Art Direction Is Divine

Artists who haven't figured out how to make their fans obsessed on social media aren't as creative as they think.

One night there was a content creator in my living room on the verge of tears. 

She told me the videographer she was dating had recently left her in Toronto, perhaps that was why had come back to my home studio looking to shake things up with a boudoir photoshoot. Sometimes a photoshoot can be the right medicine for heartbreak.

The same boudoir shoot turned into a magazine editorial that changed her life.

I won’t say which magazine, but if you’re curious enough, then guess which one as you take a look through my shop. But before we started shooting that night, she had to vent. 

“They don’t like me.” She said, referring to her one hundred thousand Instagram followers.  

She was confused and frustrated, she followed what was trendy, walked in fashion shows, networked at events, posted relatable content regularly, even went to award shows for films. She did all the things she was supposed to do... so what went wrong?

It’s a pretty common challenge faced by content creators around the world, if you’re creative people will follow you because unlike Netflix, Opprime tv, Apple tv, or Amazon Prime, IG is free but the kicker is, just because someone follows you on Instagram doesn’t mean they're a fan of your creativity. Free entertainment is free entertainment.

They see what you’re doing

They watch your Instagram stories and scroll through your profile.

But does your art affect their hearts?

Does your art touch their soul? 

Are people obsessed... with your art?

Are you obsessed... with making art?

While some artists can entertain an audience, not all entertainers are artists. What's more is... the art director’s job is turning an audience into ride or die fans. Art has the divine gift of making total strangers fall in love. Sometimes this happens instantly, love at the first sight of an image, or your body just surrendered to the sound. Other times, it’s more gradual, the more you listen to a song, the more you look at an enchanting photograph, or see the plot of a film unfold, the more it speaks to you on a personal and spiritual level.

Prince at a live concert

Think of how many fans of famous performance artists have para-social fantasies about dating a magnetic stranger who is just doing their job. Right now, there’s a viral video of a young guy on Tik Tok shooting his shot with Keke Palmer, this kind of thing happens often. 

It only went viral because Keke actually responded, because shooting your shot happens so often, and it has become a trend to do it publicly online... but how could an artist turn all that newfound publicity into a sustainable career? If you’re a disciple, this is just a reminder of our secret sauce. Think of what always goes viral, consistently, without even trying....

Videos of animals. People spend so much time watching videos of animals.

And they watch these videos all the way through. Every second is a thrill.

Audiences assign special meanings to their gestures and the sounds animals make.

• A couple African lions flirting with each other away from the rest of the pride

• A pet Shiba Inu interacting with a toddler on a couch in the living room

• A gorilla sitting in the zoo staring beyond the glass in a peculiar way

• A pet tuxedo cat in purring in the bedroom like a dissatisfied deity

Do you know what all these examples have in common? 

Animals are all fully present in the moment and don’t care about going viral. 

Nature doesn’t give a care about virality. Nature does not give a damn how many followers you have but we can’t help but pay attention to what is natural. An animal in the wild does not respect any man or woman, regardless of their looks, money, and social media status.

Artists have known this for centuries.

“An artist’s duty as far as I’m concerned is to reflect the times.” 

-Nina Simone 

“To hold as ‘twere the mirror up to nature.” 

-William Shakespeare 

“All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” 

-Pablo Picasso 

“What is missing from pop music is danger.” 

-Prince

Until your creativity has a message, it’s no better than wallpaper, or elevator music. 

Art and content are different. Content creators will gladly make themselves a nameless cog in the wheel of capitalism... until they just can’t take it anymore. A nice face card can solve problems for brands, but people aren’t going to remember every pretty face, while that can get your foot in the door... it’s art that heals audiences which is why the names of artists memorable and the brands they partner with achieve global recognition. People talk about how albums got them through college, poetry that helped them re-discover themselves after a breakup, films with characters that radically changed the way they saw the world.

If a brand makes a deal with artists on this level, it’s like re-introducing the brand to the world. It’s saying, “Wake up world, we have healed our image, and we can heal you with our goods and services.” It makes a different on the stock market and in history books.

If you hope to make a living from your creativity, your art needs a core message that will resonate – last week I touched on this topic while breaking down creative direction down to a science, by reviewing what is in the toolbox of creative directors that make an impact. 

But not everyone is ready for the sacrifices it takes... to raise things to the level of art. 

