Notes
ok I’ve just seen my tenth “when will the Substack algorithm make me famous” note…and I think everyone needs to read the artist Chitra Ganesh’s advice on letting go of the chosen one narrative for artistic success!!
People are often under the misimpression that someone from a higher plane of power will come and pluck them out of their current circumstances, catapulting them to success. While the 'chosen one' narrative may happen once in a blue moon, the vast majority of success happens with the discipline of a daily grind, and networks of peers who lift each other up, on a regular basis, over years.
This will include colleagues who are both older and younger than you. So be mindful of how you treat people. Treat everyone with equal generosity and respect, including those whom you perceive to be younger or have less experience or power. Be kind and present whether you think they can give you something or not. Being kind is not being a pushover. The intern or assistant curator that everyone is bossing around today may one day make a much more powerful mark on the field than you ever imagined.
People remember how you treat them, long after you’ve forgotten. Word of mouth is still a powerful communication tool of the field, and the art world can be a lonely place. Do what you can to cultivate presence and generosity in your workspace, on a daily basis. You will be rewarded in spades.
people want to believe in an idealized mentor figure or algorithm that will recognize their innate specialness and select them out from the masses to be a success…that’s not how it works for most people!! even overnight social media successes were grinding it out for far longer than like, three months of inconsistent Substack posts lol
