HOW TO ATTRACT LOYAL FANS FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC MESSAGE Written By: MAKE ART OR DIE 2 / FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC MESSAGE Preface Pg. 3 / Introduction Pg. 4 / What is a message? Pg. 5 / Three Elements for a Powerful Message Pg. 6 / Brainstorming Pgs. 7-13 / Checklist Pg. 14 / Conclusion Pg. 15 TABLE OF CONTENTS FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC MESSAGE / 3 PRE FAC E You’re discouraged. You’ve been making art for years but haven’t seemed to gain any traction. You’re questioning whether a career in the arts is for you? Do you have what it takes? Is your art even any good? Many artists have reached this point in their creative journey where they have to decide to either give up or keep going. pn That was my situation in 2020. Just like many others, that year took a toll on me. It was the first time I questioned my path. So I decided to take a break and give myself time to think. And it was during this break when I discovered something special that helped me make the decision to keep going. This book is written for that reason. My goal is to help you discover your special thing and stop you from giving up on your dreams. So let’s begin. 4 / FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC MESSAGE INTRODUCTION: WHY YOU NEED A MESSAGE The biggest reason most artists struggle to get noticed is not because they aren’t talented or their art isn’t good enough. It’s because they do not have a message. A powerful message is the reason people purchase certain products (your art). It can turn an ordinary white tshirt into a status symbol. And it isn’t about the logo on the tshirt, it's about the meaning behind the logo. People support things they can connect with. Therefore, as an artist, your message can be a powerful tool to help you gain loyal fans and supporters. It will help others understand why you create. And the better people can understand you, the better connection there will be. Think about it. The reason you love certain things and people is because they mean something to you. Whether it's a song that helped you get through difficult times or a person that taught you a valuable lesson, you love them because they helped you transform. The song made you more resilient. The person made you smarter. You changed for the better. That’s what a powerful message does. 5 / FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC MESSAGE WHAT IS A MESSAGE? A message is the thing you are saying in your art that attracts people to you. A message is a story. It takes someone (the hero) on a journey to a new world. A better world. A world that you're passionate about. This is the most common plot in almost every book or movie. For example, a person has a broken heart (the problem), they meet someone unexpectedly (the journey), and they end up together (problem solved). The person lets go of their old world (depressed and broken hearted) to find a new world (stronger, happier, and a new relationship). Stories are powerful because they can transform. This is the reason religions use stories, such as the bible, to help people live a better life. Instead of telling people what to do (which most people hate), a story draws them in while they engage with their transformation. FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC MESSAGE/ 6 3 KEY ELEMENTS FOR A POWERFUL MESSAGE Before you start identifying your message, you need to understand what separates an ordinary message from a powerful message. Because the world is filled with messages. Some that last a few months and some that last decades. A powerful message is one that sticks, builds a loyal following, and creates change. For this reason, your message should attract both strong believers and strong haters. People who love your unique perspective for a new world and people who oppose it. On the other hand, an ordinary message might start off hot but will lose steam after a few months because it lacks three key elements: WHY, HOW, and WHO. These elements create a solid foundation for you and your brand. Your WHY invites people to embrace a new way of thinking. It changes their perspective on the world. Your HOW shows us how you plan on taking your audience to this new world. And your WHO is your niche audience (aka your people). A powerful message always speaks to a specific audience and shows them a clear path to this new world. To help you better understand, here is an example using Make Art or die: The way that artists are being forced to suppress their creativity and get a “real” job is messed up. As a result, it leads to many mental health problems. Therefore, I want to create a world where we embrace our creativity and improve our mental health by making art every single day. The way that (group of people - YOUR WHO) + (problem - YOUR WHY) is (boring / out of date / messed up / etc). I'd want to (the better situation you imagine - YOUR WHY) by (doing this specific thing - YOUR HOW). The best way to start identifying your message is to brainstorm. Get your ideas out there so you can see them. So let’s get to work. 7 / FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC MESSAGE BRAINSTORM QUESTIONS Personal These questions will help you open up and get your mind working. 1. What are you most grateful for? 2. What is your all-time favorite memory? 3. What is something you would like to forget? 4. Would you like to be famous? Why? 5. In 3 sentences, describe your life’s story. 6. If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be? 7. Is there something you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t tried yet? 8. If you knew your death date, would you change anything about your lifestyle? 9. If you could know one thing about the future, what would you want to know? 10. When's the last time you’ve cried? And why? 8 / FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC MESSAGE BRAINSTORM QUESTIONS Interests 1. What are your Top 3 favorite songs of all time? - What is the song about? (answer for each song) - Why do you love the song? (answer for each song) 2. What are your Top 3 favorite movies of all time? - What is the movie about? (answer for each movie) - Why do you love the movie? (answer for each movie) 3. Who are your Top 3 favorite artists (musicians, painters, etc.) of all time? - What is this artist about? (answer for each artist) - Why do you love this artist? (answer for each artist) 4. Who are your Top 3 favorite people on social media (YouTube, Tik Tok, Instagram. etc.)? - What about them resonates with you? (answer for each person) - What do you believe their message is? (answer for each person) - How do they express their message? (answer for each person) What are the common ideas and themes? Fill in the diagram. Songs Movies People 9 / FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC MESSAGE BRAINSTORM QUESTIONS Friends and Family These questions will help you view yourself from another perspective. Print this page 3 times and give one each to 3 friends/family members to fill out. 1. Describe me in 3 words. 2. What is something I will always mention when we talk? 3. What sets me apart from other people you know? 4. What do you believe is my message to the world? 10 / FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC MESSAGE BRAINSTORM QUESTIONS 1. Are there any similarities from their answers? 2. Are there any differences? Fill them in in the diagram below. Person #1 Person #2 Person #3 11 FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC MESSAGE BRAINSTORM QUESTIONS Career These questions will help you understand why you make art. 1. Why did you start making art? 2. What is something you can do right now that will have a positive impact on your career? Why haven’t you done it yet? 3. What do you bring to the world that no one else does? 4. Why should people care about your art? 5. What makes your art valuable? 12 / FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC MESSAGE BRAINSTORM QUESTIONS Worldview This will help you understand what you believe is wrong with the world. Remember, artist exist because the world is not perfect. 1. Why do you get out of bed in the morning? 2. What would you currently change about the world? 3. Where would you like to see the world evolve to? Can you see yourself creating a movement that takes us there? 4. Where would you like to take the world? 5. What do you believe to be true that most people would disagree with? 13 / FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC MESSAGE BRAINSTORM QUESTIONS Refining your message These questions will help you dial in on your message. 1. What would you like to change about the world, using your art? 2. What group of people think similar to you? 3. What does your perfect world look like? 4. How do you plan on taking “your people” there? FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC MESSAGE 14 POWERFUL MESSAGE CHECKLIST Know WHAT you do Know HOW you do it Know WHY you do it Speaks to a specific audience Creates change People love it People hate it Makes others feel less alone Inspires people to take action Doesn't already exist NOT about you Makes people's lives better Easy to understand 15 / FINDING YOUR ARTISTIC MESSAGE CONCLUSION By now you should have your message or at least some ideas of what your message can be. So let's see if you can fill this out now: The way that (group of people - YOUR WHO) + (problem - YOUR WHY) is (boring / out of date / messed up / etc). I'd want to (the better situation you imagine - YOUR WHY) by (doing this specific thing - YOUR HOW). Now, all that is left is to test it. It's time to put your message in action. Use the checklist on the previous page to see if your message resonates with people. If it doesn't, keep tweaking how you express this message until it sticks. Are you ready? Now, go change the world!
