Unfortunately when I watch their video I immediately said "Expectations outweigh reality". I also immediately thought "Oh my young friend, no one on the planet but you cares how long it took you, how much work you put in, or how much you struggled, they only care about the result." Took me a long time to realize that other people are not actors in my movie, my expectations of their reactions to my actions are never the scripted result I want it to be. There is the way I want things to be, and the way they actually are.
"There is the way I want things to be, and the way they actually are." I'm just surprised how much of a bitter pill this seems to be for this current zeitgeist or generation. Really, trying to name this attitude is calling it scammy and "entitled".
nah i completely checked out when you said he has 12 videos, TWELVE videos man this is like learning to paint for 2 months and quitting because you're not at WLOP's level
The other girl on that thumbnail, Katie Steckley, has 761 videos on her channel. Her subscribers didn't came from nowhere. Imagine how many effort she put on this.
@@AdamDuffArt I'm not sure but I think she has been on UA-cam around 10 years. She had multiple channels and has tried and experimented many things until now. Nowadays she shares her experiences and journey with her audience.
- I know my art is good, why I am not getting attention on this other platform? 1- oh poor little summer child, its nice that you have that self confidence but you lack so much experience. 2- 400 likes on a video from a channel with just 30 videos posted with such little frequency its an outstanding feature My take on this person is... that is very young and just started the marathon. Like a bird expecting their food to be willing to be eaten.
This is the weight of this issue - Morgan is just being a human being vocal about feelings and trying to navigate the online scene at the same time - the issue is, they’re subjecting themself to the toxicity of online backlash from a potential audience that are just out for blood sometimes - it’s an u safe and unpredictable place to grow and learn That’s why I’m taking the stand and speaking out. I’m older and have enough presence that I can help regulate the tone I want my channel to serve as the family table where we can sometimes say thoughtless shit and not be hanged for it - we’re allowed to be imperfect at this table, so long as we grow from it in a healthy way
The art also really isn't that good tbh.. it does show some skill and has aesthetic appeal, but it's rather emulative of plenty of other peoples' work with no authenticity to it. It will take time to produce truly good work which people consider 'fresh' and interesting.
I'm not even sure if I have hope to be in an artistic career. I'd love to do it, but I've stagnated in my art for so long, I don't think I have the ability to be something like that in my lifetime. But your immense care you put forth through your words and tone is so soothing and admirable. It puts me in a mind that believes that maybe, one day, I could achieve that goal. Thank you for making your videos, Adam.
Just get a trade job and do art on the side, actually so much fun, cause you get to do the art you love and not for money and you still are financially okay.
I just started a creative career after a long time away, and I'm almost 40. Even if you're not where you want to be career-wise, don't stop creating and refining your craft, because that will take you further than you realize.
@catheroldart I'm 47 and winding down my successful career in the medical field and working on more art and photography. I likely won't have a career in art or photography but like you said, it's an opportunity to explore and refine what I like to do and brings joy and peace to my heart and soul
That's the game if you want to run a business as an artist; accept it or not. But, if you don't want to accept it, don't complain that you aren't successful. But a true artist will find a way to make art; regardless of money. Even if nobody is watching.
Gotta say, I am so massively impressed by the compassion both you and Kelsey have shown to Morgan. It was more than they deserved for what they did. And it was something that more people need to emulate in general, in the art community and in life. I appreciate the call out at the end too. Firm and honest, without being mean. Thank you, Adam, for being a thoughtful voice of reason. It's extremely refreshing in general. Let's lift each other up and spread kindness instead of the opposite. God knows the world is hard enough without us all attacking each other.
Hi Adam! You might not remember me, but I took a mentorship class from you. I just wanted to say, I really appreciated how you handled this topic, with kindness and grace but also by protecting the community. I don't usually watch "drama" content (I need to shield my mental health) but I'm glad I clicked on this one. I also wanted to say, artists like yourself and Kelsey Rodriguez are an invaluable source of help for me. I didn't go to art school and all I've learned, I've learned online. But thanks to the generosity of this community I've been able to grow and make money from my work and I even got the privilege to do a character design demo at LightBox Expo this year. Keep your amazing work! I'm sure I'm not the only one who is extremely grateful for your work.
Kelsey's a hard worker, indeed! Idk how closely Morgan has followed Kelsey's videos despite having been in her Discord, but I remember that one of Kelsey's goals is to earn enough to put her sister through college 😭 Kelsey came from a very low-income and severely challenging life that no child should have to live through. She took that trauma and tries to create a positive space online and for those around her.
I actually had tears in my eyes when you said "this community needs each other". We really do. We have so much to contend with. Societal expectations, our own friends and family judging us, capitalism, heck - even our own minds and struggles that come with that. And to have someone who claims that they want to be a part of this space throw a respected member under the bus with bullying and extreme allegations just devastates me. It breaks trust and may well ironically close doors to them because we all might wonder who will be defamed next. Defamed for working hard and trying to make a living through any means possible. Too many people are already afraid to call themselves artists because they don't earn money from it. I am so scared that more artists will down tools because of the actions and words from this video (not to mention some rather unpleasant comments shared on the video too). I love the art community, and I stand with those who have been hurt by this situation. Dragging other people down because you're frustrated or disheartened is not it. Entitlement is not a good look. Yes, earning from your art is HARD. It's exhausting and frustrating. If you're jealous of what others have achieved, that people can be self employed successfully and you feel like you have to call them a scam to make yourself feel better, then I think you need to reflect and decide if this whole thing is right for you. ** Oh yeah, and being grateful that they're now monetised from a video containing bullying is worrying. Talk about unsustainable... As soon as their video disappears in to the ether, their income will fade. So many artists on UA-cam wait years before getting monetised on their beautiful content. No press is bad press, sure, but I wouldn't be so quick to celebrate that. Not in this community.
I think Morgan's video brought something important to my attention, which is I should be paying more attention to my consumption of content and the ways it leads to how I spend my money on my personal journey to grow as an artist. I agree with you Adam, I didn't like the specificity of Morgan's video. As someone who has been bullied, it did not sit well with me. I completely agree that there are constructive and insightful ways of expressing critical opinions about social media content practices without hurting anyone or throwing shade. HOWEVER, as someone who has absolutely been misled by some social media artists / art influencers into buying products, courses, or subscriptions that I later felt very disappointed by, I think Morgan made a good point that could have been EXTREMELY valuable to those like me who want to spend their money on content of value for their needs had they chosen to focus on it. There are "products" out there that aren't worth spending money on, and have some red flag marketing and sales practices that an inexperienced consumer (or even someone like me) can fall prey to. I have never taken a course by Kelsey - and I think to have given Kelsey a fair shake, Morgan should have taken a course, spoken with Kelsey, and if Kelsey was open to a review, provided one, if at all. I do think those of us that aren't peers in the social media section of our community would truly benefit from art course or business reviews because as someone who just wants to benefit from social media platforms like Instagram and UA-cam, I've really noticed some toxic focus on marketing. Like many OG youtubers have said in the last couple of years, I miss the days when art channels were what they seemed. They didn't necessarily need clickbait, and they didn't necessarily claim to know what you needed to learn. As a viewer, I just felt like I had a much better sense of the "ingredients list" so to speak - where now, I feel like art tube has become a little bit of an unregulated food industry slipping all sorts of unhealthy (and sometimes toxic) filler into our consumption. All this being said, thank you for saying something Adam. Words like Scam, or Pyramid Scheme come with legal repercussions - no one, and I mean no one, should be throwing labels like that around without due diligence and UA-cam is certainly not the place to be essentially calling someone A CRIMINAL. Thinking things through to their possible consequences has never been a strength of the young though - as much as younger me would have hated to hear myself say that, and older me will someday say I didn't know the half of it. I hope Morgan understands that saying something in response to their video was the only responsible thing to do. One of the most important lessons I learned as a young professional is that it is a very slippery slope at the fork between constructive criticism and trash talk.
100%, both of those videos are bullying disguised as "opinion pieces" - it's a real pity they reached such a large audience. It's really nasty to use popular UA-camrs to gain a following and be monetised.
Anyone remember D'Angelo Wallace starting out as an art UA-camr criticizing other art UA-camrs on a faceless art channel with speed paints then moving on comentary on pop culture drama and now has a couple channels with a million or so subs and no art content in sight. Just seeing some parallels. Some people find a niche in the drama.... But there's just not enough drama in the art community to keep a UA-camr fed, I think. Anyway... We're all human, thanks for being Art Dad and hopefully Morgue can find some personal growth, I just see someone who is super disillusioned and lost.
He still paints for fun though. He heard as a teen how hard it was to be a concept artist and decided it wasn’t for him. A recent video was about the problems with AI art so it looks like he’s cheering from the sidelines
@@AdamDuffArt Yeah. I hope Morgan can listen to your advice. I think that disenfranchised groups sometimes get mad at the wrong people. As artists we have a hard time making money, but we shouldn’t start infighting over it. Watching Morgan’s video felt like watching a bullied kid starting to pick on a random kid in the schoolyard, hoping that it would make them popular 😭 I wouldn’t have a problem with the criticism of Kelsey as long as it was done in a respectful way, this was just gross to watch.
Anyone who wears glasses understands nose slippage. It's not exactly something you can help. Eventually it becomes habitual to the point of still trying to push up glasses on the days you're wearing contacts lol. 🥲 Needless to say, going out of their way to point this out as some kind of annoyance was completely unnecessary.
