Target obsessed

When you begin that big project at work, one of the first and important elements to identify is the target audience. Who is this project being made for? Who will this project be important to? Who will this project reach?

As you begin contemplating and developing your big dream, what role and how important is the target audience?

Are you pursuing your big dream or idea because of the target audience?

Or, will you pursue your big dream in spite of the target audience?

Seth Godin, best-selling author, entrepreneur, marketer, and speaker offers a point-of-view about target audiences. He frames thinking about your work, or as he refers to it, your art, in a refreshing and humbling manner. Seth says, “Here, I made this. You may like it. You may not like this.” Or, “Here, I made this. This may be for you. This may not be for you.”

His point is, make the art, do the work, that is important to you. Pursue your work, your art, not because you’re going to become famous or even make a living once your dream is reality. Rather, do the work, make your art, because it matters – even if it only matters to you.

In reading singer and songwriter Grace Weber’s recent journal entry entitled, “Create. Release. Repeat.” I believe she shares a similar point-of-view about making art that matters. Grace writes this:

“In contrast to our current beliefs as a society and to my own past recurring thoughts, I need to believe that the role of the artist is not to attain fame or ‘greatness.’  The only goal is to create. I am seeing more clearly now that an artist’s true role is to release creations into the world and let them do what they may, to throw their pebble into the pond and hope it might create a ripple or two. At times, that pebble can create a tsunami of change. Other times, it may only resonate in the bones of a few fish swimming by, but either way, we still throw our pebbles in. I believe the artist must accept a life of creating and releasing, creating and releasing, without the attachment to what may come of the work. If we can accept that, I think we can welcome whatever life and our art may have in store for us.”

Do the work, make the art that only perfectly, perfect you can make in spite of the target audience.

Why?

Your voice. Your work. Your art.

You matter.

 

 

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