Together, we can reach the stars!
I can be a victim of my own lack of faith in myself. It trips me up every time, especially when dealing with my immediate family, my siblings. The ones who know you when you were a kid and still know what buttons to push to irritate you. I was irritated by one of my siblings last week, who challenged me for inferring that I don’t feel supported by my whole family. Mainly because I know that to be true. It’s not their fault. They are family. They will never be my fans.
Most artists walk in a lonely world, because so much of that world takes place inside their skull. Once producing art, it rushes out of that skull and there, out in the ether, is in need of validation.
I think of myself as a black sheep--where my other siblings went the way of the 9-5 world, I ran the totally opposite direction. And there is no regret about that. Enjoying a cascade of leaves falling in the park on an autumn afternoon, I can do and see things that they will never be able to enjoy as much. It’s a blessing to be an artist. But with it comes a curse.
When creating such things as the Mr. Marty Show or the podcasts or writing a song or painting I still can get that old familial, familiar wound flowing when I look around for approval and hear crickets.
You see, art and the artist have to have approval from others. Yes, there is confidence that one can attain in creating art, but all artists, from Taylor Swift to the girl painting in her parent’s attic do so to change the world.
I smiled when I heard the actor Matthew Broderick interviewed on NPR when he admitted that even as a successful artist, there is a part of him that still craves the approval of others. I get that. What is important for me is to remember that I need to look for approval from those who are capable and willing in giving it.
A lot of approval in art comes down to money. Money is the necessary element that allows an artist to create. My current struggle is to see if I can keep the Mr. Marty Show and podcasts going, as they are right now, mostly a labor of love. And asking for such approval in the form of a financial gift is something that I am not that good at, being a Midwesterner. We are supposed to be self-sufficient in these parts. And we are taught to suck it up, any pain, any struggle because to broadcast it is weakness.
A lot of people do not appreciate or understand the struggle involved in creating and maintaining an artistic life. What might seem to be a simple thing, such as clicking the subscribe button on the Mr. Marty channel is a huge thing when it gets to a critical mass of over 1000 people. Purchasing my art is literally putting food on my table. Asking Alexa to play Switchback or songs by Martin Laurence McCormack and then go out to the supermarket doesn’t cost anyone except electricity and yet, the algorithms of the entertainment marketplace take note. It has long been said that each artist needs 1000 True Fans. The link will give you a quick idea of why it is so important for my fans to help me grow. Among my True Fans, financially giving even a small amount keeps the art flowing. And for those who do help, we are a team.
But it takes fans to make fans. My fans are people who believe in the celebration of our spiritual being that only art can give. They’ve chosen to partner with me in this mission.
My faith in myself gets shaken when I hit the approval doldrums. And sadly, as much as one says “you are a good artist,” it doesn’t mean beans if there is no financial support to back that claim. That support comes from consistent financial gifts to partner with me in making this art.
Creating Mr. Marty, the Strung-Out podcasts and writing my blogs is about a 30-hour process. That could be a job in and of itself. But it is sandwiched in with all the other things necessary to survive, including going on the road with Switchback to perform which is also wonderful.
My suspicion is that a lot of us have doubts about our own self-worth. It is tough to support someone when we question our own support. Where the dentist, the machinist, the bricklayer or politician can accomplish a task and get paid for it, the artist has to be there exposed, waiting. The lucky few who reach some sort of financial security carry the scars that go with such success. And the expectation of our current society is that the artist must suffer. We celebrate such suffering in films and even such shows as America’s Got Talent. A good struggle means good pain and we are conditioned to think that artists must endure pain to be good.
I've talked about this in the past in different approaches. And I am being pretty blunt asking for more support to keep the plates spinning.
Well, what should you get, Mr. Marty?
I don't honestly know. Start with a normal 30-hour job at minimum wage and you get the idea. How far do you want the art to go?
With your fan-ship, we can reach the stars!
William Butler Yeats once wrote the most eloquent summation of being an artist:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
Will you approve of my being an artist? Will you be a True Fan? You can just by subscribing here, at Buy Me A Coffee for a monthly contribution. Thanks for reading!
READ MARTIN'S OTHER BLOG HERE.