The immersion art demands... goes beyond the heart’s passion, it’s the obsession of your soul. Art nourishes the soul of an artist regardless of what emotional state they’re in when they start, you can be exhausted, depressed, heartbroken, anxious and making art will fill your soul with wonderful pleasure. Making art consistently turns you fearless, because of this ability to heal yourself with your art process. The most ambitious disciples here make art every day, and several disciples follow a schedule... each season to enable a more consistent art practice because next spring, summer, fall, or winter could be the season that changes your life because you made the obsessive decision to make art every day.

But sometimes... artists get distracted, it happens, just like every person on the planet. 

Even flowers don’t bloom every season. 

So, the art director exists to serve as a gentle reminder: 

1. That time doesn’t wait for anyone 

2. That artistic ability is a divine gift and artists can get rusty just like athletes 

3. That a consistent practice of making art is the path to life changing success 

4. That creating new erotic characters to give your art more personality is natural

5. That your core message and magnetism should reflect your spiritual growth

Then, when my disciples get that nudge... they know it’s time to shake things up again. 

A creative block doesn’t have to be a crisis of faith. But several people let it become one as political unrest, and moral apathy spreads rapidly around the world, challenging artists to wake up and move with intention, we know this time is going to be written about in history books, so what message do you want to leave behind? The clocks of history are ticking...

The next deep artist, or respected performer that brings out what is natural in our collective consciousness won’t be making content that copies what’s already on the IG algorithm...

Instead they will be moving with intention.

Here’s an example of what I mean by... moving with intention. 

Back in 2018, I was the art director for an Instagram account called @theluxhideout. 

I came up with the name during a conversation with a STEM university student who wanted a creative outlet, he got a summer job to save up for a professional camera. This was when I was modelling and acting at Models International Management, so we’d all go to events.

But as the art director of the lux hideout, for six years, I was in charge of the IG account.

This involved several responsibilities, including but not limited to: 

• Picking which events were worth visiting and who could come to the after party 

• Choosing and editing the photos and videos which were posted on the page 

• Scouting new talent for the agency and sharing advice when requested

• Interior decoration for various sets along with different props for models 

• Creating itineraries when the team travelled for talent competitions and fashion shows

• Making my condo available for photoshoots, industry parties and afterparties

• Writing captions for artists who felt shy about expressing themselves publicly  

• Giving direction behind the scenes while the photographer took photos 

• Taking the last row of photos on that social media account with a top model who moved from Ottawa to Toronto for better career opportunities just like I did

  
  

The last point was a necessity since the lux hideout photographer decided to stop making art. By this point I had graduated from Toronto Film School and started working at Crane Creations. Ironically, I had already directed a couple art house films with a camera I bought during the lockdowns before using the same camera to take photos of models... so I didn’t really mind when our decisions lead us to different cities. The artist’s path can be lonely at times... and it’s worth it because the final stage of healing is becoming a full time artist.

Some artists get distracted by the corporate route, others by situationships, but instead that same year I started this website. I applied lessons learned at the hideout to what I teach my disciples today, from figuring out their core message to exploring how erotic art can changes lives. Other artists are busy trying to become a power couple, putting the cart before the horse instead of discovering.... what they’re destined to say to the audience...

It’s so important to keep making art each season, which is why I’m consistent with these gentle reminders for my disciples, even the new ones who currently have a day job, or night shift paying their bills. Figuring out your message... comes before quitting the day job.

Figuring out your message, means getting soul deep with your intentions.

Figuring out your message, is what makes fans become obsessed with your art.

Maybe you're an artist, or brand owner who has been hoping to reach a wider audience. Perhaps you’re hoping become full time model, be working actor, or your company has been looking for a performance artist to bring your visionary fantasy to life.

Art direction can help your audience dig into your art... looking for symbols and hidden meanings, this is the level of obsession that inspires people to spend money on your art.

When enough people are obsessed with your art... you will have the financial freedom to turn making art into your priority, this is the part of disciples journey where the obsessed artist becomes the empowered artist... bringing positive change to their community, people come looking to work with you, because they can see you are inspiring a revolution.

This means your art is touching souls. Remember that content is cheap, art is priceless. 

The economy might be in a recession, but paintings are still sold for millions of dollars. 

The economy might be in a recession, but actors are still getting paid millions to tell stories. 

The economy might be in a recession, but people are still buying tickets for fashion shows. 

If you need a crowd of people rooting for you at fashion shows, magazine editors happy to see your pictures each month and casting directors asking specifically for you when new film projects are in production... then you’re the right place to bring these fantasies to life.

So, consider this post, your gentle reminder.