Creative entrepreneurs are a paradox.
We are usually shy and introverted, hiding under the safety of our studios, computer screens, or that one room in your house with the mirror. On the other hand, we dream of being the focal point for thousands of fans and followers that can’t get enough of our work.
It does not matter if you are an artists displaying your art in a gallery, a performer in front of a packed venue, a blogger with thousands of subscribers, or an entrepreneur attracting clients in droves. We all dream of connecting with the masses through our work. Fame, fortune? They all sound nice. But it’s more about creating something people love that allows you to do the work you care about, over and over again.
But reaching thousands of people can be a double edged sword.
A friend of mine that manages christian singers once told me about this group that insisted on performing in this event a major radio station was producing in a venue packed with almost 5,000 people.
My friend tried to advice them they shouldn’t force such an opportunity specially since they were starting out.
Sounds counter productive, right? I mean, if you were starting out and found a chance to perform in front of an audience as big as that one…you’d jump right in….am I right?
Well, the band insisted and my friend made it happen. They played the venue. The reception wasn’t very positive for them. Instead of launching their career, the experience actually made it stall.
WHY?
Well…that’s the do or kill effect of big crowds. Whatever impression you make will be exponential either on your favor or against you. If 5,000 people who never heard of you before hated your performance, that means 5,000 have branded you as not worthy of their time…or their friends. So before you had a chance of being the best you can be as a creative, thousands of people already passed judgement on you and closed their doors.
So, how can you prevent this from happening?
Start small and embrace the process.
I remember I once had to make a comedy show for TWO. That’s right…only TWO PEOPLE. I had to entertain and connect with two people I didn’t know and make them feel happy and satisfied by the time I was done. Thank God, it was a mission accomplished.
Human connection is one of the most important aspects of creativity. You need to engage an audience.
In order to engage an audience, you need to practice, develop your style, your technique, your offer, etc until you have mastered your craft. That’s something only small audiences allow you to do.
Small Audiences allow you to fail with dignity while you master your craft.
Once you are confident in your ability to connect with others…the big crowds will come.
Not a long time ago…I had to face 2,000 people who were expecting someone else.
Yep. I took over a show that has been running for almost 15 years. People were used to different actors and a different script. Now, we were presenting the show with two new actors (me included) out of the three actors the show requires. 2,000 People were expecting the original guys. Here I was facing the expectations of 2,000 people to whom I had to prove I could make them laugh and have a good time.
Well…here’s the thing…I’ve been able to make two people laugh and have a good time before. I’ve been able to face all kind of audiences before in order to identify my strengths onstage and find what works and what does not. I learned to connect. 2,000 people suddenly wasn’t so scary anymore.
The more you keep honing your skills and your offer to connect one person at a time, you’ll realize that thousands of people are not a huge monster crowd…they are just more people for you to connect with…they just happen to be there at the same time (and with a lower attention span).
One thing that really helped me expose my ideas and my creative offers was creating a website I could use to share my stuff and connect with other people. This is way better than waiting for someone to give you a chance to expose your ideas.
So if you want to start connecting right away and be ready to attract thousands of clients and fans...let’s build a website with everything you need to connect with your audience…including the polished professional look…IN ONE DAY!