@@catheroldartHonestly it comes across as pure envy. 'Why does she get to have everything I want?!' And childishly they can't come up with an answer so focus in on a detail they noticed and don't understand.
Last week while exercising I was listening to Kelsey's video from 10 months ago about product ideas for an art business, as I finally feel ready to join in on the art community myself. I have been crippled by perfectionism for an embarrassingly long time. I have listened to advice videos, motivational videos and tips and tutorials over many years while slowly building up my courage to share my art. Once or twice I've uploaded stuff followed by a prompt deletion of said pieces because it just didn't feel good enough. I wanted to write a comment because of three reasons; first, to say that I... I'm just happy hearing you say that you're a community. I mean, i know there is an art community on UA-cam but it's only recent that I can like actually see and feel it, and most certainly the first time I feel like I could actually join in on it myself. For the second point, it makes me realize that I have a lot of unexpressed gratitude towards all the people that have inspired me. Adam, you're most certainly amongst them, and Kelsey too - the video I mentioned at the beginning helped shine such a light on what types of paths I could take when venturing into making a UA-cam channel even though that's quite far into the future for me. it helped me connect dots in my mind from my love for art to all the experiences I have within IT and other fields. I want to move over to her channel and send her a thank you after I post this. And lastly... I wish Morgan was able to see that this is a long term thing. I don't want to comment on anything negative; not what he did or his mindset. What I wish that he saw is that the whole UA-cam journey is going to take time. That's silly coming from somebody who is in the process of planning his first video, right? Just hear me out. Just like I've sat on the sidelines and watched art videos and being scared to put myself out there, I've done somewhat the exact same when it comes to videos on how to start a UA-cam channel. For those of you who are familiar with Ali Abdaal, he has brought up several times that it takes at least 50 videos, but possibly 70-100 to get to the first 1000 subscribers (reference: "Ali Abdaal - If I wanted to Grow An Audience in 2024, I'd Do this: 2 min and 35 seconds in). This thing is going to take time, and it makes me sad that he gave up on it so early on because I'm sure he could grow into the community given time and dedication. I appreciate your videos very much Adam. They've given me so much inspiration, and I'm looking forward to the day I'll join the UA-cam art community. Hopefully sooner rather than later, hehe.
This video really put a lot of things into perspective I saw the original video and I’m in no way affected by any of it, but I didn’t know Kelsey and after it I could have gone my entire life thinking she was a scam artist and not thinking twice about it, because I didn’t care But Adam you reminded me that empathy, when we’re struggling against real or perceived injustice, is an art fondamental
Right - whether or not it feels great to see her post content about making money or her selling something - Adam gave a perspective I didn’t initially see. I, as a 29 year old with a fresh art UA-cam account, felt seen by Morgan’s video, but Adam is correct - the experience I lack led me to the same negative thought patterns that keep me feeling less than. That and the chip on my shoulder from generally feeling stuck in life.
Hi! I’ve just come across from Kelsey’s response video as she linked this one…. You’re talking about Jazza at 38:57 - and yes he gets gazillions of views, but he himself has worked his butt off posting 100’s of videos, not 11…
I'm glad you made a video on this and called out the bullying. The pyramid scheme video from him had popped into my feed and I'd clicked in part due to name recognition because I follow Kelsey and like her videos. I found his video disheartening and hypocritical since he was calling out people for being scam artists...when I'd been lured in by his clickbait title and felt scammed myself. I didn't feel like there was enough genuine constructive criticism for his video to be of value. The skit he did on Kelsey was hard to watch; it was just mean. I'm glad you did your video on his follow-up, if only because watching the initial one again would have felt triggering. I've started taking myself more seriously as a writer/artist because of creators like Kelsey and feel like I delayed myself in a lot of ways because of candle-blower-outers like him in creative circles who naysay the very field/community they want to join. Toxicity like that can really deter people. I agree that he's entitled to his opinions, but I'm glad you pointed out that what he did to Kelsey was defamation and not okay. I feel his comment that he's, 'better than that' in terms of sponsorships is ironic considering he wasn't above trying to humiliate someone for...pushing up their glasses. He admits to feeling thin-skinned himself but thinks nothing of making fun of someone else. I'd rather watch a sponsored video any day than watch an artist bully another artist. At the very least, he seems to have some level of self-awareness that he's harboring resentments due to his lack of success, but not enough to feel remorseful for what he said/did. There are valid points to be made about UA-camrs who promote get-rich-quick schemes, but I feel Kelsey's videos are the opposite of that kind of content. I actually watch her because she's down to earth and provides practical tips...it's more like, 'Follow your dreams, and do so sustainably.' I watched her response video and felt she did a great job standing up for herself and watched yours because she recommended it. I'm glad I did because it's reassuring to see someone in the community stand up for her and her work. I feel like you did a great job handling this subject and held him accountable compassionately. My hope in fellow creatives is restored. Thank you!
I saw the thumbnail for the pyramid scheme video and skipped it since I don't like negative videos about the art community. So, I had no idea it was pointed toward Kelsey until you brought it up at the end. I was heartbroken. I am also immensely grateful for the thought and grace in which you addressed Morgan's video and the thoughts Morgan had while justly defending Kelsey, the art community, and all artists who currently make videos or want to in the future. Morgan had good talking points, I thought, and was very discouraged to learn about the context of them. I hope that your voice is heard and makes a difference in Morgan's presence in the art community. Thank you for your careful intent, love and guidance you put into this one, Adam. Always appreciate your input.
Interesting. I watched the video all the way through. I agree that it isn't right to attack someone, but at the same time, there are people who sell an idealized version of their success as artists in order to get views on their channel--I'm not talking about Kelsey. I think it boils down to people feeling that artists who make more money as content creators yet advertise that they make money as "artists" feels inauthentic to some people. It's not a pyramid scheme and not a scam, just someone telling an audience what they want to hear. Are there scammer and grifters in this space? Yes, there are scammers in every market. Is Kelsey one of them? I don't think so. However, I do see a point where artists cross too far into content creation and lean more heavily into the aesthetics of being an artist rather than producing art, if that makes sense. There is a certain subgenre of artists showing off their aesthetic, well-lit, plant-laden studios and their channels become more like lifestyle or vlogs, and they are making the majority of their money selling the idea of being an artist rather than actually selling art, if that makes sense. I think it strikes some people as inauthentic and rubs people the wrong way. If someone is grinding 10 hours a day making art in a dark corner of their bedroom, they might look at art vloggers with some resentment. Also, some content creators will sell the idea that you can make a lot of money doing art, and when people try out the ideas and realize it's a lot harder, they are of course going to be a bit bitter. Can you see how this might breed some ill feelings? I'm not defending the original video or how it analyzes the situation (because this isn't a pyramid scheme,) but UA-cam in general does have an authenticity problem. Many people will sell you the moon for clicks, though I think the art side of UA-cam is one of the most honest sides of UA-cam. I don't see this as much of a problem in the art space, but it's absolutely rampant in the Etsy UA-cam advice space. A lot of these creators push their courses, which are often very expensive, and that's how they make money--and there are a lot of inauthentic people promising very unrealistic income in order to sell an Etsy success course or just to get eyes on their content. Once you fall down the rabbit hole of watching an Etsy "guru" telling you to push AI-generated slop onto Etsy to crowd out real artists, you start getting bitter about the whole UA-cam community after a certain point and start to doubt even the authentic creators. Does that make sense?
This. I was subscribed to Kesley, but I unsubscribed after her money video way before Morgue's video for the reasons you stated.. I like to watch artists develop and it wasn't that any more. Maybe my views are skewed as I have a lot of artist friends who make pretty well all their income from art. There is nothing wrong in making money in other ways, but starting a youtube channel does not have to be part of it. I did watch her response video yesterday. I wish she said that YT and all the sponsorships are there to support her art instead of making them part of her art journey. That is what I have a problem with. It's like me saying my office job was part of me being an artist, when it and art is so disparate.
I agree wholeheartedly on this. I listened to Morgan's videos intermittenly on the treadmill so at the time I didn't pick up on the gestures or the tones, but I do remember resonating with not learning anything when watching these art vloggers. Not that i agree with how Morgan went about the whole situation, but what you pointed out is still a problem. The fact of the matter is, the wider audience prefer to click on videos with a plant-laden studio than videos of an actual, typical studio which often reeks of turpentine and everything is stained with muted paint. The audience out there wants to see a dreamy, staged studio, an idealized version of an artist, more than the actual art, and UA-cam has learnt those will be the videos to push.
There is nothing more damning to one's own career path than starting it by slandering and spitting on the work of other people within your same field. I'm amazed Morgan thought it was a good idea. But in the bigger picture, maybe I shouldn't be so surprised because young artists from Millennials to Zoomers to Gen Alpha have been regularly engaging in bullying, call outs, slander and just rude insults out of nowhere in regards to people's work for years now. (There's even entire YT channels dedicated to covering such toxicity!) It's become normalized and it's insane. Even at college I saw it within the classroom setting. It was a regular thing that I learned to just expect. The more you and your artwork stood out, the more you were a target. They probably didn't even stop to think for a second that the people they're treating like garbage might be a coworker later, or even end up in a position above them. Or at the very least, might be in a position one day where they could give them a much needed leg up into the industry. I don't think young artists are learning the lesson that acting this way is actually harming their own careers until they actually have that "oh shit" moment where they realize they messed up. But hopefully at least Morgan (and others) will see your video and take it seriously and correct their trajectory before it gets to a point of no return. Great vid, Adam.
