193 – 5-Minute Mentoring: Becoming an Artist Influencer

So everybody wants to be an “influencer” these days, right? The lure of followers, the excitement of sharing your passion with thousands who are listening to your every word. Trust me, it's a thing and it's exciting! But have you ever wondered what’s God’s methodology for becoming a person of influence?

I’ll be talking about this and sharing 5 practical ways you can approach your dream of leading and potentially influencing other in the arts in this episode of 5-Minute Mentoring and in my blog article titled So You Want to Be An Artist Influencer, Huh?

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

In the world of social media, everybody wants to be an influencer these days. What does that word even mean? I guess it means people are listening to you and following you and thinking that you're an all around awesome person with lots of great things to say. of the rise of technology and just about anybody's ability to develop an audience, is there a strategy that you can really follow that not only honors God, but also honors your heart to be an incredible influence in the lives of people? Is there a strategy that you can follow that will set you up for real success long-term in a healthy way that, again, honors the Lord and your gifting as opposed to just drawing people to yourself? Well, we're going to parse through that today and try to give you five things that are really going to help you approach your dream of leading and influencing others in the world of social media today on 5-Minute Mentoring. Have you ever wanted to have someone in your life who you could ask real questions about your art, your business, and even your walk with the Lord? Well, that's exactly what we do every Friday here on 5-Minute Mentoring, where I answer one question from one of my awesome podcast listeners in order to help you start really thriving as the artist you know God created you to be. Well, hey there, my friend. I'm super glad that you're with me today here on 5-Minute Mentoring. Listen, I gotta be... Totally honest with you guys. This actually came out of, this whole conversation today came out of me sitting on my back porch, scrolling through social media on Sunday afternoon and looking at the, I guess, hundreds, if not thousands of people that are out there trying to make a voice and make a platform for themselves out there in the world of social media. And it started me wondering and just kind of thinking about, Lord, how did This happened in my own life where you... promoted and gave this opportunity to speak to thousands upon thousands of people all over the world and have influence in their life. How does this happen for others? And what are the healthy ways to do that? And what are the not so healthy ways of doing that? Because believe me, there are absolutely different ways that you can approach this whole idea of becoming an influencer. And so I wanted to kind of jump into that today and hopefully give you a strategy that I think I've followed or at least tried to follow my whole life. At least when I knew what the Lord's heart was, we all kind of have different roads to how we get to things. But as I've really paid attention to what God's doing in my life and tried to be very focused on honoring his call on my life and the role that he's given me in the lives of other people's journey. These are some things that I've tried to really focus on. So I hope these are going to be really exciting for you. All right. Let me just start by this and say, wanting to be an influencer and have influence in the lives of people, I think is awesome. That's something I think that God puts in our heart that we want to share our passion. We want to share inspiration with others, things that have changed us. We want to share that with others. And so this could very, very well be a major part of what God's called you to. But listen, it's so important to come at this from a healthy, grounded perspective. Because for Christians, I think one of the first things that we've got to realize is that anything that we're doing in the context of leading others, number one, represents the Lord. Number two, it really has to be built on a foundation of laying down our life, serving others first, and allowing God to raise you up and to give you voice in his timing. Now, that doesn't mean that we don't have a part in it, but it's really super important that you understand that it's his timing and he's the one that brings increase in our life. And so everything that I'm talking about today, I want you to hear it in that frame of reference because otherwise I think it's super easy to go out there and let's do this and let's do that. And if I get this many Instagram followers, if I do this on Facebook and tons of people will listen to me and everything will be great. Listen, you can get out there and create your own kingdom really, really quickly and create this Ishmael of sorts that now what are you going to do? Now you got to manage and master this thing that you've created when maybe it was out of God's timing or maybe it was done in a way that was just to serve your own desires right now as opposed to walking through the process that the Lord had for you. And so I wanna try to give you these things today to help keep you on track. And again, things that I try to really do in my own life that I think have born true and made a healthy way to approach having influence in the lives of others, all right? So number one, I would say this, and maybe you've heard me say this before, but number one, develop masterful competence in one area. Yes, one area. And I can hear you now. But Matt, I love so many different things. I love all this. I love to do this and I love to do that. Yeah, listen, that's awesome. But it's not until you