Carl King Interview

1. If you could give only one advice to someone who wants to launch an artistic career, which one would it be? A sort of “cast in stone” mantra that could be repeated over and over.

It's difficult to write it as a mantra. But artists need to learn about healthy compromise. That doesn't mean you should get taken advantage of, or never do the things you love, but unless you're already independently wealthy, you need to trade something of value to others in order to survive. It's how human society generally functions. If you don't bother to create something that other people want, you'll have a difficult life. I see artists of all ages who refuse to learn that simple lesson. 

2. Could you describe in basic steps, how has to be the most productive day for someone who wants to make it as an artist?

For me, I spend maybe half my time selling my skills to individuals and small companies in return for money, which I then use to support my family and invest in my own creative projects. I enjoy being valuable to others and helping them, and then getting paid for it. Ideally, I'd prefer to be more wealthy, so I could be more selective about who I do work for, and what kind of work I'm doing. But I can't complain. 

3. Being an unknown or unsigned artist can give you the creative freedom that you need and somehow can be a blessing. Could you please explain that in more depth?

I valued obscurity (and even failure) much more when I was younger and had no responsibilities. I spent many years expressing myself through art for my own sake, and it got boring. Sitting by myself all day every day is something I've already done to an extreme, and I enjoyed that period of my life for what it was. It's much more interesting for me these days to find a way to work within society. But if someone wants to work on creative projects without getting much attention, that can be a valuable experience, too. 

4. In your book you mention the Bow and Arrow and the Wounded Bird tricks, could you explain those concepts to the people who haven’t read it? 

The Bow & Arrow was a metaphor for my childhood, of being pulled back very hard, and finally firing forward with a lot of force. And in my early experimentation with marketing and attracting attention, I did what I called Wounded Bird. I'd intentionally work flaws into my public persona that would cause people to attack me. 

5. What’s The Seed that you mention in your book? 

What I called The Seed is just the basic concept that can be communicated through a song, a book, a painting, etc. 

6. Do you think is there such thing as overnight success? 

Sure. It is totally possible for someone to become successful overnight, depending on what you mean by successful. They'd have to do something incredibly powerful and valuable. Or they could join a famous band, like Robert Trulijo did. But he worked for many, many years before he got his break with Metallica. Someone could cure a disease or discover a lost species or invent an anti-gravity car overnight. But they probably worked hard before that, even if the success seems sudden. Maybe sudden success is not too useful if you aren't ready for it. 

7. Do you think that art can be as powerful as therapy? Why?

Art can be therapeutic, but I don't believe art can be a replacement for what is called therapy. If you have real emotional problems you should probably do some real therapy. I have been working with therapists for 6 years. For whatever reason, many people are hesitant to hire someone to help them understand their problems. For me, it's healthy as maintenance, and I like hearing an outside opinion on my behavior. It's like having a dentist or workout coach or auto mechanic. 

8. Do you think that there’s something similar to a recipe or blueprint for success or achievement, that if you follow it can, at least, make the success easier? Or, on the other hand, at the end it’s all about luck and good contacts? 

My vision of success with a creative career requires a combination of ingredients. Hard work, positive attitude, health, ability to get along with people, meeting others who want to work with you towards the same goals, self-discipline, leadership to inspire others, living in a place that's conducive to your career, nurturing your curiosity about the world and new subjects, and deciding which ideas are really worth pursuing. It's a holistic system. It's silly to think it's just one thing that can make everything work in the long-term. 

9. Can you tell us a little about the Sir Millard Mulch and Dr. Zoltan Obelisk characters? 

Sir Millard Mulch and Dr. Zoltan Øbelisk were fragments of my personality that I expressed through characters. They were what I considered unacceptable aspects of me. Paranoia, alienation, anger, jealousy, depression. I was allowed to say anything if I said it with silly sunglasses on. 

10. What are the perks and advantages to create an alter ego? 

Like any acting or roleplaying, it gives you permission to remove the filter. It also softens the impact of criticism. It's what clowns do at the circus. It would be strange to watch people acting like that without makeup and wigs and silly pants. 

11. What can be considered the Creativity evil twin and how people should deal with it?

I wrote in the book that the evil twin of Creativity is Destructivity. It's using your imagination to make life worse. It's the curse of a lot of people who are highly imaginative but only use it to torture themselves, isolate from society, and get sick. 

12. Now to close this part of the interview we’ll ask the opposite of the first question. Your book is very useful and full of good tips but what’s the worst advice you’ve heard of been give to you that should be avoided at any cost?

The worst advice I ever hear is some form of discouragement. I've had many people in my life mock me or try to make me believe I can't achieve my goals. Unfortunately for them, I tend to succeed. I try a lot of things and eventually some of them work out, and that's what matters. The few that work out 

13. Can you tell us a little about your short story Cuyahoga!? 

I wrote Cuyahoga while suffering from an extreme anxiety disorder. It's my dark view of the world from inside that tortured mental state. It touches on the subject of Asperger Syndrome as well. Not long after finishing the short story and publishing it, I had a breakdown for 3 months. I was overworking myself, and I began to have panic attacks. During that time I could barely leave my apartment and my wife had to take care of me. I was scared that I wouldn't recover, but I found a good therapist and some medication and now I'm doing much better than I was before all of that happened. I suppose Cuyahoga is the story of me at my absolute worst. 

14. You’ve already been involved in digital publishing and distribution. How do you see the future, do you think there’s a business model that can satisfy all the parts involved in the industry? 

I don't know what you mean by all the parts in the industry. Maybe the publishing industry will just get smaller, adjusting itself to the smaller demand. But that doesn't mean that professionals can't thrive within it. I make more money off my self-published Amazon Kindle books than I do off my traditional publishing deal. I have the tax forms right here on my desk to prove it. Still, it's far from being enough to survive on. That's why I work in video production. 

15. Can you tell us about your experience as a drum programmer? 

I started programming drums using Cubase with my Atari 1040STe in high school. I have always been a student of great drummers, taking drum lessons and attending clinics, reading drum magazines. But the great drummers are expensive, and it was easier for me to program crazy drums on my computer. 

16. Do you have any advice to fix the current dying state of the music business? 

Humans will always have something of value to trade with each other. It's supply and demand. Right now the supply of music is higher than the demand. If people stop seeing value in recorded albums then the obvious thing to do is focus on in-person, organic experiences. I see way too many musicians who think they can just sit in a room all day and record music and sell copies of it to survive, and it's mostly a delusion.