Solution #2: How to Create Success in the Arts and Entertainment Industry

What it feels like:
This business is so complicated, ever-changing, and such a mystery. Where’s my How-To Manual for Success?

How do I get myself seen, heard, read and most importantly HIRED by the right people?
What about all the dangers and pitfalls I keep hearing about?
Other people have succeeded in this business, how the heck did they do it?
I’ve been struggling on my own for so long. It feels like I’ve tried everything and nothing seems to work for me. It’s completely dependent on luck and I don’t have luck!
I have to sacrifice my ethics and beliefs in order to make it in this Big Bad Business.

The bad news is that there is no “How-To” Manual for success in the Arts and Entertainment Industry. And anyone who tells you that they have the one true method for creating success is lying to you – and probably trying to sell you that magic bullet for a hefty price.

But does that mean you can’t have success? ABSOLUTELY NOT! It means you have to apply your creativity to creating your own unique How-To Manual for success. And there are some tried and true methods for “How-To” create your unique path to a prosperous career doing what you love.

Success Solution:

There are a lot of myths about the Arts and Entertainment Industry.

You have to suffer for your art.
There is such a thing as an overnight success.
You have to sell your soul to make it in the business.

Look – fame and fortune as the goal is a mistake. If all you want is to be rich and famous – get yourself on a reality show (and I don’t mean one of the talent shows, as they have some proven effectiveness to create real success – I mean shows like Survivor or Real Housewives or whatever).

Even better – figure out what’s missing in your life that you think fame and fortune is going to solve. Because the truly successful people in the industry are in it for the work, not the fame or the money. Fame and money are an aspect, a reflection of success. But real success is achieved through the work.

But if you are truly an artist, whether its music, acting, writing, painting or sculpture, if you won’t be deeply happy unless you are involved in the act of creating, full time, part-time, as much time as you can! Then you need to start with what success means to you. Get specific. Write it down. Create Your Vision of what your life will be like when you are successful. Be sure this is your Vision, not what you’re “supposed” to want, but the life that would truly make you happy.

Then, focus on what’s unique about your vision. What is the thing that sets you apart from all others and how do you express that creatively? What is unique about the people who are attracted to what you do? Stop trying to sell to the masses and focus on your unique niche.

Develop your marketing presence (your website, your merchandising, your graphics, and your venues) to target that narrow niche of people. The more specific, and narrow you are, the more power your marketing will have. Don’t be afraid of excluding people. You can always expand to new niches once you’ve established yourself in one. In fact it becomes MUCH easier to do that. Effective niche marketing always expands beyond the niche. Because the individuals within the niche, if they love you, will share you with their other communities.

And hone your skill and craft – always be a student of your craft. Submit your work for critique from professionals and seek to improve. Expose yourself to new methods, new genres and allow yourself to be moved and inspired by all that is around you. If you are really good at what you do, marketing will lead you to your fans (or even better, lead your fans to you). But all the marketing in the world won’t work if you suck. So spend time and energy on becoming the best at what you do. And then tell the world about it!

Luck = Preparation + Opportunity

If you are clear about what kind of career you are creating. If you create clear, specific and measurable goals. And if you create a plan to pursue those goals, the opportunities will begin to show up. I’ve seen it over and over again in my career and in my clients’ careers. But if you aren’t prepared, you probably won’t even see those opportunities as opportunities. Or if you see them, you won’t have the courage to take advantage of them or the skill to succeed with them. So get ready. And keep your eyes open!

Recommended Actions

Create Your Vision of success. Be specific. Be courageous. WHAT DO YOU WANT? Be careful of the trap of other people’s success definition – be sure that you want the lifestyle that you are envisioning. If you don’t, you will sabotage your path to creating that particular brand of success
Brainstorm, brainstorm, brainstorm: All the things that are unique about you. All the things about your art and who is attracted by it. All of the activities that you have been involved in throughout your lifetime. These are all clues to niches that you can target.
Study the people who have created success in your medium and genre. Honor and bless them and read everything you can get your hands on about how they created success. In particular, look for people who have created significant success in the last 5-10 years. The Arts & Entertainment Industry has changed massively because of the Internet and Social Media. So learning about people who created success 30-40 years ago may have fewer applicable lessons for you.
Create a One Page Business Plan based on your uniqueness.
Pick your first niche and design your marketing plan to become known in that target niche. Be intuitive and listen for where the energy is. Try different approaches to access that niche – the first try may not work, don’t give up!
Get support from marketing experts and a coach as well as assistance in putting this into action from an intern or assistant.