Marketing = Making art.

Often, we think to ourselves:

“I love doing creative stuff! But ugh, I hate marketing. It’s so hard to find clients and customers and build a fanbase. It’s so exhausting. Marketing is the worst. I’d rather just… make art!”

But actually… It’s the same thing. It’s all creativity. It’s all self-expression. It’s all art.

When you appear on a podcast and tell an inspiring story about your latest project… you’re making art. (Podcasting = an art project.)

When you share an uplifting video on Instagram that makes someone smile or laugh… you’re making art. (Videography = an art project.)

When you share a personal story on Facebook that makes someone exhale, nod, and feel a little less alone… you’re making art. (Storytelling = an art project.)

When you teach a free class and share a couple of brilliant ideas with your students, and share some words of comfort and encouragement, or a worksheet that you’ve made… you’re making art. (Teaching = an art project.)

Every time you make an appearance in front of an audience — large or small, online or offline, pre-recorded or live, free or with payment — it’s an art project. Or at least, it can be… if you decide to think about it that way.

If the word “marketing” bothers you, then replace it with some other word or phrase. Call it “saying hi” or “connecting” or “brightening people’s days” or “extending a fun invitation” or “doing community service” or “a cool opportunity for me to teach, inspire, and motivate people” or “making a public appearance and sharing something beautiful with the world.”

You can make a public appearance, share something inspiring, and then invite people to spend even more time with you in the future — by visiting your website, by hiring you, by signing up for a class, or whatever you’d like them to do. Inspire + invite. That’s it. That’s art. And that’s marketing.