Hello from Montreal. As an artist myself, late bloomer, trying to learn my art and trying to learn how to make my art seen maybe live from it, it is art breaking to hear that young person smashing another fellow artist. Adam, you did a great job to frame what you are thinking on the matter and I really appreciate your diplomacy and experience sharing about it all. Thanks!
50:22 "I'm better than that" omg... Dude... Not every sponsor is evil and money is not the worst thing that happened to humanity. If it wouldn't be green/yellow/purple papers, it would be apples. For now, it's the system that works the best in our society.
Yep. From the get this video had a lot of "holier than thou" energy, but after that I just couldn't really empathize with Morgan's position anymore. It just started to sound like a bitter person shitting on other people for having the life they wish they had. Sponsorships aren't more or less unethical than any other form of advertising, and the whole "the world only cares about money" spiel is really immature.
This! Also, most creators are not going to take sponsorships from companies they don't feel actually have value or that they don't respect. Those doing that are going to be truly desperate for income. I have heard creators say time and time again, "I do not take sponsorships unless I really like a product/service." Absolutely nothing wrong with sponsorships. I actually like them, a lot more than random ads.
Yeah, rubbed me the wrong way too. "I'm better than that", while profiting from a platform that sustains itself on AD revenue, like every other platform he also uses. The mental gymnastics are something else
This is such a perfect response. I struggled to watch and respond to their videos with a good response, but this is everything I couldn't articulate. I hope they've seen this and took it to heart.
I would just like to point out that this is literall the SECOND time Adam creats a video talking and defending Kelsey after she has been thrown to the wolves. The first time was because of gross and sexualizing comments on her videos and now this. I think that actually speaks volums about Kelsey and even more about the people that prefer to drag others down instead of simply moving on when they don't like something. It baffles me that in this day an age we still want to gatekeep something as liberating as the creation of art in whatever form it takes. This is really the time when we should be creating bonds over the privilege of being able to create freely and instead we have people creating videos where they just drag someone's lifework into the dirt. I will be honest, I didn't even bother finish Morgan's video, they lost me when tthey began to make fun of Kelsey... And the audacity to simply say they were hurt because of mean comments! I've been on UA-cam for maybe over five years and I've just now passed the 1k milestone. But I'm also a realist! I do not create consistently, and I know that plays a huge part on my audience and the engagement I have. However, the differenc between us is I'm not using anyones name, or bullying them, to climb up a ladder and then make myself a victim. If they instead asked for help or simply gave themselves a chance it would have been more human...
its always easier to destroy than to build, in our current climate drama does great because we all love seeing people get torn to shreds or to point and laugh at the bad take and rally around "the other" social media is letting us in the crab bucket, we need to somehow get out of it and it won't be easy because if it bleeds, it will lead.
I have learned so much from many art UA-camrs…even smaller channels! Yes! - money is always going to be an attractive topic. But, I literally catch myself smiling listening to her. I genuinely could see us hanging out. I found her content due to this channel!
I have been calmly listening to this excellent critique video (i had not yet watched the original by Morgan) but when I reached 54:24 and discovered that Morgan was talking trash about Kelsie, I ripped off my headphones and started shouting expletives. Thank you for defending Kelsie. She is a sweet heart and didn't deserve this public ridicule. This is bullying behavior. I related to the frustrations Morgan has had. I too have fallen for some marketing guru scams and struggled to grow my channel. But I'd never even consider taking the approach they did in their previous video of tearing others down. Adam thank you for this critique. You actually helped me a lot. I need to still discover my own voice and you've given me a lot to think about.
I think the young ones need to know that success on youtube isn't guaranteed - even if you put a crazy amount of effort in making youtube videos. Effort doesn't pay off if the style, composition or subject don't evoke awe in people... or if the videos just aren't interesting. Most of my videos don't get much views but that's MY fault lol, I could never have the gall to attack others because they're doing better 🤣
I completely agree with this video. Making fun of anothers appearance or mannerisms in an industry you're trying to enter is a severe error of judgment. I don't think blacklisting is the answer at all. However, I would never want to support or work with someone who behaved so immaturely. Unfortunately, I think many professional artists would also share the same sentiment.
Well, they are young. This behavior comes from the lack of maturity. We should also be patient with them, and I think Adam's video is a calm and thoughtful feedback which helps regulating that.
That’s exactly how I felt. They mentioned that they were also a graphic designer and if I needed to hire a graphic designer I would stay far away from them because of that video.
While I feel bad for Morgan, I'd also say he needs to grow some thicker skin. I've been making art videos for over a decade, but I've never really "blown up." I don't do it for the numbers, but for a way to share my process and teach others to try new things and be inspired. It's not a marketing strategy for me, it was a way to share my art/life. Making a channel certainly isn't for everyone, but it sounds a lot like he just wants to be more popular without putting in the work. Edit: And hearing your analysis I can say in 2 videos he sounds like he is becoming the very garbage he was complaining about.
I see where you’re coming from but I don’t think that’s Morgan’s ultimate goal - they immediately posted a follow-up video expressing how they didn’t want to continue making click bait content I just hope they reflect on the pyramid video because stuff like that really hurts everyone
The whole "growing thicker skin" thing is just another way of telling someone to supress how they feel. It's quite sad. People are allowed to be frustrated or feel hurt, even if they themselves was not being nice. However, you could say that those who cannot adapt to the hostile environment of the internet probably shouldn't put themselves in the spotlight, as unjust as it might be.
@@Phoenix.Sparkles That's not quite what I said. Growing thicker skin means to take how you feel and act on it responsibly. It's not that I'm telling people to ignore their feelings, but instead implying that there's a right way and a wrong way of acting on those feelings. This isn't an "internet" environment problem, but finding how to act and react as an adult in a professional space.
@@Phoenix.Sparkles I believe most artists are judging their metric of success wrong. Feeling frustrated when the art don't get the attention they hoped from social media while valid will bring them nowhere but in dark places. It's not like they got bullied by people, sure they got some mean feedbacks but the first point was failing to get traction on social media with not even that many video posted, this sounds like they expected an easy way to success and their feelings got hurt by the shock between their expactation and reality.
Sry Its kinda Off-Topic, I can totally understand why an artist or illustrator would prefer to sell their work directly to the market. There's also nothing wrong with selling marketing strategies in the art community. What I find really unfortunate is that art content creators often give the impression that hobbyists should strive to become professional artists. I frequently see ads on social media that push the idea of needing to paint "better" in order to showcase your work. It's perfectly fine to enjoy art as a passionate hobby and have fun with others. There are other ways to make money, and it's not a waste of time because even professional artists spend a significant portion of their time marketing their art.
What an important point. I teach many artists who have no intention to work professionally- they do it purely for enjoyment and make their living in other ways
You're the best, Adam! I love that you take such a level-headed and thoughtful approach in all your videos. You're the sort of community leader we need!
while i'm not defending Morgan's actions in his (their?) video, i do think this lack of patience mostly comes from the societal expectation that we all be financially independent and have everything figured out by the time we're 25. if you're not killing it by your mid-twenties, you're lazy and behind in life. if you complain about not being there yet then you're impatient and entitled. it's becoming increasingly harder for younger generations to live pretty much anywhere yet we're told it all comes down to personal failure. it's a lose-lose
Never understood the angle of "market myself first, then worry about getting better at art" Isn't there just nothing to market, if that is what you want to do? I feel like that sort of complaint is basically coming from a palce of "i want to be famous for my art" and not a more fulfilling reason that would actually drive you towards creating.
Well certainly, the art must come first. Nobody would be defending Kelsey if she wasn’t already a very talented artist - so obviously the art came first for her
@@AdamDuffArt I'm sorry Adam I respect you and your opinions, but this is just not true. I follow Kelsey for a long time and she was a content creator first, that happen to do art as a hobby. Her work might be improving but it never was (and stil isn't) a foundation of her business model and you know it. I respect Kelsey as a content creator but saying she's making her income from art is just disingenuous.
Thank you this was an excellent video inspiring me as a newtuber in the art scene! I do believe too that you have to put your whole heart and all your sweat into building an effective marketing with sharing what you're really passionate about. Talking someone else down and complaining is the opposite of being productive and although I'm still at the beginning of sharing my art journey and encounter a lot of struggles I really believe in success over time. Your "speech" here gave me a lot of hope and a great wholesome feeling of the art community sticking together!
I've found youtube easier to grow than Twitter for example. But I understand that it's not because one site is better than the other. It's that I don't have the energy, knowledge or desire to write on twitter and do so consistently, but I have that energy for youtube. And I just posted my 13th video, whilst, very very small gains, I feel like the improvements I'm making effect my channel, like I can see the result of my actions via analytic feedback. UA-cam is teaching me writing, which, I still suck at too but, the more I practice the better I get, and the more I enjoy it. I think, what newer artists and creators need to do is to just be consistent and develop their voice as you said. I hope I don't eat my words and rant about it in the future, but we can't keep getting frustrated at ourselves and the limitations of the world around us. We have to believe in ourselves and each other.
