From "Thank You" to "You're Welcome"

You may wonder exactly what I mean by the above statement.

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Well, I've been thinking about this lately. I will say that I believe? we should always go through life with a sense of gratitude and appreciation for everything that we are, have and get to enjoy. But in terms of our creativity, what does it mean to have that sense of gratitude every time someone buys our products? What does this constant feeling of "thank you so much for being so kind as to buy my little book or my little album" do to us? Does it foster a feeling of being a charity case, like the other person, or people, are doing you a favour?

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Whenever someone buys a book, or sheet music, or recording from me, I am grateful but almost to the point of belittling myself. I have worked hard to provide something beautiful and useful and my hope is that my work is purchased because the purchaser can see value in it, not because they just want to support me or because they feel sorry for me.

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I have recently released a collection of winter/holiday sheet music for kids and, when a friend purchased a copy, I sent the person a text expressing my gratitude for their support. I guess it was a kind gesture on my part but, come on. These are great songs that have been making me laugh and cry myself and kids should consider themselves lucky to get to sing them, as far as I'm concerned.

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Can you relate? I mean, I suppose any purchase is money in the bank so even a charity purchase is welcome. But wouldn't you rather know that people are buying your work because they really love it? And wouldn't you rather have created something that you know will be enjoyed by those who get the chance to experience it?

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The thing is, I know at least part of it is perception. We have to realize the value in our own work. We have to respect what we are offering to the world so, instead if saying "Thank you for buying my book", we can say "You're going to experience wonderful things within these pages. You're welcome."?

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At the risk of going on a little bit of a tangent, I think this is also reflected in the idea of all of the volunteering that is requested, and often expected,? in creative industries. I think what gets people offering themselves up for free is that they don't yet believe that what they do is worth paying for.

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I'm not saying that someone like a Taylor Swift is not grateful for being able to do what she does every day - of course she is - but she gives it her all every night on her Eras tour and I bet you she's thinking more, Darn right, I gave you a great show, rather than, Oh gee, thank you ever so much for spending three thousand dollars to come see little old me. So generous of you.

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Yeah, no.

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So, let's look at how we can achieve this mindset.

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First of all, we can make sure that we're really giving the best of ourselves. Is the project the best it can be?? Have we carefully crafted something that inspires, educates, or touches others rather than just, for lack of a better phrase, farting something out and hoping it gains traction. Sure, spontaneous creation can lead to great success but you will at least start off with the "thank you" mentality when you put it out into the world.? Bach to Taylor, she knows she's giving something of great value with her shows.

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It can also help to know the intention of your work and what you are offering your audience.

Now, telling personal stories is not really my thing creatively. I've said before that I don't really need to be understood and I'd be the last person to write an autobiography. But if it is in your nature to bear your soul and speak your truth,? at least considering what your target audience is going to get out of your story will help you have more confidence around it. I have read a couple of books from music moguls where, judging from the title, I was expecting an education? but instead was faced with a bunch of name dropping.

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Was I impressed? Not so much.

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I could say, too, that looking on all the time, study, education, and money we have put into our craft might help, but then I think of home renovations. There are those who spend hundreds of thousands of dollars creating what they think is a masterpiece of an abode, anticipating a high sale value, only to find that very few people are willing to pay that price. The seller thinks, I put so much into this place I want my money back. The prospective buyer thinks, I don't care if they put $200,000 dollars into the living room alone. I don't want a living room with seashells all over the walls, hot pink carpeting, and a toilet right in the middle of it. Trust me. I have seen every episode of Ugliest House In America and you would be horrified at what people chose to create in their homes!

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Anyway, in that case I would say the cost of developing your skills would more likely come into play when someone is hiring you and you are negotiating a salary.?

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Here's another tangent. Maybe I'm wrong but I think that, while we complain about it to no end, professions like doctors and lawyers pay so much because of the cost and extent of the education involved. We can think it's because they're valued more in society and so we resent that we're not earning that much and, by extension, valued that much. But if you're spending hundreds of thousands of dollars and eight years of your life getting your degrees, yeah, you're going to want a salary that makes up for it.

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So, if someone's hiring you, you need to know what your experience and education are worth but, if it's about buying your product, most of the time it's "do they like your work or not" and how you got there is rather irrelevant.

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So those are a few ideas as to how to go from "thank you" to "you're welcome", from desperation and minimization to really honouring the contribution of your creative work. Hope it helps!

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Until next time, believe in yourself and Have Fun Creating!

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Have a great day!

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Tiffany :-)

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Tiffany Prochera is a composer, writer, and voice artist with a mission to inspire and entertain through words and music. Her books and ebooks can be found on Amazon and Audible. Her sheet music can be found on Sheet Music Plus. And audio tracks for licensing can be found on Pond 5.? Visit www.tiffanyprochera.com to learn more!