Creating narrative art is a very difficult, time-consuming process, that if someone were to do it on their own, seems almost impossible to complete.
If I were to talk about the many difficulties of narrative art creation, I could talk about the years of study that one has to go to in which to learn to write for the medium and/or draw for the medium, and/or creating the ability to adapt all of the writing and/drawing to one’s client and artistic/writing preferences.
I could also talk about the difficulty of communicating with a team of writers, artists, colorists, and editor’s who typically live their life in a creative workspace, who pay little attention to deadlines, form, or function. Many of whom create their art so succinctly to their own individual taste they are not too fond of multiple corrections if they miss the mark. Some are very professional, and if you know where to find them, they will be very good for you. However, most are very defensive from working for just anyone because the industry to which they are accustomed has taken advantage of some of the finest artists I know. Companies come and go, some pay very little for artists, some promise big money, but never pay. Getting the most “extremely talented” personalities to perform their very best for you is extremely difficult. But, it is not the most difficult.
I could also talk about the amount of time it takes to find the right combination of artists, writers, and editors to fulfill a specific request from a client, to get them on the same page, and to create a symbiotic relationship for the exact piece of the narrative art that will be tailored to the specific needs of your client, but I won’t.
The most difficult part of creating narrative art is getting consensus for the story that needs to be told.
This is like laying the foundation for a house. If it is built correctly, the whole house will stand. With a weak foundation, just a little rift, can destroy the house.
Likewise, as long as the message you want communicated is clear, the message can be communicated clearly. In this way people can understand what it is you want to communicate. Without everyone in your organization on board with the message to be told, your audience can get mixed messages. Knowing the message is very important.
Chances are, if you are in business, you are in business for a reason. Someone has a problem and you can solve it. Take their money. Solve their problem. Everyone is happy. If you can solve their problem better than anyone else can, doesn’t it make sense to make the best effort you can to get the right message out to your audience?
How to Get Consensus:
1. Get everyone who has an input in your company to input. Email to a central organizer.
2. After all the thoughts are written and organized, email the ideas to everyone to review for a meeting. (face-to-face or phone or Skype–whatever works best for you). Write all the thoughts down. Reject none of the ideas.
3. Plan the meeting. Show up 15 minutes early.
4. Meet together to discuss — with the whole team–including creatives like a project manager from your narrative art marketing company and their writer would be helpful.
5. Talk early and talk often. So you can see crystal clear what your messaging should convey. The point is to get everyone at your company on board with the direction the project is heading.
6. Once consensus has been agreed upon, don’t be afraid to accept new ideas along the lines of the consensus, and to destroy ideas that do not go along the lines of the consensus.
If you get the message right, your starving crowd who wants your product or service will be flocking to your door to buy. Get it wrong, and they won’t care one bit for you or your company.
Let’s get the message right.
Once we are confident in that direction, you can keep creating difficulties for yourself…or you can take a break and go to an experienced team of professionals, like us, who will get your audience talking about your business and selling your products for you with word-of-mouth advertising using the narrative art media.