Adam, I thoroughly appreciate the tact, respect, and words you used here to handle this situation. You put into words my exact reaction when I saw this initial video. What I think is an important point to add here-- I would also argue using the term “pyramid scheme” in this context is harmful because it dilutes the meaning of that term. What Kelsey does is not Herbalife. She isn't recruiting artists under her and taking a cut from the profits they make from their art or youtube videos and so-on down the ladder. THAT is what a Pyramid Scheme would be. They are organizations that have been known to be extremely damaging to social networks and financially ruinous for many people’s livelihoods. I've seen first hand the effects of them and know what they can do to people. They were also the subject of very passionately written papers in highschool and college for me. To put creators who are just trying to make a living with their art and do so all from as open, honest, and as genuine of a place as someone can be-- on the same level of a pyramid scheme-- it is very dangerous language to young and impressionable artists. Because when an ACTUAL pyramid scheme presents itself, someone may not be able to tell the difference. And that is a very scary thing.
Except that these youtubers make money on having hundreds of thousands of subscribers which they mislead into thinking that they also can somehow have hundreds of thousands of subscribers and into putting time and money and sacrificing real education and career opportunities to chase a pipe dream. That's very real damage done to thousands of people. The reason it's a pyramid scheme is that it's impossible for that hundreds of thousands of subscribers to get hundreds of thousands subscribers of their own. It goes against basic supply and demand. Like just looking at subscriber numbers of these youtubers demonstrates the problem. So you have a bunch of winners and almost everyone else who subscribes to the scheme loses their time and money. If there's a difference between a pyramid scheme and it is that there's no pyramid. Because with the required recruitment there's no way there can be a second level for almost anyone involved. Which makes it even worse. They are "honest" and "open" as in they give you enough information to think "wait a minute, it sounds like a pyramid scheme". If they were really honest and open they wouldn't try to recruit you at all.
Art is a tricky beast. You can make good, great, or even fantastic art but when it comes to art as an industry its usually art+something else that can grant more value to others. A picture may be worth a thousand words but by itself it probably won't be worth very much money without something else, some other form of legwork, or thing that increases its value in some way. Its the same with most art careers. A concept designer is art+game design, an illustrator is art+books. Plus this gives more character to the art simply because it filters that artists experience through how they view the world, their life.
Regarding some of the things in Morgan's video; There are already people who already want to grow their art business, their UA-cam channel, their Twitch stream, etc. They are not being sold this idea solely by watching artists / content creators because they are actively searching and asking these creators for info. The things an art content creator is offering might be a direct response to what their already existing audience is asking them for. Mentioning this because there was a content creator / streamer (not Kelsey) who was called out in the video for selling emotes on Etsy. These assets are specifically to help people get their Twitch stream started at an affordable price. (It's not unheard of for small streamers to use assets until they can commission artists.) This same creator also offers many free emotes and free tutorials on how to make your own emotes. Mostly everything in their shop is less than $10. They provide transparency on how much they have gotten paid for sponsors and encourage other creators to also be paid a fair rate. I really encourage people to look closely at the creators named for themselves because a lot of the nuances were not discussed.
I feel like I understand his frustration of throwing himself to the wall and hoping his stuff sticks, but most of the time anyone can draw. It's the art itself that reflects the person that makes it interesting to watch. Being an artist is so much more than just making art if you're doing it for a living. It's about making art that you can constantly do with no ease while also being your own salesman, marketer and PR guy. Like any other job it's up to you as an individual to figure out how to make it work and I believe this creator is lashing out at everyone pointing out that it's a tiring process making those videos.
I was trying to keep an open mind, but all I could hear from Morgan was "me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me". And a lot of arrogance coupled with virtue signalling. Being gay, I've seen this attitude in the gay community very often from people who believe they're unpopular because everyone else is stupid and less than. They usually become very bitter and very lonely believing the entire world is conspiring against them. Therapy sometimes helps (and I'm not being sarcastic).
Yeah. There was a lot of self-agrandisement mixed in with comments designed to make them sound humble but I couldn't see past their hugely inflated ego.
Really great video! I came across a comment on IG one time of a woman criticizing a digital artist as not being real art. She was a very talented artist, and my comment to her was that someone with her amount of talent should be building others up, not tearing them down. I stopped watching Morgan's video after the glasses thing. Kid has a lot to learn and hopefully can get the chip off his shoulder and find that there are many ways to make it on UA-cam. And I do hope his conscience gets the better of him and he offers an apology, not just to Kelsey, but all the others.
This situation makes me sad for everyone involved, even Morgan. Had they not been leaning into bully behavior, I’d probably really enjoy their videos. I refuse to support people like that, and then the creators they called scam artists. There is no reason to act that way and my only guess is they are young and need to grow up a lot. Hopefully one day they will look back and remove the damaging video. We need as much love and support in this world.
I think it's usually artists who actually paid a lot of money to go to art schools that complain a lot on the internet... They intentionally pursue art as a career. But as a self-taught new/beginner artist, I don't complain about growth because for me it's just a hobby that I wanna share with the world.
I watched Morgan's video and was ready to make my first YT video 😂 i wanted to talk about the history of marketing, what a pyramid scheme actually entails, and why marketing tactics may FEEL scammy. At the end of the day, a lot of artists are selling SOMETHING. There are honest ways to go about it, and dishonest or misleading tactics should be frowned upon/avoided.
I think that video sounds worth making, especially since many of us do have to market ourselves as artists and we're often deeply uncomfortable with the slick and inauthentic kinds of marketing we've seen, and often don't know better ways to do it
I felt the same way. Trying to follow the adage: When they go low, we go high. The level of negative I feel towards the hater aspect of the attack is surprising me ... Surely I could be more productive
If everyone started recording videos complaining about the lack of likes on social media... no server in the world would be able to handle it. Sometimes I hate myself and my skills, or even my hands. I drown in self-pity, but after a while, I pick up a pencil or a stylus-simply because I can't do otherwise.
When it comes to Morgan, I think the root of it is that he’s frustrated, disappointed and sad, and those emotions are coming out in an extremely toxic way. He’s exhibiting the behavior of all bullies, just in a more underhanded manner: he’s trying to make himself feel better by tearing someone else down. It doesn’t excuse what he’s doing, and I don’t mean to sound snide, but this is one of those cases where he may need to talk to a professional to unpack these feelings. If he works on himself, hopefully he’ll change his behavior before he does even more damage to the community and himself.
As I said on Kelsey's video, I had been following Morgue before their infamous video, and really enjoyed what they did. But this video they made just reeked so much of negativity that it made me unsub the second it was over. Tearing others down is never the way to grow, and you worded what I felt after watching their video very well at 52:50 Side note, I hadn't watched their newest video, but I find myself astonished with the amount of arrogance they showed, and it really gave of a "I'm better than everyone and I've understood all about the youtube/art game", that just, doesn't look good on anyone, new to the scene or not. Thank you for putting so much importance on the empathy and support we must cultivate with each other. Wishing you the best :)
I learned a lot from watching this, thank you. Its never okay to bring someone else down because you are suffering. I hope he changes their ways for the better. I can relate to the frustrations of at times being more a self advertiser than a creator, but bullying others is not the way. Hate the game not the player. Or tbh, learn how to play the game your way.
I saw his original video and I've been following Kelsey for a long time. You put to words what I didn't like about the original... I did agree with some of his opinions, but I also think it's not anyone's fault if some content does better than other kinds. Kelsey is a great artist, but she's also very passionate about marketing and sharing what she's learning, why is that a bad thing? should she stick to what doesn't work for her channel because what she's doing now gives others the impression that "if you do what I did your channel and business are going to be successful"?? I think that kind of video is valuable, obviously every path is different, but having the possibility to see what others did that worked for them is invaluable to forge your own. I also find it very interesting that his one video that doesn't have to do with art did so well, and now he's thinking of pivoting to making more of that content, because it works. That's how it works, and that's what Kelsey and other content creators did, it worked better, and it puts money on the table, it's normal to go with it over other types of content. It's not "fair" to have to do stuff you're maybe less passionate about in order to live, but that's how it works. At least Kelsey is putting out useful videos for others who want to attempt to build a small business, instead of putting down others for how they fiddle with their glasses
Thank you Adam for this video. I came across their video like you did and was appalled by the mocking and singling out of our community member. Your last 10 minutes was so well put ,and exactly what needed to be said. I hope they have watched this and stepped outside of themself for a brief moment to reflect. You spoke for us all here.
EDIT: added stupid disclaimers because some people be insinuating my intentions (or at least gettin the wrong message) gotta be honest. imo, i think university culture (a lot of it as it exists at least of the time morgue attended, not all across the board) blew smoke up their ass. not saying morgue didnt work hard, or dismissing their achievements, because nobody really coasts on opportunity alone (most of it being more just doorways to the hard work associated with proving ones skills… unless that "opportunity" was a small loan of a 1m usd). and i do think disadvantaged groups should be given more opportunities. just that in terms of the their work, i'm not seeing it. obviously i dont know exactly what morgue's exact uni experience was, and my assumptions can be flat out wrong. that said, if that was the persona chosen to present online, it's at the very least a window to what they feel is appropriate to act irl. being in that minority group (queer with disabilities), having done a thesis that highlights minorities (45:04)… it's not surprising (especially if in the humanities) when someone of similar being says that they graduated with the highest level of honors (42:59). university culture eats that shit up (a bias to a degree that can affect grading depending on faculty values, which students are highlighted, even scholarship eligibility). this extends beyond art. take essays: countless examples of students bein docked or even failing, solely because of their topic/stance not agreeing with the views of the professor. or even because prof didn't like a student. there's a social game that's part of the academia that is important to play if we want to succeed in that environment (and which is also important to understand how to navigate, as it can exist in the workplace too). which also might explain the way they talk about themselves, the quality of their work and content (25:32 subtly inflated), and the behavior they felt was appropriate (the cutthroat stuff mentioned around 55:59). being part of that minority group, they may have been given a pass to act that way in uni, it may even have benefitted them. but that don't fly outside. most nobody give a shit if we're a minority irl (for the most part anyway, who we are as a person and what we bring to the table are much more important). and i liked their pyramid scheme video. brought up a lot of solid points, and we can draw lessons of tempering our expectations as it concerns our art education. so i went through their previous work to see if their stuff is up my alley in general to see if i want to subscribe. it's okay, definitely does show a solid level of skill. but nothin they've posted is really relatable or appealing in terms of "wider audience appeal" (or at least very much lacks the qualities of things that do have that wider audience appeal). which is highly important as it's relevant to stuff like exposure (e.g. anime has a wider appeal than documentaries, art centered around character and story have wider appeal than art based on history or even pure skill development/process/instructional stuff for that matter)
I just believe that the kid grew up in a very protected environment because he belongs to multiple sensitive groups, and got a lot of undeserved praise. He has some skill but, it is expected to have some as a graduate after all. His style is run of the mill, clip art like illustrations of the 90’s early 00’s. His Thesis was nothing extraordinary, it was not bad, but nothing deserving top grade but good luck to the professor who would not pander to the queer disabled boy with a queer subject and a large mouth.
