being started around the world.
As someone who has personally dedicated countless years of my life to the arts, I can tell you that there are profound frustrations when dealing with the distracting issues of building up your profile in the community and selling your art. I have always been juggling my time between refining my craft and searching for the right promotional tools to reap the rewards of my toil.
From years of work pursuing creative endeavors and my own experiences with my current Kickstarter campaign, I have come to the conclusion that the best way to attract patrons and fans is to put the majority of your effort into honing your craft, learning new techniques, and producing excellent work. Check out some of my reasons below.
1. Working On Your Craft Improves Your Art.
You may have an ear like Mozart or guitar licks like Joe Pass, but talented artists have only reached the height of their career by accumulating 10,000 hours of continuous hard work and practice.
Sometimes the hard work is fun. Early on, it might take discipline and motivation to practice and deconstruct your craft, but it does lead you to a higher place. It’s always worth looking for that next foothold. It’s a beautiful feeling to challenge yourself to climb a higher mountain. When you do begin shipping your crowdfunding rewards to backers, you’ll feel awesome knowing that you gave the project 100% effort.
2. Working On Your Craft is a Tribute to The Generosity Of Your Backers.
When backers receive something representative of not just your desire to produce an idea, but also the time and discipline you’ve put in to the finished product, they feel like they’ve gotten their money’s worth and will be more willing to support you with other endeavors in the future.
In the crowdfunding community, I believe that adopting this attitude will allow backers to trust more creators. We are not begging for money. We are raising funds because we have something worth seeing, hearing, touching, and experiencing.
3. Working On Your Craft Improves Your Confidence.
The more you work on improving your craft, the more comfortable you will feel about marketing your project, because you will know that you’ve put every ounce of effort into making it a great experience for potential backers.
You have devoted significant time and energy to making something remarkable and it’s worthy of promotion. It’s not a scam or a plea for people to pledge money. You’ve created real value in the world that you are proud of.
4. Working On Your Craft Leads To Better Networking With Other Creators.
One of the secrets about crowdfunding is that it is a great opportunity to network with other creators that are as passionate about your field as you are. Often times, this can lead to business connections, shared resources and information that could be helpful, and new supporters.
On the KickstarterForum, there was a holiday promotion going on where a bunch of creators came together and decided to support each other’s projects. This is a good example of creators networking and helping each other out.
The more in-depth you know your craft, the better you are able to provide suggestions to other artists, discuss techniques, and raise your credibility in the community.
People want to be around others that they can learn from. Working hard on your craft provides you with tremendous insight that you can use to form relationships and help out other struggling artists.
5. Working Hard Creates Momentum
Finally, working hard to improve your technical and artistic abilities each day can create a tremendous sense of momentum. As your skills grow and you achieve new self-set goals, your confidence will improve and you’ll be better equipped to attack new goals with ferocity.
In addition, there is usually a moment that individuals experience when they are attempting to master a discipline that is called a “break through.” It’s a realization of what is actually possible. For example, if you are dieting, that moment might be when you can begin to see yourself looking slimmer in the mirror and you realize it’s because the cardio you have been doing has actually paid off.
There is an “aha” moment where you begin to realize the cause-effect relationship between the hard work you are putting in and the results. This is a critical realization that will empower you to work harder in other areas of your life, including when you launch a crowdfunding campaign and need to spend long nights and weekends marketing it, managing it, and selling it.
Conclusion
If you’re on the fence of whether or not to launch a crowdfunding campaign, be sure to check out How to raise money on Kickstarter and leave a comment below with any questions or thoughts. Don’t forget to check out the Seven Eleven Ceremony campaign on Kickstarter and support Barnaby for sharing some of these insights.
