Outside is the New Inside
How to beat the algorithm in public
There’s one marketing play that 99% of creatives don’t utilise.
Whatever you do, you should put your work in the streets.
AND I’M NOT JUST TALKING TO VISUAL ARTISTS but we’ll get to that
As a street artist, of course I’m biased.
In the pandemic I painted boarded up shops in East London and launched a career.
Putting your work outside gets you in front of real people. No algorithm, no gatekeepers, just random encounters.
In February of 2020 I had no ‘audience’ on social media. I was playing around with some ideas, painting in the street.
Goldie, the drum and bass pioneer, dj, artist and one of my childhood idols, happened to walk past.
He commissioned 5 paintings on the spot.
It was just before the first lockdown and I don’t know what I would’ve done without that commission.
I told the story to my friend. “Can’t believe how lucky I am!” I said.
“You’re painting the streets, it’s not lucky, it’s inevitable…” He replied.
I still thought it was lucky.
Then, I was painting in Manchester and the actor and director Joe Gilgun walked past. He commissioned me to paint a wall in his house.
Globally famous actor Pom Klementieff posted a pic, posing by one of my street pieces, on a trip to London.
Former England football player and presenter Alex Scott did the same.
I now agree with my friend: this isn’t luck - it’s inevitable. If you put your work outside, someone will see it (and you never know who).
*Different* Works
I was walking my dog recently and saw a flyer attached to a lamppost.
The flyer encourages people to send a voicemail and @mightdeletelatermusic may make a song from what you send.
I love this. It’s DIY. It’s collaboration. It’s not waiting for the algorithm.
If you’re stuck for inspiration - outsource for it. Ask the public. Collaborate.
This artist has no idea what they’ll receive but the voicemails will inform the music.
This is the sort of project that excites people. It’s the sort of project that people will remember.
It’s street art.
Street art doesn’t have to be murals.
I want to see your projects when I’m on a dog walk or riding the tube.
I want to be inspired when I least expect it.
Try not to break any laws, obvs, but I am from the school of ask forgiveness over permission, sooo…
Get stickers made with a line of your poetry. Print zines and leave them in the free newspaper stands. Leave a single page essay on every train you travel on. Hold an impromptu, pop-up music gig in the streets. Engrave padlocks and attach them to street furniture.
Idk, I’m just spitballing, but you get the idea. Ask yourself how can you get what you do, to real people.
I don’t know who needs to hear this - but touching a persons soul with your art is so dramatically less likely online.
Like, I really need to emphasise this, it is DRAMATICALLY less likely.
And we need *more* right now. As my friend Will said in the excellent Creative Minds newsletter:
“WE ARE ADULTS LIVING IN INTERESTING AND IMPORTANT TIMES, OUR VOICES AND ACTIONS MATTER, AND 15 SECOND CLIPS ABOUT DRAMA OR ‘FUNNY THINGS’ DON’T MAKE US FEEL PARTICULARLY ENGAGED OR SATISFIED”
I paint with neon pink spray paint. Screens are incapable of displaying neon accurately, so to be experienced properly, my work *needs* to be seen in person.
90% of the work I sell, is to people who have seen my art in person.
When I realised this, my priorities dramatically shifted from wanting to grow online to focusing on growing ‘in person’.
I chatted about this with Seth Werkheiser (listen HERE )
Seth is an expert in the many options we have offline and runs the Social Media Escape Club - which imo, is a great club to be in.
Seth’s speaks about prioritising irl connections that are not at the mercy of online platforms.
And if you enjoy that chat, I have an interview coming up in a few weeks with August Lamm who has managed to break away from the internet almost completely…
Other than uploading her writing to Substack each week, August is offline. She has no smart phone, no computer.
She pitches and networks in person and spoiler alert - she is *very* happy.
If you’re feeling phone fatigue, in-person interaction is the cure.
Outside Online
All that being said..
If you can turn working outside into content, you’re likely onto a winner.
Those who know me are probably sick of me going on about ‘Subway Takes’ the interview show by Kareem Rahma
It’s the best online video series.
Three simple words; “What’s your take?” prompt the interviewee to present an argument that’s almost guaranteed to split opinion, meaning every episode will probably go viral.
It’s funny, it’s smart, Kareem is infinitely likeable, it absolutely could be shot in a studio but it’s shot on the New York Subway.
This gives the show a familiarity. It feels intimate. You feel like you’re listening in. You feel like you’re there.
The next best thing to being there is feeling like you are.
The biggest online success stories I can think of at the moment are all creators who are taking something that’s usually inside, outside and then documenting that online.
I recently spoke to Nishant Jain (listen HERE)
Nishant is known as the sneaky artist - he covertly draws people in public spaces. People move fast, so he sketches quickly, every situation is unpredictable, every drawing is a new discovery and documentation.
The very fabric of his art is shaped by being made in public and people are interested in people so his profile has grown massively.
DJ AG has quickly amassed over two million followers by live-streaming DJ sets, outside.
This earned him an ASBO in Shoreditch when a large crowd showed up. He’s also had letters from Haringey Council but this has not deterred or impacted his work.
Famous artists are queuing up to perform with AG.
Jorja Smith, who performed in the street with AG in Birmingham said; “What AG is doing is super important. He’s bringing people together and turning every session into a celebration of community and sound. He’s inspiring others to step out and share their voices”
We talk a lot about ‘online communities’, it feels like now we rarely mention real life community. DJ AG beautifully encompasses both.
Milo McCabe created the character of ‘Troy Hawke’. His videos of ‘greeting’ customers as they enter shops have gone viral, earning the comedian brand deals, worldwide travel and sold out comedy gigs.
Millions watch Sophie Tea, each week buy an item from a charity shop, paint it, return it and it’s resold to her followers.
My career exploded when I started hiding my art in the streets and inviting my followers on scavenger hunts. I could go on and on…
Inside is small. Outside is infinite.
Take your work outside, do something unexpected. Do the things that other creators in your field aren’t doing. It will likely impact your work and most importantly, people will notice.
Attention leads to conversation. Conversations lead to opportunity.
Have fun :)
Thanks for sharing. Definitely got me thinking about what I should be doing differently.
Yes a million times