Content is key, my friends...

Everyone is still gushing about Barack Obama's remarkable online political campaign, and many are looking for applicable marketing lessons for their own industries.

Even theatre. Check out the Guardian's Theatre blog to see what I mean.

I fully agree that there are lessons to be learned. However, let's all make sure not to get too swept up with the free marketing tools that Web 2.0 provides... because that's all they are, just tools. And those tools are going to see a surge in popularity in the next few months, rendering them less effective.

While the Obama campaign was masterful, its core strength was not the tools that it used but the idea that those tools were promoting. The concept was its core strength.

All you artists out there, please don't forget your core purpose: to make truly ingenious, exciting and captivating art. Learn about the tools to be able to market your work and utilize them to their full extent, but don't exclusively rely on them. Well-marketed but ultimately mediocre theatre will not serve you in the long run.

To paraphrase Scott McCloud, the content, not the surface of the apple, must be our primary focus.

A little inspiration

Lisa Pijuan-Nomura shared this quote, so I thought I'd pass it along...

“This is the true joy in life, to be used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, to be thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap. To be a force of nature instead of a feverish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am a member of a community and as a member it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can before I die. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch that I want to make burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”

- George Bernard Shaw

Nice.
Thanks Lisa!

Humble Pie

Well, I guess I can admit when I'm wrong.

The furor over arts cuts didn't give Mr. Harper a majority, it actually was one of the only things that prevented it.

The arts cuts equalled a resurgence of Bloc support in Quebec, which in turn prevented Harper of making his "breakthrough" in La Belle Province. In English Canada however, it was another story...

I'm not sure how I should feel about all this, and I imagine that a lot of other artists are similarly confused. After all, Harper still won, so I imagine the cuts will remain. And from what I hear, he's a pretty vindictive politician: if artists prevented his coveted majority, than I wonder (and fear) if artists will be subject to his subsequent wrath.

And I'm not sure how good anyone feels about the arts funding issue directly benefitting a party committed to breaking up the nation...

Are we to blame for this too?