develop really masterful competence in one area, all right, your voice begins to come out, your unique aesthetic as an artist, you know, the thing that you carry. It's not until that comes out that I think anybody begins to have any sort of real acceleration in their journey. And so I would say if you're wanting to Be somebody that's got voice in the lives of others and influence in the lives of others. Make sure that you're focusing now singularly on the development of one thing and be really, really great at that, all right? Again, that's gonna be a major accelerator for you, both financially and creatively, all right? Number two, do it so well and so uniquely, this one thing, that others can't help but notice, all right? Again, the Bible is so clear in Proverbs that a person's gift makes room for them. As you become great, as you develop mastery over this one area in your art and maybe in teaching or the way you approach a subject, whatever it might be, and you start sharing that story authentically with others that are interested in learning in that same thing, all of a will begin to open doors for you in the marketplace and in the lives of others because people are going to go, whoa, this person is so awesome or wow, this unique thing that they do artistically. I've never seen that before. I want to learn about that. And so the gifting that you have been developing over the years really becomes a platform for you to begin to speak. That for me, I know happened in my, not only in what I'm doing in my mentoring work, you know, with you guys here on the podcast and in the mentoring program and all that, but it really happened in my artwork as well. As I began over years to master the techniques that I had learned and that I was developing and then develop that and massage that into a unique creative voice, all of a sudden, wow, people started just beating down the doors like, oh my gosh, I want to know how to do this. I want to know how to make art like Matt. I want to buy art like Matt because there's not any around. Again, the gift of God as I cultivated it singularly in my life, that really became a platform for influence. Number three, when people start to ask, how did you do this? Or could you help me? Or how do I do what you do? And how can I make art like yours? Or I want to learn how you're doing your life like this or that. All of a sudden, your work and what you're doing is going to start to garner attention, which is great from buyers, from potential students, from potential strategic partners. As you notice that conversation starting to happen, notice a couple of things. The focus of the conversation, that is, what are people asking about? The frequency, are people starting to ask you these things kind of all the time? Those are ways you can start to embrace and realize, hey, okay, maybe there is the opportunity here for me to have influence in the lives of others, to share what I'm doing, to teach, maybe to develop a course, or maybe I'm starting to garner all this together and write my first book, all right? Again, you're using this opportunity to start to develop not only resources, but also relationship with your audience in a very authentic way, all right? Now, number four, Day by day, and I think this is so important, all right, because let me just give this as a caveat. What you're doing, I think, in the healthiest way as an influencer is not trying to draw people to yourself and make a bunch of mini-me's, all right? What you're trying to do is take the things that God has done in your life use those to inspire and teach others, but not to, again, create a bunch of mini-me's, but in order to help them to achieve greater results than you have in the areas that they're passionate about. That is, I love that scripture in the New Testament where it says, you know, the role of the fivefold ministry is to equip the saints for their work of ministry. I love that, all right? Because it's like we each have a unique place, right? in the body of Christ. I think every artist has a unique place in the marketplace. And so our role is not to create a bunch of people that look and draw like us or paint like us or make baskets like us or write books like us. No, our job is to use the thing that God has given us to inspire and teach others, but then also to be that wind that pushes them into their greatness, into the thing that God's called them to, so that they can really achieve that incredible, abundant life that God's got for them. All right. I see that, you know, when people start to draw people to themselves, that's when it gets kind of icky. That's when it gets kind of this, you know, to be this kind of cult of personality, if you will. And that's never, ever, ever what you want to do. All right. And then lastly, number five, tell stories, all right? As you start to inspire others, teach others, others begin to take what you're doing and use it in their own life. It's so important then for you not to get up and say, I am the best thing since sliced bread and you will never believe this and I am doing this and I am doing that. And if you'll just come to me, I can fix everything. No, nobody wants to hear that, all right? What you wanna do is celebrate the people that are following you. Celebrate their stories. Tell their stories of transformation. Tell how good God's been in their life, all right? Obviously, yeah, you've had a part of that and praise God for that. And that's awesome, all right? But it's not about you. It's about their story. And one of the things that I think makes... influencers healthy in the kingdom is, again, not drawing people to yourself, not talking only about who you are, but really telling the story of your students and those that are following you so that you're focusing really two-thirds on that rather than all your