In a time where trends are the thing - more so than growing up - I am still to stubborn to comply! Here's what I mean…
In the world of being an Independent, finding a “trend” is how you gain some exposure & get eyes on your & your workings. And while I tend to go against that grain, it has possibly hurt me in gaining some traction & possibly additional momentum in having a larger reach. I possibly have missed out on the chance of having some content not viewed or even engaging with people who still have no idea I exist. A whole new audience is unaware of my talent - because I am too stubborn to do one little thing.
Hope on a trend! That's it. That's the big secret. “Which trend?”, you ask? Hell…PICK ONE! There's the dancing trends or the filter trends or how about the “Mom what were u like in the 90s” trend? Well, damn sure can't do the “Mom” thing, but I was a fancy looking chap in my day! lol
But, seriously, what is my issue? Why am I bucking so hard against that system? Well, in my mind, the reason is really simple. It will never end - especially on your terms. See, in the realm of being entertained, everyone is looking to be, well, “entertained”. The attention spans are quicker than a blink & the favor you may be in with the public can switch sides faster than the weather on any given Fall day in the midwest! Because once you gain the attention of that particular audience, here comes the expectation of having to meet or EXCEED your previous hype on a regular basis; and by “regular”, I do mean DAILY!
Sure, there are some people who can create content and have a set time frame of a certain day/time - so, I guess having an expectation isn't so much of a bad thing if it's presented and controlled properly. But, from my observation, people don't have the understanding of patience anymore. So, you run the chance of ppl losing interest in the “waiting” and move on to the next who can occupy that space to fill.
For me, I still hold on to the time where the Artist held a certain space with their audience and it had a certain “meaning” to get to see them or hear from them - like seeing your favorite relative once ever so often. So, because of that, I remain stubborn - because I REMEMBER how much of a treat it was to get glimpses and access rarely vs having to give it daily because “the world says so”.
I'm not a big “video content” type of person, so being in front of the camera isn't a trend I am going to follow either! However, I am becoming more consistent with posting and having SOME kind of content on a almost daily basis. I get that people in order to follow you, they have to get to know you. And in order for them to get to know you, they have to trust you. And in order for them to trust you, you have to give them something to be interested in. So, in that sense, I am, I guess, carving my own lane with my own rules by my own standards
Damn, it seems as an Independent Artist, this is what has always had to be done. So, despite it all, in my own way, I guess I'm not as stubborn as I thought against following trends. It just had to be a trend that suits my build.
And I guess, for you who is reading this, if there is a trend that the world is telling you that you need to follow to be successful, and you're not truly feeling it - especially after giving it some reasonable time and effort - then try something different and implement your own method…by your own rules! And if it works out for you, don't be afraid to share your knowledge.
Who knows, you might… start a trend. ;-)
D. Cal
GNSEntertainmnt.com