Exactly university really encourages this elitist or pretentious personality, especially in the old art world. Then reality check hits in. Kids realize that art is entertainment and up to the customer, not about being moral superior or what ever.
Summa Cum Laude is an achievement regardless if we agree with the person or not. Traditional higher education has its problems, but let's not suggest or assume their grades were given unfairly due to bias or minority status. It comes off as a bit hateful if I'm being honest..
@@LillenArt2 It has nothing to do with liking the person or not. I’m a working graphic designer in online media, publishing, advertising firms, since 2002. I’m as, if not more qualified than his professors to judge his work. And I see nothing extraordinary. And to be honest I’m not supposed to see it cause usually, not skipping classes, be thorough in your homework assignments and showing some skill, is enough to get you top grades. Suggesting or supposing that he was probably favored because of his multiple minorities status is actually very logical, not hateful. I mean imagine a professor in his 40’s with kids and mortgage giving Morgan’s Thesis a B+ (or a 7 if your grade system was based to 10 as it was mine). He will come immediately under scrutiny if not a straight up witch trial that might result to the loss of his tenure. So straight As and out of the door is the rational and self preserving thing to do. Let the market clear him out if he needs to be.
As someone who is BOTH a summa cum laude graduate and a working graphic designer, I can speak to both sides. I earned every bit of that achievement along with an award for my research in Anglo-Saxon elegiac poetry. I’m a black woman. That didn’t stop red pen from decorating my papers nor was there some box to check for my identity regarding my achievements. If my college wanted bragging rights to that extent, they would have featured me in their marketing materials. And I would know…I design for a university now. They saw my work before they saw me. There was no special interest for BIPOC or extra consideration. So to automatically dismiss someone’s achievement because of their identity is ridiculous. Even if the admin wants bragging rights, the faculty love their field (which they earned the right to teach in) too much to just let that stuff slide. Someone can still be academically successful but let that deceive them into thinking everything else is easy. I think it’s more an issue of gifted kid syndrome than anything else.
I mean all business owners have to spend time doing things they don't want to do, including marketing, irregardless of the field they are in. A wise mentor once told me that if you are spending close to 50% of your time doing something you enjoy in a job that that is pretty close to a dream job. The alternative to doing art + other marketing activities is spending most of your time not doing art in a job you dislike 100% of the time while dreaming about making art (or maybe you are lucky and you kinda like the job but not as much as art).
Morgue expresses a valid frustration about being unable to find a meaningful audience/content niche on YT in order to have a fulfilling career on the platform. Which as an artist is 100% relatable. But it seems like they're self-sabotaging themself with their behavior and mindset. Throwing successful people under the bus for engaging in online marketing tactics that they disagree with, putting them on full blast, and then turning around and making a video expressing their frustrations on their lack of success on this platform makes them seem like they were speaking out of jealousy on their previous video. Regardless of what they think about ads and sponsorships, saying that they're "better than that" kind of thing also paints them as someone who believes that people who do sponsorships and stuff are below them. The biggest thing, like mentioned in this video, is their lack of experience on the platform. 3 years with a dozen videos is nothing compared to most of the people on here who have any sort of significant following. I can't tell if Morgue just really, really poorly worded their opinions, or if they're genuinely just extremely un-self-aware. I hope that they're able to grow from this and not be so quick to judge others for just playing the marketing game like all artists must.
I agree - I don’t see malice or selfishness in Morgan’s actions - rather, someone being misguided by algorithms, knowingly to the click-bait nature of it, but not focused on the potential hurt it could cause someone’s career. This isn’t a “cancel culture” situation, it’s a learning experience for all of us, particularly the bravest of us, willing to take a risk and put ourselves out there - like Morgan
Well thought out response from the seat of wisdom and experience. This especially broke my heart for Kelsey. As artists its already difficult to share our souls through our work. Most of us creative types are already sensitive and have to navigate the gauntlet of criticism, to have someone publicly attempt to defame us... especially for personal gain... yes we all have opinions, but bad things are best kept to oneself. In Korea, you could easily find yourself in a lawsuit battle for defamation. Hopefully this was a teaching moment. 🙏🍂🐈⬛️🖋📚🍁
to be honest, if I had "discovered" his channel early on and then weeks go by and then months go by without a new video I would have moved on. I also noticed he peppered his vides(s) with "entitled". I zipped through some of his videos in one he said he had a job in graphic design (I think it was) but he quit to pursue art full time. I wonder if he had expectation that his UA-cam art channel would take off and he'll make a living off it and then when it doesn't pan out "it is someone else's fault, not mine" type mentality. I do wish him luck
Me too - I want this to be a learning experience for them - we’re all allowed to be short sighted - we have to forgive and forget if we can, otherwise nobody will have a chance to grow I believe that Morgan’s worst sin was taking their voice for granted - that what they say matters and can have a profound impact on the lives of others I really hope this isn’t interpreted as a takedown, rather, a realignment
That's victim-blaming, though. Like yeah, some people like me just looked at subscriber counts of these art career youtubers and thought "yeah, sure, I bet 400k of people can all get 400k subscribers if they just try hard enough. What is supply and demand?", looked at numbers on people's Patreons and quickly realised it's a pyramid scheme. But sad reality is that there are masses of people who bought into that grift, who have spent their very limited time and money chasing pipe dreams.
is so crazy that some one like makes this kind of comments< this why a lot of people feel scared of posting our selfs online I think kelsy is amazing she has inspired me to star posting on youtube I have been thinking about doing this for years but I always feel the cringe of starting and people like that make that even harder I hope I can help people with my videos one day
I somehow missed most of this situation until the aftermath, but I love how you addressed this. I've also been on UA-cam for a few years, but I'm not going to tear others down to make money or grow my followers. I hope Morgan grows from this.
this, that's why while I believe it's best to assume the best of people some behavior change the assumptions into certainty. I can hardly believe that someone willing to do that kind of video is anything good
"This young artist is so full of himself. I've been in the game industry for over 10 years, and I've seen many talented artists, but I’ve rarely come across someone who praises their own work as much as this guy. Honestly, there's a big difference between confidence and arrogance.
His art is very nice, though, so I'm not sure how he's being arrogant? There are far too many artists that call their art garbage and the moment someone comes around and praises their own art, somehow they are full of themselves? Either I missed something in the video or he is in fact confident, not arrogant.
@@AdamDuffArt I would never put down anyone else's work, For example, look at Kim Jung Gi his extraordinary talent spoke for itself, yet he never came across as arrogant. Even you, with all your talent, never boast about it. As artists, I believe we should stay humble, always learning and acknowledging that there are others out there who excel in ways we can learn from.
He's a child just out of Art School (as it meant ANYTHING AT ALL) that knows nothing about anything, really, who is so self-important and has no critical awareness of his and his art's faults. I've seen his art and its incredibly mediocre.
Humble? What good does that honestly do as an artist? Being an artists means overdeveloping your critical thinking skills as it is, and being humble is a great way to ruin your bravado and confidence. Being humble is a great way to downplay your sacrifice and your journey to improve. Only a fool would think there is such a thing as an “self taught artist”. We are all where we are because of being on the backs of giants. The masters that we learn from throughout life. Instead of humbling yourself, instead, bring up others. If you’ re on a pedestal as being recognized as having ability and skill, then a real artist will help others along. Not by “humbling” themselves, but by raising others up. Don’t step down from a pedestal if someone puts you up there just because “humble” is something you think is valuable. If you’re someone’s giant, then encourage and embolden them to become one themselves by having belief, swagger, confidence, and hope.
