I used to think that a movie star, was the best actor.
Be the best at acting, and you become a movie star.
But now I realize, that no job is like that.
It requires so much more.
The movie stars can act, they can negotiate a deal, they can get the people on board with a project, they know how to court projects and people, they can bring it all together, resources, money, timing.
It is about making and selling the art.
Seth Godin published a list of habits of a successful artist:
Learn to sell what you've made.
Say thank you in writing.
Speak in public.
Fail often.
See the world as it is.
Make predictions.
Teach others.
Write daily.
Connect others.
Lead a tribe.
He goes on to say that making these tasks your job, "then the art you produce may very well take care of itself."
To me, it is a glimpse of an example at what may be the real skill set behind some of the successful artists.
Piercing the viel, as it were.
You have to produce fantastic content, but there is so much more to learn beyond that.