What must local talents do to make themselves seen more?

If you are a creative talent yourself – full-time or part-time otherwise – you will notice that a lot of local talents are not appreciated, let alone being exposed. I am not very sure if I should be saying that – perhaps I may be living under a rock for years. Hence, I may not be very aware of local talents and their art.

Regardless of whether they are seen or not, I am sure a lot of local talents do not have the exposure they deserve. Many great talents in our countries have gone unnoticed when they should be seen more.

Locals receiving more criticism than foreign talents

There is one thing that I’ve noticed when it comes to local talents showcasing their arts and crafts. That is the fact that whenever they showcase their work, they tend to receive more flak than foreign ones.

Though I get that there may be a great difference between the talents produced locally than foreign ones, I am sure there are some who should be out there on an international level. However, this is largely my opinion, as opinions differ from one person to the next.

Why are we so easy on criticizing local talents when we should be encouraging them to do more? When it comes to foreign talents, a lot of us readily gobble them up quickly without being as equally critical of it.

Give constructive criticisms instead of outright shitting on them

Some people may say “it’s constructive criticism and not being critical (read: insulting) of them and their work”. Really? Are you sure the insult that you mask as “constructive criticism” is constructive criticism?

Sometimes, the comments I saw left on local talents’ crafts wasn’t even constructive. At times some of these “constructive criticisms” look a lot more like outright insults.

Here’s the thing – instead of saying “your art is not so good and that’s not how it should be done”, say something like “you can improve on these following aspects of your art”. While at it, don’t say it to an extent of “telling them how to do their craft”. Their craft is theirs after all, and there is no right and wrong to it.

Share their works where you possibly can

I get that sometimes the art your friend does is not something that you are particularly into. That’s all right. However, when you see them sharing their work on their own social media channels, it’ll be great to help share them on your platforms too. Any extra exposure will be good for them and their work.

If you have been in the creative industry before, you will know the struggle of artists before they become rich and famous. I like how some people love to preach “help me now first, later on, I help you”. I get that sentiment, however, knowing most people will most likely forget this later on. Then go on to pretend they never say that.

Not a lot of people who become famous will go back and help the ones who made them famous. Sad, isn’t it?

Not every talent started out on the same foot

Here’s the thing when it comes to talents trying to promote their work to get noticed: not all of them come from a rich family with astronomical contacts. If you are one of those people who came from rich families with well-connected contacts, you’re a lucky one.

However, some talents started on nothing at all – not coming from rich families and having stellar contacts. For these people, they will take longer to get to a successful stage.

You don’t have to be their “Tongkat kaki”. However, you can give them constructive criticisms to help them improve.

Talents should be receptive to changes and improvements too

I won’t go the entire article criticizing and calling out on locals being critical of local talents. There are always 2 sides to a story and we should be fair to both sides.

Having said all of that above, there are times when I can see local talents not being receptive to constructive criticisms. They are not very receptive to changes and improvements. If you are not receptive to changes and improvements, how will you be able to elevate your work and get more followers and viewers?

People don’t like shoddy work and that much is understandable. However, when you are not receptive to change and be a massive donkey about it, then why should people help you? Opinions do not have to be agreeable and they do not need to be factual and truthful. However, when the majority of the opinions about you and your work is negative, perhaps it’s best to look into the root cause of it?

Talents should be resilient and adaptive to ever-changing market climates

Here’s the thing when it comes to consumer markets – it changes periodically. As talents and creators, you should be able to adapt to the ever-changing markets to keep your work updated.

You don’t have to drastically change your brand of work. However, it’s good to do the necessary changes to keep yourself relevant in current markets.

Key Takeaway

If you are a talent, you should try to keep up with current trends and future trends. Never settle for doing the same thing again and again. You are not a one-trick pony. Learn how to adapt where possible.

If you are on the consumer end of the spectrum, do give the local talents some support and love. After all, everyone hustles for their passion.

Lydia is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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