Never give up

Your creative work shouldn’t go unnoticed because you got stuck and couldn’t find a way through.
There is always a way through.

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Mark at the MAC gallery

I’m Mark Steadman.

I help creative people frustration and skip to the good bit.

You’re not like other “creators”. You want to make a name for yourself, but you don’t want to be tied to the algorithm.

You go your own way. No, not that way – that way’s taken. The other way.

You collaborate.
You mix things up.
You mess things up.
You get back up.
You don’t give up.
You try again.

You’re working on your next big thing.
The thing that matters.
The Big Work.

You care what people think. You don’t need to be rich and famous. Recognition would be nice, but to know that your work means something… that’s enough.

You go the long way round.

I believe your best work is too important to go unregarded. This isn’t about marketing and growth and “going 10x”, but about not giving up as long as one more person can find worth in what you do.

But behind every piece of work is a busy person with their own unique set of abilities and constraints. Taking care of the art means taking care of the artist, so going 1% further must never be at the expense of your own wellbeing.

Here’s where I come from

This manifesto borrows heavily from the late great Grandmaster Gareth. He, and his band’s work went unregarded for too long.