Why An Audience Matters (More Than Talent)
The cartoons before the encouragement (notice, no colour). And then, along came an audience. 
I was lousy at marketing.
Well, let’s put it this way: I was (and still am) an outstanding cartoonist.
And marketing was nowhere close to being my forte.
I’d write, but I’d agonise over it.
The only thing that kept me going was the audience.
Audiences are needed…and not just for those who are struggling
This is why writers, singers, speakers need an audience. It doesn’t reflect on their ability to speak, write or draw. But in their ability to be appreciated.
The greatest speaker in the world becomes a bit of a washout if there are three people in an auditorium that seats five hundred. It saps your energy.
However, if those three people happened to be the only ones the speaker was expecting, then he/she will turn out a world-class experience. Which is why if you’re starting up any venture, be it a blog or a website, or a newsletter or even a painting, I would get at least two-three people to visit (and bug you) so that you get and stay motivated.
The biggest issue is the appreciation, and not the ability to write, draw, speak.
Being able to be very good at something, is a nice-to-have, but most writers, speakers, etc start out being very, very average. In some of my early speeches, I had to take a ten-minute break because I forgot what I was going to say. Early articles used to take me two days or more to write, and I’d struggle. But it was the audience (and believe me, back then they were tiny audiences) that kept me going.
Tiger Woods had an audience of two (his father and mother).
It was not his so-called talent that mattered. He didn’t start out as the world’s best golfer. But without the audience, he probably would never have gotten there at all.
Get an audience, no matter how minuscule.
Your so-called talent will come with practice.
But if you don’t have an audience, you’ll probably never get off the ground.
Footnote: When I started this blog, I started drawing cartoons in black and white. And then Ankesh Kothari bugged me to change to colour. I resisted at first. But then I moved to colour. And the improvement in my colouring techniques have improved dramatically. Without the audience, I may have never made the move. So there you go: A real live example.
Next Step?: Get Updates via RSS | Get Updates via Email (Fill in your details in the top-right hand form)
Don’t forget: Look at the Psychotactics Sequence of Marketing Products and Services.
Unsure About Something?
What Bugs You?
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:46 am
This is so true. Just one nice comment on my blog will spur me to write some more.
July 5th, 2009 at 3:42 am
Sean–odd to read this as I return home from a funeral service for a dear man who was my acting coach for 10 years and friend for 20. One of the memories shared about Len was that–for him–his work (he was not only one of the finest actors I’ve ever seen, but also a wonderful comedian) was never about the audience…..it was about being in the moment, while also being true to himself.
That’s not to say that I disagree with the point you’re making…..it simply helped drive Len’s point a bit closer to home for me!
July 5th, 2009 at 4:07 am
Yes, I don’t disagree with you. Being in the moment is indeed really the thing to be doing, but almost every project will fall to pieces if there’s no audience.
An audience of one (yourself) is a very lonely place to be. For instance I could barely write this blog if I know no one was reading it. As humans we do stuff for ourselves as much as for others. If we feel that someone else is getting the benefit of what we do, it spurs us on.
Which reminds me: If I don’t get back to doing some podcasts, I’ll be getting some Tweets via Twitter about my tardiness
Those little nudges alone are a big part of what I do. And what you do. An audience can quickly change you. They can encourage you or discourage you. But without the audience, it’s a lot harder because you’re like a lonely boat out on the ocean. You can still get to your destination, but it’s a lot harder to be motivated.
July 5th, 2009 at 5:59 am
I really appreciate this subject Sean. I have been so focused on being true in the moment, that the small audience has been ok.
Now it’s very old, and indeed saps me of my energy. I am called to reach many many more people. That is what prompts me to invest so much time and energy into marketing and learning.
This article gives me the idea to look more into my beliefs about being appreciated. Perhaps I went overboard in the keeping the focus inwards…
Thanks alot.
July 13th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
[...] article from here [...]
August 7th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
[...] seinem Blog schreibt Sean d‘ Souza in einem Beitrag: Publikum ist wichtiger als Talent. Viele erfolgreiche Menschen sind nicht talentierter als der Durchschnitt der Bevölkerung. [...]