As creatives we often struggle through the process of sharing our art with the wider world. And for those of us who get a breakthrough, it’s easy to feel a pressure to sustain what momentum we have gained; as if somehow the burden rests on us to meet the ever growing expectations of the audience.
Below I share a few lessons I’ve learnt over the past few years, working behind the scenes in Rivers & Robots. I highlight some of the pitfalls that have led me to stress and my journey stepping away from those pressures and back into a place of freedom as a creative.
Rivers & Robots - The Journey
Now I’d love to say there was a big marketing strategy behind Rivers & Robots but the reality is there wasn’t. We were just four guys from Manchester trying to learn some songs our friend had written in his bedroom, with the aim of playing them live at local events around our city. One night in 2012 we were having dinner at our drummer’s house when we decided it would be fun to put out a free EP on Noisetrade. Within the space of a few weeks that EP had been downloaded over 10,000 times and doors began to open for us to play internationally. We took the same decision for our third album All Things New and by the end of the year we had gained a sizeable fanbase online.
Suddenly things began to feel a lot more serious. We had gone from complete obscurity to labels offering us recording contracts, publishers offering us admin deals and booking agents inviting us to play at festivals and events all over the world.
As a band we never set out with a desire to be “known” so all of this was a bit overwhelming and if anything we tried hard not to chase the big platforms. For us we just believed in what we were singing about and wanted others to encounter God like we had done. So together we prayed about how best to approach what was happening and God led us to this verse in the Bible:
“When you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honoured in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
- Luke 14 v 10-11
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This verse became the principle we held onto when it came to promotion.
We didn’t want to over-hype what we were doing or push our way into bigger opportunities, instead we took every invitation (small or big) as a blessing and an opportunity to share the love of Jesus. And as we continued in this vein things continued to develop and grow as we journeyed through the various stages common to most bands that go from “bedroom project” to an “internationally touring group.”
Dealing With Pressure
I believe it’s true that every artist dreams of making a living out the creative work they are doing. However it can be very easy to lose that initial joy that started the project off and fall from a place of joy into a place of stress and pressure. This is something I have fallen into at various times over the past 9 years running with Rivers & Robots, however through all of this I have learnt several lessons that have brought back into freedom and I’ll share them with you:
1). Be Your Authentic Self
As a band we all grew up in small churches (50-100 people) this meant we had a lot to learn when it came to playing on larger stages. It was challenging when people would share with us backstage about how to perform better and in a strange way we began to feel a pressure to be something we weren’t.
Now it’s important to listen to advice from others, watch back videos of your performances, wear matching clothing but more than anything it's important to be your authentic self. If you are going to be touring night after night it becomes incredibly tiring when you are not able to be yourself, on-stage and off-stage.
The same thing goes for promotion online too. When you share videos and content online it’s important to always be yourself. If you are slightly geeky and awkward (like us) that is fine, in fact celebrate it, who knows maybe you’ll find an audience of slightly geeky, awkward people who will love every minute of it!
Yes, it is good to try and grow in some areas but never sacrifice your identity in the quest to promote a more professional side of yourself. Always remember to be your authentic self.
2). Be A Giver Not A Taker
The reality is that the world is full of messages: buy this, listen to this, wear this. All of these messages are take, take, take, but as Christian-creatives I believe the question we should be asking is: “How can my product add value to person receiving it?” In everything we create our heart should always be to see people connecting with God, in a fresh-way and a real way. So when it comes to releasing content the focus should shift away from what we can gain out of our art and onto how the audience will benefit and be blessed by what they are receiving.
“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
- Matthew 20 v 28”
Healthy promotion seeks to serves the audience and healthy promotion transforms the artist into a giver and not a taker.
My favourite day in the Rivers & Robots calendar is “Release Day”. The process of creating a Rivers & Robots album usually takes about 16 months as we write and record songs, design the packaging and master the tracks. For me this process feels like creating a hand-made gift and “Release Day” feels like Christmas Day when we get to hand the present to the audience and wait for their reaction.
The joy I receive as a songwriter doesn’t come from the streaming sales but in reading the stories of people being blessed and encouraged! I find I am most alive as an artist when I am looking to serve the audience and be a giver not a taker.
The same is true when it comes to promoting a live-show. When the focus moves away from trying to pack a venue space with people and onto what the individual attending receives, the pressure to perform disappears and the experience becomes a shared one. There is a joy that comes when the aim of a live event becomes: “How can I bless each individual who buys a ticket for tonights show?” Motivation is key, so be a giver and not a taker!
3). Don’t Let Your Insecurity Manifest Itself In Your Significance
This is a huge one, and I must admit this is an area I’m still working on myself!
We love to receive approval from others, approval validates our own sense of worth but it’s important to remember that our worth as a creative person is not wrapped up in what others think. If we allow personal insecurities to direct us as artists, our work can easily become a one giant cry for validation, “Here’s my song now please show me love!”
“ If you live for the approval of man, you will die by their criticism.”
The only approval that matters is the approval of our Heavenly Father. As we rest in His unwavering love, His “Perfect love casts out fear” and the peace of God becomes a foundation that annihilates our need to gain any validation from man.
When our insecurities have been overcome we can then create from a place of purity. Like Mary who smashed the Alabaster Jar on the feet of Jesus - it no longer matters what the onlooking Pharisees may say, all that matters is the approving eyes of The One whose feet are dripping with the fragrant perfume of our offering.
The value of an artist shouldn’t be defined by the number of streams and good reviews they have received but in their authenticity and pure intentions. There are terrible songs that have millions of streams and there are beautiful songs hidden beneath the surface like gold rocks in the ground.
Wherever you find yourself make sure you find your validation comes from God and not from what people think of your work.
4). Enjoy The Process
Remember that creativity is a gift from our Creator God so enjoy it. Don’t over-complicate what you do, but enjoy it as a natural extension of who you are. When looking for organisations to partner with, look for friends; whether that’s a record label, management company, promoter, producer or marketing team. Look for the people who you will enjoy working with, look for people who believe in you and look for people who care about who you are, over what you can produce.
And don’t sweat the small stuff but try to enjoy what you are doing! Yes, there will be difficult seasons but “the daily grind” shouldn’t be your default as a creative. Remember to give yourself a break from time-to-time, enjoy life and never lose sight of that initial spark that set you off in the first place.
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I hope you found this blog helpful and if you have any questions feel free to fire me an email - I’d love to connect with you.
