Antirithm

Right now is a really strange time to be a creative of any kind. As much as technology has advanced and aided creativity in the past few decades, we are at the point where artists are trapped by the same thing that has always ensnared us: distribution.

One of the ways creative people have always been taken advantage of is through the strategic use of distribution. In the same way that musicians are dependent on record labels to finance recordings and promote albums, visual artists have come to solely rely on social media platforms for reach and promotion. The arrangement has never been fair or benign but rather transactional. Creatives work with those who provide access to a distribution mechanism that is beneficial to their work in exchange for a cut of the profit (the musician/label relationship) or to attract/retain users (social media). The most important aspect of that dynamic that is often the least discussed: control.

Simply put, if you control distribution you control what gets distributed.

The most popular misconception among artists is that quality and talent are the primary differentiators between what is or isn’t released at scale but in many cases that’s not true. And the longer the dynamic is in place the more often control is leveraged to benefit the distributor at the expense of the artist. In the past there have been effective ways to flip this relationship on it’s head like rappers selling CD’s out of their car trunks, underground zines, and street artists using public space to engage people directly. Entire subcultures have evolved around the premise of circumventing the traditional artist/distributor relationship but that’s very difficult in todays digital culture. The ruthless efficiency of technology and the application of automated controls like algorithms and other tactics have tilted the playing field.

Sadly, this chokehold that platforms have on the type of content that becomes popular has had a detrimental impact on the act of creating itself. Artists in different mediums prioritize the potential to be seen over the work they produce, resulting in a collective creative stagnation that transcends any one platform. When the only viable mechanism for getting your work seen (social media) prioritizes similarity, you get millions of creators treating popularity as gospel, even when that popularity is manufactured via algorithmic controls.

So, what is an artist to do? If I had that answer I would erect a paywall right now and get rich off people trying to access it. All I have to share is what has worked for me in my own practice, which hasn’t translated to millions of followers but HAS resulted in steady work as a creative professional (which is the whole game, IMO). My own “secret” is to stubbornly create work that I value (without allowing it’s reception on social media to dictate it’s success) and to cultivate offline relationships with the very real people that support my practice. That means things like newsletters (check!) and in-person events like book fairs. As far as social media is concerned, diversify your presence and avoid platform loyalty. Every tech company’s influence is limited to their own platforms so leveraging the strengths/weaknesses of each for your personal gain is good practice.

Basically, any interaction or influence that isn’t governed by an algorithm is the gold standard to me.

The truth is, if you establish yourself outside of these digital platforms, your audience will seek you out on them. Every jump I’ve ever had in followers was the result of a real world accomplishment, not a viral post or tweet. The people who run these mega-corporations are using every resource at their disposal to redefine what human creativity is in order to control it for financial gain. Their goal isn’t the elevation of great work, it’s profit and infinite growth. Time has shown that approach is incompatible with true creativity so as creatives, we need to find a new way to subvert the system. It’s out there, trust me.

Thanks for reading and be sure to visit the Nonstndrd Creative store and pick of a zine or two at: https://nonstndrd.myshopify.com

Peace!

Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
www.nonstndrd.com
www.archivalrecordings.com