Zooming out what this all sounds like is the dangers that can manifest when we feel we’ve gone unseen. From a teacher’s comment, to Likes/View Counts, to the sheer heart put into projects, to the ideas of noticing a dysfunction, seeming pyramid scheme, to calling it stupid to have gone to obtain a degree in Graphic Design, IMO Morgan has perhaps struggled under this load of feeling unseen. When we zoom out beyond the online art community/circle, this dis-ease plagues our societies, many of us; loneliness, experiences of isolation is surging. The irony of course is that we have never been more connected than ever. Adam and Morgan would for many of us almost never be people we would cross paths with, let alone have para social contact with, if it is not for the technologies that have only come about just in the last few decades. Perhaps the universal truth in many of our hearts, if not for all of us, is that we long to be seen. IMO Morgan should he encounter this video should not walk away with shame. What this should instead point to is grief, and with professional psychotherapy assessment, perhaps a grappling with ‘Trauma’. And to be fair to Morgan, Adam does present as IMO a little too aggressive in being punitive at the end. IMO perhaps there is space to be firm but also urging of a different, better direction. Wishing Morgan well on his work and his future. At a systemic level, the business models and incentives in place don’t always steer towards directions that net a benefit for the “common good”. But these don’t uniquely affect the art community, there are likely countless instances of populations being exploited, resources being pillaged all in part due to the machinations of the broader system. As artists, creatives IMO two direct choices that can be made is to 1) see the system, and then seek to develop strategic pathways navigating the structures, 2) choose to make our art affirming. A third available choice of action is to involve ourselves in advocacy, policy work should we feel that’s the path we want to undertake.
I agree with every expression of understanding and compassion in what you’ve shared, as well as the loneliness that comes with a “life online” I’m actually reading a fantastic book on the topic as we speak called “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt - it’s a serious issue that should not be taken lightly That said, you also have to set a clear voice against what’s very hurtful and antisocial behaviour. Regardless of Morgan’s opinions and emotions - dragging someone else’s name down for your own gain is not a reasonable remedy to your own struggles if such struggles exist So yes, I was being gently punitive in my tone, I’m a father of 3, all around Morgan’s age give or take. I and am taking a gentle yet fatherly stance on the matter (thankfully) because Morgan needs to know that this type of public behaviour is damaging to themselves and others I would never try to “destroy” Morgan, they aren’t villains or evil, but they are learning the harsh reality of the online world, thankfully in a safe place where there’s understanding What we don’t want is to subject them to the broader, far more sociopathic world of online harassment that can come with being called out publicly - death threats, insults, demeaning etc… we’ve seen it many times with celebrity controversy Yes, this is punitive, that’s what communities do, hopefully in productive and well meaning ways Like they say “it takes a community to raise a child” - and I consider this a community, and a community needs parenting if it’s to remain a healthy and safe one Am I calling myself Morgan’s dad? No, but I am almost 49 years old and I am a father and I do believe that Morgan is currently trying to play in a very adult playground in a dangerously irresponsible way that could bring them harm I do believe that the online world needs more parents cause this shit is not safe for kids Hopefully Morgan is feeling a little embarrassed, upset, ashamed That’s called “growing up”
I thought Adam's "aggressiveness" toward the end was just the right level that was appropriate in response to this actual bullying that took place. Even if Morgan isn't intending to be a bully in the long term, they were in fact a bully in that video, and bullying should always be met with a stern response explaining why it is wrong. As I was watching Adam speak I definitely felt like he resembled a dad or even a teacher. Turns out he's both, lol.
It’s so important to assume the best of people and reach out to people directly. Thanks for sharing your wisdom. I am really hoping for more camaraderie in the art community. I’m 108 videos in on UA-cam and I have 185 subscribers. I am so grateful for every single one of them. They are truly my community and help me and I hope what I share helps them. Community is so key and I appreciate you touching on that.
Assuming the best of people is a great thing, but to me actions speak the loudest and I can hardly see Morgan as a nice person if they are willing to publicly attack someone they never interacted with without real proof. That aside you are really impressive, I been on this youtube journey for 3 years and I'm still far from the 100 videos although I have been blessed with 75 subscribers, helping them out while sharing my art journey are may main motivation
@@Axiasart Well in the case of Morgan I will assume everyone makes mistakes and everyone can grow. I’m hoping their intention was to share a grievance and not defame other artist and this entire situation will open their eyes to look for the best in others content too. Thanks so much for applauding my efforts on my channel! I really appreciate it. I checked out your channel and honestly the level of effort that goes into one of your videos may be like 15 of mines so I do hope you give yourself a lottttt of credit too. You are an incredible artist and your videos inspire me to get to making!
Wow, i did not know about any of this and just happened to watch your video, turns out there was a big surprise at the end. I really respect the way you handled this situation
While I feel for this guy, I can't help but think that it's unreasonable to expect thousands of people who don't know you at all to crowd around your art videos. People want to get something out of a video when they watch it. Either they're looking for advice, or entertainment, or education, etc. It may be something you personally enjoyed making, but that doesn't make for good content always. If a video you made about something different blows up, that's great! I'm personally planning to try some other forms of content myself as well, probably some video essays about horror stuff, who knows. If something does significantly well, that's just an opportunity for me to integrate my art into making the quality of that thing as entertaining and good as possible. 😄 What I take from this is that he just had a big break, but instead of seeing it as an opportunity, he's seeing it as a personal insult. 😕
I've never met a "very good" artist who says "my art is very good". Everyone is too nice to point out that he makes mediocre art so he garners mediocre levels of attention. On top of that, the fact that he's offended that people aren't all flocking to his channel of "very good art" just makes him unlikable. He's still young and has plenty of room to grow, but man that attitude does not make me want to root for him.
I've been thinking long and hard about what I want to say. This situation with Morgan has me in an interesting place. I'm mostly frustrated, and mad, but also a little sad. I think it's because I see my younger self in Morgan. I remember being more upset at my environment than willing to address my own flaws. And maybe it's because of this similarity that when I directly compare my own struggles and my efforts to get into content creation that I'm overall just frustrated with the path Morgan chose to walk. And maybe some of it is recognizing that this path is one I could have taken had I not gone on my own journey and began to address the real reasons why my life is where it's at now. Including why I struggled with content creation and, more importantly, my art. If there's anything valuable to be found with what I say, I hope it's this: it's okay to accept that we are inadequate. Sometimes, life does have a way with getting away from you. It gets harder and harder to stay the path or correct it. Access to mental health services make that difficult, and I know for a fact had I not decided to pursue therapy things would be a little different. It took time to get to where I currently am now. It took 10 years to figure it out, but I'm finally there. I'm on the right path... but I know it's still going to be a while. And that is okay. One of my favourite Brennan Lee Mulligan quotes encapsulates this: "urgency is not the same as importance. I keep putting out fires when I should be building a fire proof place to live." Though like Brennan, recognizing it was one thing from actually doing this. But once I stopped trying to force content creation or making art to placate the anxiety of urgency, things have gotten a little bit better. I learned very quickly that content creation is a beast to approach. We can't rush with it; things take time to build, and you need to be smart with your choices. Keep the full time desk job, work on the passion projects as a hobby. This actually does more to benefit your mental health than trying to pivot too early. And most importantly, recognize the flaws in your own efforts and address those before anything else. I started keeping a daily planner, and introduced structure into my free hours to build better habits. It is definitely a work in progress that needs improvement. But I'm actually making things again. I've done so many illustrations this year alone compared to the last few years combined. I'm actually doing game dev now! And I'm writing again, and even though it's not the novel I trunked more than 5 years ago (if even that) I'm still telling stories. I've never been so relieved about that. I know I'm saying this with the benefit of someone who had 10 years to figure this out. But I'm 32 this year, my life is barely getting started, and that's okay. Because doing it slow is so much better than rushing ahead with a half-baked plan and then getting mad about it. That's an unhealthy, toxic cycle that no one should ever get trapped in. Whoever finds any value in this, thanks for reading. Sincerely, a full-time back-office admin in Finance and game dev hobbyist, writer, and artist. Or, a work-in-progress.
I actually like this message so much because most content creators or just trends is to expect young people to be instant success and just all or nothing plan. Especially it’s almost treated you failed or not a real artists if you aren’t an instant success.
18:47 I totally agree. Having a youtube channel has always been a great avenue for learning new skills. Even though it can take away from drawing time, I feel a bit refreshed when I get back into it after producing a video. Same is true for any other forms of monetization, if you try to tackle those with passion and creativity it can make it far less grueling
You’ve produced enough videos to see the BIG picture, the macro perspective of a life’s achievements It’s a valuable perspective for everyone to know about, I’ve followed you for years and you’ve always been on the human side of creation
Honestly Adam, I think you were very kind in your response to Morgan, his reaching 1000 subscribers through tearing down another is quite foul behaviour, and dont constantly tell everyone how great you are at Art, and then claim to you keep yourself humble... Honestly for artists, the work usually speaks for itself. His struggle on youtube may be partially due to his utter lack of empathy for the community, his eminating negativity, lack of experience making videos, and as you pointed out, isolating oneself from the community. Thank you for the video Adam, hope you are well!
I remember watching Morgan's video about art styles and I remember it being good. But when I saw that "pyramid scheme" video it just seemed like drama for drama's sake so I didn't watch it. It's a shame that they've gone through that path, as drama only brings out more drama. I've been watching this video as I drew, and it helped me think about my own channel and social media presence, I still need to find my "voice" and somehow niche, I guess? I'm just trying many different art-related topics trying to see what can land best, but now I know that I need to give it time and I will someday find my niche + voice, just as you've said. It's been motivating to hear.
no I'm sorry you went terminator mode , I agree 100% with everything that you said ( even the not harassing ) and I'm gonna watch his vid just to have a full picture but I'm actually proud to have you here protecting this community ( even though I was frustrated about the ai situation and I'm sorry for giving in to the blind frustration ). This reminded me of why we have people like you here ( and I should also do my part better)
i feel like they have the potential to add a lot of valuable things to the community, & i hope that they take this to heart & use it as an opportunity to move in the right direction. it’s really disheartening that they made up their mind about these artists (kelsey in particular) without giving them the benefit of the doubt or having a conversation with them & that sucks. i’ve always really loved kelsey’s videos, & have found them to be greatly helpful & inspiring as someone who hopes to someday make art into a full time career (or at the very least, a successful side hustle). i understand being frustrated but it feels like they took out that frustration on other artists.
