Institutions and The 21st Century Artist
Sometimes valuable messages come from the least likely of places, and when you are on a journey to a new frontier, it’s important listen to anyone that has something of value to say. Here is a story about an invaluable lesson I should have listened to, but was too caught up in my own predisposition to accept.
Once upon a time, in the winter of 2020, I was living in Brooklyn, New York. On this particularly frigid evening, my girlfriend and I jumped in an Uber to go out, somewhere, that part doesn’t really mater to the story. So halfway through the trip, the driver stopped to pick up two more passengers, some young guys that looked like they had just made their great escape from Jim Henson’s Creature shop — colorfully dressed, dyed hair, jewelry and wonderfully trendy clothing. They were most certainly aware of their appearances, and it turned out they were headed to a rave in Bushwick.
One of the guys sat next to me and struck up a conversation, “What do you do in the city?” Before I could finish explaining my gig, he blurted in, “You need to start a brand.” In hind-sight, he was actually searching for a segway to talk about his fashion line, however, the not-so-subtle social tactic stood out to me. It was the first time anyone had the audacity to say anything like that to me.
Brand, why do I need a brand? I have a trade, why is this influencer-marketing-buzzword jargon being regurgitated in my Uber?
My thought process was this — I had already put in the Malcom Gladwell 10,000 hours of work into my craft. I was no newbie. I was a highly skilled member of the labor force. I didn’t need to be a brand. I just needed to do good work and share that work with others. At least, thats what I thought. A few months later I would have no work, no prospect for it and an impending existential crisis on my hands as I tried to figure out how to get back on my feet. The pandemic ripped up my potential to work Hurricane Katrina style.
After a few years to consider Elmo’s advice, I realized that he in fact was correct. Yes, producing good work and sharing it with others is a large part of our economy, but there is more to it than that. As an independent artist, you are a business, and businesses use branding. Your brand is who you are and what you do in the new economy. Your brand is your ability to monetize whatever products or services you have to offer, and it’s also an opportunity to pivot as times change.
The understanding of this concept is pivotal for The 21st Century Artist. We already have had many prototypes, but for the sake of argument, let’s look at Kim Kardashian. Not exactly a 21st century artist, but a master of narrative none the less. She broke the mold, and since nearly everybody in the world knows Kim’s story, she’s a good example to study.
Here are a few of the hits from her playlist — In 2015 she was the highest paid reality television personality, and in the same year made Time Magazines top 100 most influential people. In 2017, she pivoted that into KKW Beauty and KKW Fragrance. In 2019 she started the shapeware company Skims. Her instagram account had become so sought after for paid endorsement by 2018, that Business Insider reported she was charging $720,000 for each post. She is speculated to have well above a billion dollar net worth by Forbes. That is an astounding accomplishment, and regardless of whatever people would like to say, she is an incredibly influential and powerful player in the business world.
To sum it all up — she became a billionaire by branding her life and creating businesses around her life aesthetic. That’s remarkable, however, it’s not an entirely new phenomenon. Many entrepreneurs of bygone eras copied the same playbook. They knew that when you become the loudest voice in the room, you control the flow of attention to who you are and what you are doing. P.T. Barnum was famous for drawing crowds with his over-the-top and sometimes mysterious charades, only later using that attention to drum up ticket sales. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Brockhampton’s Kevin Abstract gets this. In a 2017 interview, Kevin was asked why art directors and graphic designers are credited as members of the group. “Because everybody is a part of the process. We are like Apple. […] We are like Apple and McDonals before that Kroc n***** ruined everything. You know about him?”
So these concepts aren’t really anything breakthrough. In fact the only reason I laid all that out is to say this — The 21st Century Artist can be more than a brand, they can be a stand alone institution. Now, I’m not talking about creating a cult, but what I am saying is create a cult like following. Kind of a dangerous thought, but usually the most innovative thoughts are in some way. To say it in a different way, don’t create flashy images around what you are doing. Create viral ideas that stand for your highest values.
Brockhampton, a boy band, is a operating as an institution. How, you might ask? By proving to be incredibly successful, by simply existing and telling their story, they are giving permission many young artists to use the same playbook. In a time when we are seeing countless institutions crumble under the stress of an ever growing pile of dilemmas, we can put to good use the inspiration of young boy band. Something new begin to bubble. You can be your own brand. You can be your own institution. What an idea? Your social media — the advertising. Your blogs and podcasts — the PR. We don’t need monolith entities to save us from impending doom. We can create the framework to support our vision, through our words, through our art, and through the communities that we cultivate around such. You are the institution that saves us. You are the leader through stormy waters. A beacon of hope blips on the horizon, and it all starts with you.
