Be Who You Are and Make What You Make

by Greg Vineyard –

I had the most fascinating experience at a recent art event – a guest felt compelled to let me know that I will never be a famous artist with a name as boring as “Greg.”

There are so many assumptions and projections in a statement like that, that it was hardly worth responding to, except out of curiosity. So OF COURSE, dodging the critic’s little sloshing plastic cup, I bit. (Plus, I was wondering – does this person have psychic powers or something?)

It turns out this person’s opinion is that one needs a unique name to “make it” in the art world. My name was among a list of detested names of unfortunate people who surely will never attain glory. I guess it means that person will never speak to me again for fear of yawning to death, so I think we’ve both come out of this as big winners.

I didn’t – and still don’t – agree, but it made me wonder how many people think they need a flashy name as the cornerstone of their business plan or personal marketing campaign. There’s nothing wrong with developing a persona, or a clever business name, and I know that sometimes flash can bring cash; however, I maintain that there are more important career aspirations to attend to. Like making art no matter what one’s name is. Keeping one’s nose to the grindstone. Staying the course.

I think it’s OK to embrace one’s given name, and that one doesn’t need to be fancy, or sizzle, nearly as much as one needs to work on substance, skills and content. It’s a “Tortoise and the Hare” type of thing: steady progress, ever moving forward, really only just racing oneself.

Whatever one’s name – or chosen name – it’s what you do, how you do what you do, what you do with it, and how you promote it. Hares have 10,000 followers on Instagram, but tend to share a lot of hype. Tortoises (Tortoisi?) have wildly successful GoFundMe campaigns. And they have names like mine.

I think most folks don’t need to worry about manipulating the public into liking them by changing their name to something like James Tiberius Kirk (well, OK, THAT one would be cool…), they just need to work diligently to promote the artists that they are. If my main unique value proposition is “Oh, hey, buy my art because I have a cool name!”

I am a hare. Some followers do pursue the flash – and our global, digital world nurtures that a thousand fold – but where does one’s authenticity end and an endless barrage of grazing a surface sliver of life become the norm? If name-fakery is deemed acceptable, what’s the next line in the sand one crosses without a care?

Some substantive actions one might consider as an artist, especially when faced with the uncertainty that unsolicited criticism can bring:

• Create and learn every day.
• Write an artist statement that states what one does, plus a bit of how, and bit of why.
• Promote oneself regularly with words and visuals.
• Work hard at being genuine.
• Ignore critics if their feedback goes against what you know about yourself in your soul.
• Embrace your name, and keep moving forward.

This isn’t really a defense of the name “Greg” (Hey, just ask my friends – I AM kind of boring!), but rather a musing upon possibly false self-concepts. And I’m definitely not anti-marketing. Researching business names and how they will do in the marketplace is important stuff, and some people might truly feel a name change is in order. And many hares ARE fantabulous at their art, and not all tortoises are authentic – nothing’s ever black and white. Or in this case, brown and green.

And one should always at least listen to feedback, and then filter it. In my case, I got to ponder how I feel about seeking fame. I know that I just want to be good. If I were to stumble into notoriety (purposely or not – both routes happen in our world), I would be doing it with a name I really love – my own.