I'm not suprised that a lot of people dislike the idea of marketing/selling/advertising/etc.
Sometimes, I dislike too.
Marketing can be the ultimately dark art. I cringe when I see a commercial that shames some women who dare eat a cupcake. I shake my head when I see a car or beer commercial that preys on a man's insecurities.
It breaks my heart when I see a politician or pundit use words or phrases that are designed to tap into our "lizard brain".
Marketers have long understand what science is just starting to show. We are not rational actors. We can be influenced. We can be persuaded. Images, words, sounds, all of those things can work together to bring out the negative end of human behavior.
But there is a flip side to all of that . . . .
The flip side is that effective marketing/communication/advertising/whatever can be used to bring out the best in us.
It can help us to become more critical thinkers. It can help us find more joy in our lives.
It can help us to find things (like your art) which are designed to feed our mind and our soul.
Part of what I like about working in this particular field is that on my worst day, all I did was try to connect some people to some art.
With all the bad ways that marketing can be used, I think that's a good use of the craft.
At it's core, marketing is about spreading ideas and emotions. Used the wrong way, those ideas and emotions can damage lives.
But used the right way and in the right hands (your hands!) marketing can connect people to ideas and feelings that make the world a little bit better.
That is a pretty cool thing.
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