Bravo Adam! I follow you and the person he threw under the buss and agree it's not the way to go about getting continuing views. While some of the topics he brought up where legit frustrations: I don't believe anyone is entitled to views. I had a youtube channel i got locked out of because I cant remember the password. It never did gain any real amount of views: so I get his is this worth the ROI and perhaps i should just be focusing on just making the art. Ive been doing art since 1996. I even went as far as going to college for programming to try to be able to do at least graphic art. So he has no idea the level of frustration that can go into trying to make a art career thrive. I've gone through phases, that have been fads as part of my art career as well. An totally wished I had documented my journey more. 14 years ago, I said to myself you really need to get around to making youtube videos. I wish I had so I might have some momentum now. Instead, I took a studio job that sucked up all my time. I totally appreciate the artist, like yourself that bring something of value to the online art community. An dont just do it as stunts to get eyeballs on them. While I feel for the frustration the kid shared, cause I myself have felt it at times he shouldnt lash out at those doing better then him on this platform. She has worked hard and earned her success. It takes a lot of effort to do youtube well. An I want to point out: a lot of the artist doing short reels on instagram and facebook arent the best. Its a grab for attention. Im so thankful I got that kinda validation already in my career and no longer sensitive when I dont get it. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. The community does need your voice!
I wasnt expecting this video to be so thought provoking, I've been making art my whole life and am never sure I have the skills or bravery to do it, thank you for the video, i wont forget this.
"As an artist you have to overcome this entitlement" I think there is wisdom in this. I often say "the first victim of complaining is you", not meaning that you shouldn't talk about what causes you issues, discomfort or frustration (you should find ways to change the source of these issues), but more as when you keep hoarding anger you are going to build a bad mindset around the endeavor. Also you could "brainwash" yourself into this entitlement that everything should be easier or more successful, so it would be fair. That doesn't help you and quite honestly sounds like a recipe for disaster.
Don't know why they think Instagram would be different then UA-cam and also their assessment of UA-cam is slightly inaccurate, its still UA-cam whether you are talking about yourself or not ... By saying you want to make a certain type of content because it is getting traction is the same reason why the artist they complained about are making those videos because its getting traction and also instagram will do the same in the future its all apart of the algorithm for us to play into and then reinforce until something breaks the mold forming a new algorithm...
I said Instagram will do the same in the future, but in a way they already do the same thing right now just in a different way. Instagram literally does the same thing that UA-cam does with pushing content, for example on IG if you make a certain type of content you would see that some of your followers are not seeing and for some strange reason even people with hundred thousand followers get low engagement if they pivot so slightly on IG...
Subscribed because i really appreciate your kind of voice in the community. Informative, holds weight without pulling people down for the sake of pulling people down.
So nice to see response videos instead of reactions. Thank you for this very mature, and respectful take. So important to show that there's a way to express differing opinions without bullying. Hopefully they are going to learn their lesson and put more time into their art and communication and less into victim narratives, while talking down and hurting others. Fingers crossed.
"...your memories to everyone else is a new experience" Holy shit, Adam. I know it may not seem like much but I am blown away by that and I think its what i needed to hear as a writer
Since Morgan says they have put a lot of effort into their channel, I want to assume they have made more than 11 videos. It’s common practice to unlist videos that don’t do well or no longer represent the content you want to make, and they seem to be at a turning point for their channel. I saw the pyramid scheme video recommended to me but didn’t click, I’m glad you brought it to my attention. I watched it afterwards and I get their point, but this isn’t done the right way. As a creator myself (for 5 years now on different channels), a lot of what you said about UA-cam resonated with me and validated some conclusions I had come to after experiences and mistakes. How crucial it is to stay yourself. That was really good to hear, thank you for your perspective!
Bruh, 90% of suggested art content by youtube algorithm is same shit over and over. "TOP 5 easy and fast MISTAKES/TIPS/TECHNIQUES/ADVICE for artists for amazing results" with same information that echoes on their channel forever with a different title. Or some clickbait video 1 hour long that you need to watch for 15min just to know wtf it is about and 30min later you close it after wasting 30 min of your time. I agree with Morgan at some things like that majority of UA-cam Art channels are just art education businesses and some are more greedy than others, some are more deceptive than others and some are more qualified than others. People need to be more caution and pessimistic and know that if a youtuber brings up his paid class or mentorship 10 times a video it's not because he cares about your art progress but it's because he is trying to sell you his product.
I get his frustration. But youtube takes time. I think the problem is he "destroyed" his youtube feed with those "how much i make as an artist" videos. I was watching them and of course youtube started to recommend them to me. And all I saw were only this kind of videos rather tutorials about art which i love. I have got the impression that you need to make only videos about money as an artist, not about art. Like Adam said.... art is very niche. I've got trapped in this marketing/sale topic. The best thing is to focus on relevant and positive topics you are interested in and then you will reach YOUR target audience. The world is negative enough. Create a positive safe space on youtube.
28:28. I recently started a channel, myself, and this is kind of the route I'm taking. It's partly inspired by your channel, but also by something Kelsey had said at an online conference I attended. She said something along the lines of people craving authenticity and how what makes each artist unique is their personal journey. But more importantly than taking her advice, I think this is what I have to offer. I wear my heart on my sleeve for those willing to listen. And I haven't had any of the success that you've had. I graduated with a degree in animation 12 years ago, but I've never had a job in a studio. I've freelanced here and there over the years but never had steady clientele. And yet, at this point in time, I'm the most hopeful I've been since I was a wide-eyed 20 year old. Hopefully someone who's been trying to hone their craft while on the outside looking in can still resonate
Adam, the voice of reason. ♥ I'm so happy that both you and Kelsey did not make fun of or ridicule Morgan. I think it's easy to feel angry and pissed off and it's easy to be reactive with something like this, but you both handled it very well. I did go and watch that video where they called out Kelsey and I did not see any hate comments on there. I absolutely ADORE Kelsey for being a good-hearted and sincere human being. We really need more people like her in the world. 🙏
I'm totally on the fence about this. It was Kelsey's content that motived me to start UA-cam, and before UA-cam I don't consider that I was marketing my work correctly. Conventions are very hard to do here where I live in and there's hardly any other way to start getting myself out there. But at the same time I agree with Morgan's pyramid scheme video. He talks about overpriced courses and income stream transparency, and that's something I think art youtubers should be having. It's extremely misleading for someone trying to start out saying you're a full time artist when your first income stream is not even art. But at the same time he says youtubers purposefully make a lot of videos on more than one subject to get people come back to watching, but I think that reflects a bit of a lack of understanding of what being a UA-camr is. You change your opinion with experiences, you learn, and that's why you make more videos on just one subject.
I agree with you on this. Morgan almost hit the nail on the head with the fact that people are selling a dream they themselves aren't experienced in. Kelsey is skilled as an artist, but for several years only had one art piece on her shop. This caused many people (including me) to tilt their heads and think "wait, is she really selling art as her main source of income as she says?" Selling her marketing skills should be her focus, not portraying herself as selling art as a majority income if she might not be. Art tutorial youtubers bother me a lot because many of them can't teach worth a damn. It is simply them advertising their art with small tidbits of regurgitated tips without examples of use. It's hard to find popular artist education youtubers who don't fall into formulas that cause them to stagnate as artists.
I have mixed feelings as well. I think it helps to really research the person before you buy anything. What is their experience? What are the prices? Most every artist I follow does supplement their art business with either resources or courses, so I feel like that alone is a little too generic in itself to label someone as a part of a 'pyramid scheme'. It really depends on what they are offering for the value.
@@nursebee-vomit5058 I don't know this person's history, but even if their current shop does not offer art, they might still have experience selling art in the past. They might have had a reason they took time away from the art making side of things. I can understand your concerns from that perspective though.
@@LillenArt2I checked her website yesterday and I saw several prints. The actual art shop can be found in the menu, but the link on her front page doesn't go to it for some reason. Her prints are nice from what I've seen. I'm not sure why she only had one or none up for so long. Morgan's art is nice, too. Ignoring everything else, I like his work.
As a professional artist, I don’t sell my art online. I don’t even sell my prints online anymore. Viable sales at good rates are not coming from there, and it only cheapened my work to list it online at all. Y’all need to learn media literacy and differentiate between what is posted or made available via one digital medium versus the whole of someone does as an artist.
