When Your Art Becomes A Product

You created something.

Months of labor…

Revisions…

Remorse.

And all those agonizing internal dialogues, squabbles, soliloquies, bouts of self-loathing:

This will never work

It’s gonna fail like the last one

If this doesn’t work

But—

It was splendid.

Beautiful.

The fucking-greatest-thing-you’ve-ever produced.

And then…

The Algo.

And then…

Every newsletter, collector, Instagrammer, Cool-Beautiful Person saw it.

Worshipped it.

Needed it.

And suddenly—

Everybody needed it.

So you needed to…

Make more. 

Create more. 

Produce more.

Then you needed…

Help.

People.

Craftsmen. Craftswomen. Artisans.

Then—

Money. Success. Maybe fame.

More people.

More money.

And now, years later…

Money.

Success.

Maybe…

Fame.

But also—

A business.

Employees.

Assistants.

Payroll.

Deadlines.

Expectations.

This isn’t…

A cool, hip studio for collaborating and vibing anymore, is it?

This is a…

Business.

In service to a…

(Sorry)

Product.

And you’re…

A Business Person.

A Boss.

A Leader.

And you’re left wanting to…

Create.