awesomeness, which I'm sure is limitless, which I'm sure is awesome. But if you tell the story of others, it not only puts them out front, lets them have the win, which is, again, a heart of servanthood But it also, I think, just honors the Lord and allows him to bring the increase in your life. All right. Now, just quickly, of course, I couldn't resist this. You know, what are the five ways not to be a great influencer in your life? Well, okay, what should you not do? Don't go out there and create this huge brand and social media and all this kind of stuff, your latest book, e-course, album, whatever it is, and telling everybody how awesome you are and trying to convince everybody to follow you. That just feels insane. All right. Listen, just because you can get out there with technology and create this big old buzz and this big wave of attention and that sort of thing doesn't mean that you have anything to say. And I know that might seem a little hard, but I think that the people who I respect the most in my life, who have influenced my life the most, and I pray that this is my story in your life as well, is when people have walked a journey and seen authentic change happen in their life, and then they've turned and they've shared that with others along the journey, and they've seen the same things replicated in them. That's when influence is powerful, all right? Number two way to not be a great influencer show no demonstrated mastery or progress in your own life and the area that you're trying to encourage others in, all right? That's just a big no-no. Number three, step into the role of coach, expert, or advisor when you've never helped anybody achieve any real lasting results in their own life, much less yourself. I mean, listen, how many life coaches do we know out there whose lives are in shambles? How many financial people, you know, coaches do we know out there who don't have an investment plan? If you want to learn something, go to somebody that's done it. All right. If you want to teach, then teach out of the place of authority that God's given you in your life. All right. Number four and five, things that you don't want to do. Don't look for recognition of your position before seeing demonstrable, measurable results in your lives and in the lives of others. You know, that is, well, you should love me because I'm an artist or look how many Instagram followers I have or look how great my art is or just, you know, kind of this whole thing of I'm special. You should follow me. You should love me. Listen, again, that just gets icky. And number five, seek leadership or authority before being a great follower and being under authority. Listen, you can never lead others unless you yourself learn to follow. And I think that is so, so huge. One of the things that I see this all the time in the online marketing world, I see people come into courses, maybe courses that I've taken. And I'll see them come in and then six months later, they're out there teaching the very stuff that was in that course, but kind of tweaked to their own needs or whatever, or their own voice, like it's their thing. And you're like, what? What are you even doing? Like, have you even taught this before? Have you even mastered this yourself? Are you even working this in your own life? How in the world do you have authority to teach this? So again, don't seek leadership and authority before you become a follower, before you've honored the ones that have gone before in your life. And you've really learned to, you know, just to have those things worked out in your life first. Again, I know I say this all the time, but it's be fruitful and then multiply. You can't have multiplication that is lasting in your life without being fruitful. You know, I love this quote. I think I talked about it in Unlocking the Heart of the Artist. But somebody told me one time, your talent will take you where your character can't keep you. And I just can't agree more because, again, you can make influence happen. You can make a big brand. You can make a big splash. But that is not always the best way to do it. The best way is obviously, yes, learn technology, master technology. That's part of what we teach in the mentoring program, but do it in the context of developing your own uniqueness, serving your audience, listening to the voice of the Lord and realizing that just like it says in Psalm 75, promotion doesn't come from the North, South, East or West, it comes from the Lord. See, listen, as kingdom people, and I think this is just a great way to close this up today. As kingdom people, we have a greater responsibility because when we influence the lives of others, we are literally holding the hearts of our followers in our hand. And we have the ability through media and through persuasion and through art and through all the things that we do, we have the ability to point that heart and point their mind in any direction that we want. And I just think it's so, so important that as God is raising up this army of artists that we make sure over and over again, daily, moment by moment, that our heart is grounded in a healthy identity in Jesus and in who we are in him rather than in what we do and how talented we are and our next thing or whatever. Otherwise, believe me, it is really, really, really, really easy to draw others to yourself rather than to Jesus and to his purposes in their life. All right. Well, my friend, I hope that you will lean into the influence that God has for you in your life. And I hope that you'll do it in a way that honors him and that points people to Jesus. I know you will. I know that's your heart. And again, I hope this has been a big, big encouragement to you today. All right, thanks for being with me. Until next time, remember you were created to thrive. All right, bye.