As a freelance writer, composer, and musician, I don't have to "believe my own press," which is to say that neither commercial success (number of units sold), number of social media followers, nor endorsements or press coverage dictate any indication of success commensurate to the level of validation needed to continue on with my work. Those things do not and cannot validate or effectively reject my work, and the following are the reasons why.
1. If the point of a venture or project is communicating to the public higher values and principles such as freedom of speech, then popularity and/or monetary success of the spokesperson or title is hardly the concern.
2. Documented popularity is not always equal to quality, prestige, or even success.
3. I may define "success" however I want to.
4. Sales (commerical success) is/are not equal to quality, prestige, or success necessarily (or the effectiveness of an outreach).
5. To the extent that people don't read or listen to my works, then to that same extent is the quality of them unknown and therefore not discerned in the first place.
6. The market is subject to changes in trends and fads. Works of art are not. They could be, but don't have to be.
7. There is a distinction between pure entertainment and art/literature. The common folk of society budget part of their money for entertainment typically notwithstanding the artistic merit of what they are going to consume. I don't create works for the sole purpose of entertainment, so that places my works outside of the mainstream market.
8. The mainstream media marginalizes Christian conservatives such as myself quite quickly and rather automatically.
9. There is biblical support for being fruitful, beneficial, productive, and helpful outside of mere market supply and demand swings, as well as for the idea that our right standing is not gauged by popularity. For example, Jesus said in Matthew 6:25, "Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" Also, He said in John 15:18-20, "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also." The popularity of an idea can hardly be an indication of its truth, especially if, as 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
10. Not all works that have merit have immediate commercial success or are appreciated in their time. The same goes for the artists who create them. http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2010/11/10-incredible-artists-unappreciated-in-their-time/ A great example is the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" which was initially a box office failure. During the first box office release, the movie tallied a one million dollar loss for the studio.
11. Social media following and viral success are also no indicators of actual fame, fortune, or real world followers. The reason why is that the internet is like a separate, different, and fake world from the real one.
1. If the point of a venture or project is communicating to the public higher values and principles such as freedom of speech, then popularity and/or monetary success of the spokesperson or title is hardly the concern.
2. Documented popularity is not always equal to quality, prestige, or even success.
3. I may define "success" however I want to.
4. Sales (commerical success) is/are not equal to quality, prestige, or success necessarily (or the effectiveness of an outreach).
5. To the extent that people don't read or listen to my works, then to that same extent is the quality of them unknown and therefore not discerned in the first place.
6. The market is subject to changes in trends and fads. Works of art are not. They could be, but don't have to be.
7. There is a distinction between pure entertainment and art/literature. The common folk of society budget part of their money for entertainment typically notwithstanding the artistic merit of what they are going to consume. I don't create works for the sole purpose of entertainment, so that places my works outside of the mainstream market.
8. The mainstream media marginalizes Christian conservatives such as myself quite quickly and rather automatically.
9. There is biblical support for being fruitful, beneficial, productive, and helpful outside of mere market supply and demand swings, as well as for the idea that our right standing is not gauged by popularity. For example, Jesus said in Matthew 6:25, "Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" Also, He said in John 15:18-20, "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also." The popularity of an idea can hardly be an indication of its truth, especially if, as 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
10. Not all works that have merit have immediate commercial success or are appreciated in their time. The same goes for the artists who create them. http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2010/11/10-incredible-artists-unappreciated-in-their-time/ A great example is the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" which was initially a box office failure. During the first box office release, the movie tallied a one million dollar loss for the studio.
11. Social media following and viral success are also no indicators of actual fame, fortune, or real world followers. The reason why is that the internet is like a separate, different, and fake world from the real one.
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