successful-artist-writing-homework-help
Please according to the following two discussions below, write two replies about 100 words respectively. Express your own opinion.
First
According to Doctorow, recognition, luck, talent and fame are some preconditions for success as an artist, author and or musician. I think everyone of the artists listed above has there own story of success, and are very much so unique. I believe that Jonathan Coulton put so much time, money and thought into his work by posting a new song to his website every week for a year just to show how raw his talent really is. The Humble Bundle surprised me because they’er process seemed a bit backward. You would think that people would take total advantage of what is laid out in front of them, but instead the fan base proved that having a great deal of respect for something that meant a lot to them, spills out and actually benefits the artist.
I agree with Doctorow when he states that we can’t stop people from copying digital files online and that we shouldn’t even try. I agree with that statement because now a days it almost seems as though people don’t even know when they’er doing it. Doctorow says that you are copying when your computer downloads streams from media sources, and even by simple clicks back and forth from website to website. I feel as though we all copy, but it isn’t intentional in some circumstances. This almost reminds me of a period of time where Apple music was just getting big. Kids would receive iTunes cards for Christmas or birthdays, and with that card you could purchase any song, music video or whatever else you enjoyed. Well eventually people stopped paying for those cards because they found other websites such as LimeWire who offered the same music and music videos for no cost. I feel as though that example really ties into what Doctorow is trying to say about not having digital locks.
Doctorow offers many ways about how to earn money in a creative manor such as selling tickets, selling physical copies of art, and even selling ads. I agree most with the advice of giving out a physical copy, because that’s the artist purest form in my opinion. Now a days many things get twisted and turned into something not like its original, so I would think a physical copy of that specific art would be the most meaningful.
Second
According to Doctorow, the main ingredients for the success of any artist, author or musician are being known or recognized and pure talent. The main idea is that even if some artists are really talented, the fact that they lack the necessary recognition would stop them from being successful. The success stories of Jonathan Coulton, Randall Munroe, Louis C.K., the Humble Bundle, and the website and blog that Doctorow co-edits are interesting, impressive and unique in their own ways. Further, innovation and being ingenious is what really sets them apart from the crowd in today’s highly competitive world.
I completely agree with Doctorow when he says that it’s not possible to stop people from copying digital files online. With a plethora of software’s, easy access to the internet and ability to find anything on the World Wide Web within seconds has made it much easier than ever. In this context, I liked the example of artist Amanda Palmer. According to her, it is better not to force people to pay as they will pay if they really like the work. Also, it is much easier to be not too protective and restrictive as sharing is better for creating and developing a brand. The main idea is to first give away some part of one’s creativity to the world for free and then if the work is genuinely good, the recognition and money will surely follow.
In terms of the connections between Lawrence Lessig’s TED talk and Doctorow’s book, I think they are pretty much on the same page with respect to the idea of sharing work for free especially for budding artists. They both point towards the concept of distributing work for free initially in hope for more work opportunities in the future.