Written by
Sweet Beets - IMD
1...2...3....and - we are back with your weekly dose of meaningless banter....
Those of you who have been patient with this series....thank you for humoring me!
And now, I present:
THE CONSTRAINT
WTF is this "constraint"?!?!
If you have been following, you might suspect that I won't declare it to be anything. The word itself has been defined by Merriam Websters as "the state of being checked, restricted, or compelled to avoid or perform some action"... I suppose the question is...Does such a word really fit when discussing the Indie Bubble, and if so, who is constraining what? Or, WTH am I even rambling about?
Most of us have heard the adage "everything happens for a reason". Does it really? Or is the reason that life happens? Specific to the Constraint, can it be anything but? Can a constraint be the key to happiness and freedom?
I will attempt to avoid getting lost in the randomness of profundity.
On point, let's talk about how such a word could even relate to the Indie Music Bubble.
As artists, many of us took the time to create social media pages with the intention of growing our audience. Marketing 101 says (1) we need a website, and (2) we need a social media presence. So, we follow the path. Some of us take great delight setting up our little corner of the cyberworld. I mean, we are artists - we are hungry to create, right?
We set up our pages, and then we eagerly anticipate how our efforts will help us achieve our goals.
GOALS? Aren't goals bad for an Indie Artist? Isn't it uncool to have goals? Some may say, and some may be right....but, that is not anyone's place to offer such an answer, it is YOURS and yours alone to reconcile.
The results can provide excitement, disappointment or lead to friction. Whatever the result, like life itself, it changes.... along the way, many of us find ourselves pulled into something that we may never have seen coming; The Indie Bubble.
The Bubble is warm, comfortable and presents a wealth of opportunities. Relationships forge - communities grow and before long, it takes a life of its own.
Yeah, yeah, I know, I keep repeating myself...so what is this constraint?
It either is or it isn't!
When is it?
Well, that isn't for me to judge, for surely I can't know...and to be real, I don't know that I have experienced it....for when I caught a glimpse, I did my best to not let it be.
I suppose it comes full circle to why we created our pages in the first place versus what many become. Look around. Most artist pages look the same.....I have categorized some of the most popular things I see on an artist page.
- The Announcement - announcing the release of a track, album, video, or event
- The Shout-Out - posting gratitude, whether it be for being included on a playlist, featured in a segment, a radio show, etc - (we usually use tags hoping to attract targeted attention)
- The Opinion Piece - sharing one's views on a particular subject
- The Attention Plea - the post with no real message, just setting up a post hoping to achieve widespread responses - almost a cry out "Please someone acknowledge me"!
- The "Feed the Machine" - these are intended to trigger action and come in many flavors; i.e. "Tag an artist who......"
And to be clear, how you use your page is yours to decide.....however, this is where the constraint thrives:
How many of our pages are truly targeting an audience base outside the Bubble? I am not talking about intention, I am talking about effect.
- Do your fans really want to spend time daily voting for you?
- Do your fans really care about whose playlist you landed on?
- Do your fans care that you were played on the radio?
Obviously, this all depends on the fan and the audience. And let us not lose sight about potential fans....
For many, it is THE BUBBLE that has become the audience! And for many, that is much more than we could ever have envisioned otherwise! The Bubble provides community. In community, we find acceptance and love....and for many of us, it is all we could ever need or want.
And to be clear, I love this about the Bubble. SO, when exactly is it a constraint?
When, and only when it gets in the way of your goals or aspirations AND it becomes a distraction for pursuing them.....
Remember, and if we are being honest, we put your music out so it could be heard. We all want acceptance, acknowledgment and praise. If we fall short, it can hurt. In hurt, we must reevaluate our journey. Some of us go into denial.
What happens when we are all cheering for one another, but no one is listening? What exactly does that say? Does the comfort of a cyber community become as fulfilling as the art itself? Do the relationships we forge become more important than the music itself?
No matter where you land, you are right! You are right for you!
Next week, I will talk about life beyond the Bubble, why it isn't important unless it is, and how I find comfort in the journey both inside and out of the Bubble.
Lots of love,
DC
