"...the pattern repeats: the artist may (or maybe even must) be acting on his own behalf, to help himself get somewhere. And the goal is that it’s also something other people want.
But then, and this is the important part, the art becomes the property of its users. " This also explains why most artists struggle to make money. Bowie's argument must have been that if you make what you like, and it is good, it will attract the 'right' audience. But sometimes that doesn't happen or doesn't go as expected i.e. Claude Monet and Impressionism. Some artists may be ahead of their time etc. I think most artists have a constant struggle between making whatever they like and making what their audience would like (which some see as selling out) for the sake of commercial success. You have given me some thoughts on how to resolve that tension!
"Here’s one more example. If you write a mainstream blog and build an audience, and start charging people money for your writing… and then after you have their money you start writing about a bunch of obscure shit that no one wants to read about… your audience is going to be let down. Because that’s not what they paid for; you bait-and-switched them."
Starting to pop up on Substack as well. Naturally understandable. Most content creators, artist and rock singers certainly included, during their growth stage more or less have to cater to their audience, else they would lack the resources to continue their creation. However resources once gained, unleashes them to artistic (and financial) freedom. With such sudden freedom and power to express, "experimentation" is impossible to resist, and staying true to the original style almost always becomes the exception. It has become easier and easier for me to downgrade or cancel a subscription these days.
"...the pattern repeats: the artist may (or maybe even must) be acting on his own behalf, to help himself get somewhere. And the goal is that it’s also something other people want.
But then, and this is the important part, the art becomes the property of its users. " This also explains why most artists struggle to make money. Bowie's argument must have been that if you make what you like, and it is good, it will attract the 'right' audience. But sometimes that doesn't happen or doesn't go as expected i.e. Claude Monet and Impressionism. Some artists may be ahead of their time etc. I think most artists have a constant struggle between making whatever they like and making what their audience would like (which some see as selling out) for the sake of commercial success. You have given me some thoughts on how to resolve that tension!
Absolutely - I can see that tension over and over in people who want to make art for a living
"Here’s one more example. If you write a mainstream blog and build an audience, and start charging people money for your writing… and then after you have their money you start writing about a bunch of obscure shit that no one wants to read about… your audience is going to be let down. Because that’s not what they paid for; you bait-and-switched them."
Starting to pop up on Substack as well. Naturally understandable. Most content creators, artist and rock singers certainly included, during their growth stage more or less have to cater to their audience, else they would lack the resources to continue their creation. However resources once gained, unleashes them to artistic (and financial) freedom. With such sudden freedom and power to express, "experimentation" is impossible to resist, and staying true to the original style almost always becomes the exception. It has become easier and easier for me to downgrade or cancel a subscription these days.
True. And there's nothing wrong with constantly renewing your content stream, as a consumer. Nobody can hold your attention forever.