Art And Content Are Different

Everybody is creative until an artist walks into the room.

Perhaps you've noticed this shift in cultures around the world.

On each social media platform, more and more people want to be rich and famous just for being themselves. Partly because the rich and famous seem... more accessible today on Instagram and Twitter, so many upcoming creatives on these platforms, will look at the celebrities they worship, then see themselves as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.

Even though their posts on social media are tailored to mimic the opulent lifestyle many strive towards, when these content creators call me for consultation, or we speak at some networking events, their feelings of confusion, despair and dissatisfaction leak out.

Content creators want to entertain the masses, with sweet or pretty posts and relatable captions but because so many people are doing the exact same thing while going to the same networking events, and collaborating with the same local brands, it feels like a grind.

Another thing worth mentioning, is the fact that taste is subjective. People are going to feel interested in different things based on their tastes, so trying for mass-appeal can feel like a tasteless attempt to show off looks, money or status when your followers see your content.

There are models I meet at events, who take a dozen photos, can't decide which one to post, so they post all of them and ask their followers to decide which one is their favorite.

Modelling can be an art form... but when models prioritize making a cute carousel to give random followers want they want, instead of choosing pictures based on a message, that model becomes another cog in the wheel of late stage capitalism. In other words, another content creator in our attention based economy. That makes it harder to stand out today.

I've also met content creators who make half a dozen Instagram reels with the same trending audio from Tik Tok, then scroll through their gallery anxiously trying to decide which one has the best chance to go viral. So I ask, "are you passionate about the song?"

Sometimes the answer is yes. Because of the song's inspiring and visionary message.

But a lot of times, the answer is no. The song is chosen because it's popular for reels right now and by next month, there will be a new trending song to replace it in their minds. There are even group chats made by multiple content creators for the sole purpose of going viral, where it's members agree... to like and comment on each other's posts, follow each other and repost things on their account. Most of them don't actually want to do this... but have agreed to play ball and they'd feel left out if other members didn't do the same for them.

That kind of repetition without passion, creates apathy. When people become apathetic they embrace the status quo, until they see someone doing things in a totally different way.

Everybody is creative until an artist walks into the room.

Art unlocks the emotions we have been taught to repress

When I define art and what a real artist does, content creators usually get mad. But if the lines aren't drawn, people tend to forget them. The difference between making art and making content needs to be clear, because a lot of people today are confused about it.

Artists use their voice to change perspectives, content creators use their voice to copy others. Content gives you more of the status quo. Art drives cultural evolution. On every social media platform I've used, I've noticed that attention spans are shrinking for content.

But when art is posted, it sticks in the audience's mind, and they just can't look away.

Even when content seems shiny, glossy and new, it is still a slave to convention and tradition. People feel the lack of message and grow bored quickly, just like how barely anyone bothers to finish watching a porn video, the attention spans of audiences have been steadily shrinking for content with each new year. On the other hand, erotic art innovates, introducing audiences to confident sensuality and bold sexual fantasies.

Sometimes I meet people who confuse erotic art with porn, but they're not the same.

One of the major differences between erotic art and porn, is erotic art works with intrigue and anticipation while porn rushes directly into giving the audience what they want. Erotic art ruffles emotional feathers, comforting the disturbed... while disturbing the comfortable as sexual desire becomes infused with artistic motivation, so that every kiss tells a story.

What's more is erotic art makes you care about the characters you see getting intimate.

Art can make you care about strangers

Creativity with no message is like wallpaper or elevator music.

It belongs in the background, while art belongs at the forefront, at museums, theatres, or the hearts and minds of your audience. This kind of expression is risky, but the reward is people actually remember you when the message in your art challenges their expectations.

Content is designed for easy consumption, take a moment to think of the mass appeal attempts of food porn. You probably thought of images or videos of food you love to eat.

But we all know, that everybody doesn't enjoy eating the same food. So even the mass appeal attempt of ads for food are really just niches in disguise. On the other hand, cooks who made the food in question, created it with a unique taste in mind, they are making art for people who share their tastes. One conversation with a line cook, could change your opinion on a dish, faster than watching an ad for the meal online. Great artists wield the kind of influence that comes from excellence, so we listen when they speak. Content creators want you to listen, before they've figured out what to say, so they copy artists.

They've prioritized what's happening in other people's lives instead of their own, so the doom scrolling feels more natural to content creators than making art with a message.

By this point it should be clear to you, whether you make art, content or a mix of both.

While it's not my style to appeal to all the beliefs you've taken on since you were born, I'm interested in letting you know that there are different ways to play the game. A real artist's life looks like a performance. Real artists discover their personal truths and let it shape their tastes, even if it contradicts the tastes of their friends, family and anyone else they know.

The content creators who only make content tend to burn out quickly, which is why their normal job... feels more important than making content. It's why they'll take a break from posting content while still going to a job they hate, working with people they really despise.

Apathy kills the truth in you. Not only does it make you lie to other people... apathy also feeds you lies that you tell yourself. Like the lying mask of customer service mode, worn by a bartender, smiling in the face of drunk customers... even when they're rude. Lies such as, "Maybe they'll tip if I don't say anything impolite" or "Soon my content will go viral so I won't have to do this anymore." Even influencers who make content full time, will find themselves putting up a facade of relentless positivity... love and light... even when that's not how they actually feel. Such content creators will people-please without realizing how much fatigue and depression comes from molding yourself to fit the tastes of others.

The energy of art is dreamy and contagious

Art is different... it dives into the light and the shadows with no hesitation. Content creators who do a little bit of art here and there, struggle because they hold back on expressing the shadow side of their personality when they make art.... it feels too scary to even consider.

They're worried about offending people, anxious about losing followers when they post something authentic. But fear that people won't agree with your message, doesn't bother great artists because they're already used to challenging audiences with their tastes.

When you leave a movie theatre, walking confidently and feeling you were the main character you just saw onscreen... in these moments you see the world with new eyes.

It's dreamlike, this shift in perspective, and this is how all art is supposed to make you feel. You wouldn't feel as good as you did leaving the theatre, if those artists were holding back.

So if you're tired of shrinking yourself to fit algorithms and agendas that don't work for you, then it's time to join the world of artists. You need to learn how to say no to other people's plans, and yes to your vision. You need to start bringing your own creative fantasies to life.

You can start by making art every day. Even if it's just ten minutes before breakfast.

This daily practice of making art connects you with your essence, it reminds you of your tastes while building the momentum you will need one day to challenge the tastes of others.

Remember that the artist's work is getting comfortable with their truth, expressing it in such a way that unlocks the primal emotions that people have been taught to repress. The daily practice of making art becomes a spiritual practice when you do it for long enough. It just feels like part of you, because you now have the identity of an artist and when you walk into the room, before you've even said a word, your creative energy has shifted the vibes.