Kanye West is in the news again.

And this time, it’s not for another inspired religious moment.

As the Kardashian clan try desperately to manage the damage his outburst might have on their multimillion dollar social empire, there is a clear divide on where people stand as regards his unsettling tweet and his eventual apology, on the backdrop of his constant battle with bipolar disorder.

Vital lessons can be learnt and important inferences drawn from a careful analysis of the overall Kanye-Kim altercation, especially for active players in entertainment circles. So, we put together some guidelines that artiste managers, agents and other stakeholders need to know on managing creative personalities, without making them feel hedged in or controlled.

1. GET PERMISSION

As much as artists claim they don’t want to be involved in all the ‘external’ issues that make up their thriving careers, they still on some level want you to get their permission.

So don’t take their words at face value and set sail into uncharted waters without sourcing for permission.

You need to learn to guide them through your intended trajectory whether they show interest in it or not.

It will definitely save you when the storm arrives, because you will be saved from being that artiste manager that likes to run solo with his ingenious strategies, and that sometimes can be the difference between making slow progress and being a total shipwreck.

2. RESPECT THEIR ACTIONS

Artists will be artists.

They will be headstrong, struggle to have their way and generally make a fool of themselves; sometimes on a viral level.

So, before you give in to your base instincts to start ‘telling’ the artist what works and what doesn’t, a good way to get their attention without coming off as an enemy is to get them to explain to you the rationale behind their action or inaction, as the case may be.

After a day or two, they are more likely to see their actions as amazingly lame or at best bland, as opposed to you informing them that it is and getting labelled as an enemy of the brand.

Who knows, an explanation from the artist might even help you see their point a little more clearly.

3. CREATE SCENARIOS

So, whenever you reach an impasse with a creative, and you will from time to time; make sure you clearly and truthfully articulate the repercussions of taking a particular route as opposed to another. Paint the picture as clearly as you can, for the records, so they know what they are getting into.

The average creative has an amazingly vivid imagination and so scenario descriptions help them get your point better.

For example, an artist decides to go on a rampage tweet session without recourse to the manager’s continuous warning.

Create a PR document, complete with a detailed cost of what it will take to remove any lingering negative effects of the resultant outcome of the tweet through PR laundering and share it with your client.

Your enthusiastic attempts at detail might just be the deciding factor that would help make an otherwise hard point.

So if you want your artiste to change the world while remaining unsoiled by youthful exuberance and bad judgement, you might need to employ some of these guidelines to help rein them in sometimes and give you peace of mind.

Because as colourfully-perfect as their creativity might be, it is sometimes laced with a highly complicated extreme side that is fiercely resistant to any semblance of control.

Source: https://tushmagazine.com.ng/3-tips-to-adhere-to-when-working-with-creative-extremes/

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lalastiiclala, mynd44, dominique