Emerging artists face numerous challenges, from honing their craft to promoting their work in a competitive industry. For Rave Rapture, navigating the intersection of creativity and marketing has been a journey of trial, error, and self-discovery. He shares his experience and reflections on how artists can grow while maintaining the authenticity of their vision. Once Rave Rapture changed his name, he had to start from square one when it came to marketing, now that he didn’t have anyone actively waiting for him to make new art. He shares, “That’s when I realized marketing is hard, and I’m not exactly Tony the Tiger. To make my work seem attractive, to have the charisma necessary to make it exciting, and to give the promise of it being worthy of someone’s time. When you look at it in a formal way, it doesn’t make much sense. It’s uncomfortable; you have almost too much free range to say whatever you want. Ultimately, though, doing whatever you want is exactly how to get better at it. You have to be just a little conceited, just slightly in over your head, to paint the picture that your art is worth people’s time. My ‘advertisements’ have always been simple, but I have enjoyed making them, which ensures people enjoy the sentiment behind my work and understand my love for the game.”
When working on a larger project, like an album or a video, Rave Rapture states, “I end up having more days where I do the bare minimum. Maybe change some vocal effects here, add a new clip to my video project there. I have to be in a very specific mood; a lot of these do-nothing days seem scant on the surface, but really, it involves me trying to find inspiration in my daily life. I might go do something I don’t normally do or sit down and talk with someone I don’t typically have deeper conversations with, just for the sake of a new perspective. Sometimes, the stories they tell me, and the memories that resurface as a result of taking recreation time, are exactly what I need. The day after I find good inspiration is subsequently composed of nothing but me hunched over at my computer, neck at a 50-degree angle, and finishing four or five songs in one sitting. Rarely does this happen from scratch, but it always happens that I now have the remaining pieces of the puzzle, and I can finally cover every facet and call something ‘done.’”
Even though Rave Rapture is upcoming himself, he shares a piece of advice for up-and-coming artists trying to break into the industry: “Be selfish. Have a (respectfully sized) ego. Think of it this way: your colleagues have the same goal. They want their own art, which is of their own unique design and passion, to be recognized as badly as you want yours to be known. Some succeed in this, and most fail. But are you really going to let the difference maker be a lack of confidence? You should have that from the very start. Only when you recognize that art requires a little self-centering can you truly start to incorporate your own image into every aspect of your career.” Rave Rapture’s reflections offer a candid look at the balance between self-expression and professional strategy in the creative world. His approach emphasizes persistence, self-confidence, and the importance of cultivating inspiration from everyday life. For emerging artists, his insights serve as both a guide and a reminder: believing in one’s art is the first step to sharing it with the world.