For the purpose of this blog I would like to talk about the
importance of investments. I’m sure anyone reading this has heard the term it
costs money to make money. Investment in yourself will probably be the single
most important investment you will ever make. There are several types of
investments, some are investments of time and some are financial. Most
investments can be translated into a monetary expense because as we all know
time is money. The time spent doing anything cold be time spent earning a dollar.
One of the most important investments is branding, it costs money to trademark
logos and other brand identifiers but taking these steps are necessary. A
graphic artist will also be necessary unless you are proficient with technology
such as Adobe Elements.
Artist managers may not always seek the spotlight so things
such as a flashy wardrobe or grooming costs may not play a major part in
expenses. Artists often have to create an image and then maintain it. Designer
clothes, hair and make-up, photo shoots and press kits are all expenses an
artist must take into consideration. A record label will invest capital in an
artist but before the record company even discovers an artist funds have been
spent on all the items mentioned above as well as the cost of recording or even
lessons.
The caricature of the jaded artist doesn’t come from them
not reaching there full potential in my opinion. The jaded artist is most
likely the artist that invested incredible time and money in their craft and hasn’t
seen a sufficient return on the investment. I have been an artist and producer
for many years and I have realized that in order to be successful you have to
be ready to spend a lot of time and money on improving your standing in the
entertainment industry. Some artists get lucky and get discovered before making
a large investment but those artists are the minority. The majority of artist
must invest in themselves and always remember you get out of it what you put
in.