Thank you for your thoughts on this and your always gentle and level-minded nature. Allow me a second on a soapbox to add a thought that you of course can't. As an artist (author), who is also from the queer community, I'm sad that the stigmas that new extreme "woke" manages to cast a bad light on the overall pretty easy-going and invisible part of the community that doesn't need to wave the flag and shout in order to exist and add to our other communities. They (Morgue Design) makes a lot of good points, but the execution is...unfortunate, to put it mildly. What I mostly see sensible people react against is extreme wokeism where people forget that the respect we EARN in life is earned from how we show up and what value we bring to others, meaning our families, our communities, etc. Extreme wokeism is rare BUT loud, and their entitlement harms the rest of the community their entitled minds think they speak on behalf of. I'm not saying Morgue does/thinks this!!! I haven't watched all their videos or know who they referred to. But I've seen it! Even among "allies". I'm merely stating that the loud ones that people mainly hear don't speak for those of us too busy trying to add value while focusing on our own shit to be able to follow the drama and shout louder, stating a single sentence: You do not speak for me. Outside that rant, I really respect you for going through the video (even when YOU were actually called out, and you skated right past that), and you added nuanced thoughts on the topic, managing to make it broader. That's why I follow you. I admire your ability to add perspective. I admire your ability to calmly walk us through tough topics - often times mental blockades in the realms of art. This is what makes a great teacher. Presenting material. Adding thoughts and nuances. Leaving food for thought to be contemplated. Especially in the realms of the creative. 2+2, the earth is round, and dinosaurs exited is just one side of teaching. Art, philosophy, ethics... You do that well! And I just love your voice, man! Cream to the ears with valuable content, and I always sketch and just have a moment of peacefulness. Thank you.
Unfortunately when I watch their video I immediately said "Expectations outweigh reality". I also immediately thought "Oh my young friend, no one on the planet but you cares how long it took you, how much work you put in, or how much you struggled, they only care about the result." Took me a long time to realize that other people are not actors in my movie, my expectations of their reactions to my actions are never the scripted result I want it to be. There is the way I want things to be, and the way they actually are.
👏👏👏👏
"There is the way I want things to be, and the way they actually are." I'm just surprised how much of a bitter pill this seems to be for this current zeitgeist or generation. Really, trying to name this attitude is calling it scammy and "entitled".
He may get a lot of likes but not everyone wants it. Big difference.
nah i completely checked out when you said he has 12 videos, TWELVE videos man
this is like learning to paint for 2 months and quitting because you're not at WLOP's level
Morgue bullied kelsey for wearing glasses despite being disabled themself
To a lot of people needing glasses doesn't count as a disability, apparently :p
The other girl on that thumbnail, Katie Steckley, has 761 videos on her channel. Her subscribers didn't came from nowhere. Imagine how many effort she put on this.
Woof!! That’s a huge number, she must have been around for longer than me (or she’s just far more badass then myself)
@@AdamDuffArt I'm not sure but I think she has been on UA-cam around 10 years. She had multiple channels and has tried and experimented many things until now. Nowadays she shares her experiences and journey with her audience.
nobody's accusing Art Business UA-camrs of not being UA-camrs.
I love Katie! She's super sweet and very helpful!
@GigiMurakami I also love her and her content. I don't understand why someone thinks her channel is harmful in any way.
- I know my art is good, why I am not getting attention on this other platform?
1- oh poor little summer child, its nice that you have that self confidence but you lack so much experience.
2- 400 likes on a video from a channel with just 30 videos posted with such little frequency its an outstanding feature
My take on this person is... that is very young and just started the marathon. Like a bird expecting their food to be willing to be eaten.
This is the weight of this issue - Morgan is just being a human being vocal about feelings and trying to navigate the online scene at the same time - the issue is, they’re subjecting themself to the toxicity of online backlash from a potential audience that are just out for blood sometimes - it’s an u safe and unpredictable place to grow and learn
That’s why I’m taking the stand and speaking out. I’m older and have enough presence that I can help regulate the tone
I want my channel to serve as the family table where we can sometimes say thoughtless shit and not be hanged for it - we’re allowed to be imperfect at this table, so long as we grow from it in a healthy way
The art also really isn't that good tbh.. it does show some skill and has aesthetic appeal, but it's rather emulative of plenty of other peoples' work with no authenticity to it. It will take time to produce truly good work which people consider 'fresh' and interesting.
@@AdamDuffArt Loved your comment. Great response.
I'm not even sure if I have hope to be in an artistic career. I'd love to do it, but I've stagnated in my art for so long, I don't think I have the ability to be something like that in my lifetime. But your immense care you put forth through your words and tone is so soothing and admirable. It puts me in a mind that believes that maybe, one day, I could achieve that goal. Thank you for making your videos, Adam.
You’re speaking the exact words I did 20 years ago - before I realized I could succeed. As will you.❤
Just get a trade job and do art on the side, actually so much fun, cause you get to do the art you love and not for money and you still are financially okay.
I just started a creative career after a long time away, and I'm almost 40. Even if you're not where you want to be career-wise, don't stop creating and refining your craft, because that will take you further than you realize.
@catheroldart I'm 47 and winding down my successful career in the medical field and working on more art and photography. I likely won't have a career in art or photography but like you said, it's an opportunity to explore and refine what I like to do and brings joy and peace to my heart and soul
@@indiriani6873 good luck to you!
That's the game if you want to run a business as an artist; accept it or not. But, if you don't want to accept it, don't complain that you aren't successful.
But a true artist will find a way to make art; regardless of money. Even if nobody is watching.
Gotta say, I am so massively impressed by the compassion both you and Kelsey have shown to Morgan. It was more than they deserved for what they did. And it was something that more people need to emulate in general, in the art community and in life.
I appreciate the call out at the end too. Firm and honest, without being mean.
Thank you, Adam, for being a thoughtful voice of reason. It's extremely refreshing in general.
Let's lift each other up and spread kindness instead of the opposite. God knows the world is hard enough without us all attacking each other.
Hi Adam! You might not remember me, but I took a mentorship class from you. I just wanted to say, I really appreciated how you handled this topic, with kindness and grace but also by protecting the community. I don't usually watch "drama" content (I need to shield my mental health) but I'm glad I clicked on this one.
I also wanted to say, artists like yourself and Kelsey Rodriguez are an invaluable source of help for me. I didn't go to art school and all I've learned, I've learned online. But thanks to the generosity of this community I've been able to grow and make money from my work and I even got the privilege to do a character design demo at LightBox Expo this year.
Keep your amazing work! I'm sure I'm not the only one who is extremely grateful for your work.
I find Adam is safe to watch though because he's pretty good about engaging with drama is a more positive constructive way.
Kelsey's a hard worker, indeed! Idk how closely Morgan has followed Kelsey's videos despite having been in her Discord, but I remember that one of Kelsey's goals is to earn enough to put her sister through college 😭 Kelsey came from a very low-income and severely challenging life that no child should have to live through. She took that trauma and tries to create a positive space online and for those around her.
I actually had tears in my eyes when you said "this community needs each other". We really do. We have so much to contend with. Societal expectations, our own friends and family judging us, capitalism, heck - even our own minds and struggles that come with that. And to have someone who claims that they want to be a part of this space throw a respected member under the bus with bullying and extreme allegations just devastates me. It breaks trust and may well ironically close doors to them because we all might wonder who will be defamed next. Defamed for working hard and trying to make a living through any means possible. Too many people are already afraid to call themselves artists because they don't earn money from it. I am so scared that more artists will down tools because of the actions and words from this video (not to mention some rather unpleasant comments shared on the video too).
I love the art community, and I stand with those who have been hurt by this situation. Dragging other people down because you're frustrated or disheartened is not it. Entitlement is not a good look. Yes, earning from your art is HARD. It's exhausting and frustrating. If you're jealous of what others have achieved, that people can be self employed successfully and you feel like you have to call them a scam to make yourself feel better, then I think you need to reflect and decide if this whole thing is right for you.
** Oh yeah, and being grateful that they're now monetised from a video containing bullying is worrying. Talk about unsustainable... As soon as their video disappears in to the ether, their income will fade. So many artists on UA-cam wait years before getting monetised on their beautiful content. No press is bad press, sure, but I wouldn't be so quick to celebrate that. Not in this community.
I think Morgan's video brought something important to my attention, which is I should be paying more attention to my consumption of content and the ways it leads to how I spend my money on my personal journey to grow as an artist. I agree with you Adam, I didn't like the specificity of Morgan's video. As someone who has been bullied, it did not sit well with me. I completely agree that there are constructive and insightful ways of expressing critical opinions about social media content practices without hurting anyone or throwing shade. HOWEVER, as someone who has absolutely been misled by some social media artists / art influencers into buying products, courses, or subscriptions that I later felt very disappointed by, I think Morgan made a good point that could have been EXTREMELY valuable to those like me who want to spend their money on content of value for their needs had they chosen to focus on it. There are "products" out there that aren't worth spending money on, and have some red flag marketing and sales practices that an inexperienced consumer (or even someone like me) can fall prey to. I have never taken a course by Kelsey - and I think to have given Kelsey a fair shake, Morgan should have taken a course, spoken with Kelsey, and if Kelsey was open to a review, provided one, if at all. I do think those of us that aren't peers in the social media section of our community would truly benefit from art course or business reviews because as someone who just wants to benefit from social media platforms like Instagram and UA-cam, I've really noticed some toxic focus on marketing. Like many OG youtubers have said in the last couple of years, I miss the days when art channels were what they seemed. They didn't necessarily need clickbait, and they didn't necessarily claim to know what you needed to learn. As a viewer, I just felt like I had a much better sense of the "ingredients list" so to speak - where now, I feel like art tube has become a little bit of an unregulated food industry slipping all sorts of unhealthy (and sometimes toxic) filler into our consumption. All this being said, thank you for saying something Adam. Words like Scam, or Pyramid Scheme come with legal repercussions - no one, and I mean no one, should be throwing labels like that around without due diligence and UA-cam is certainly not the place to be essentially calling someone A CRIMINAL. Thinking things through to their possible consequences has never been a strength of the young though - as much as younger me would have hated to hear myself say that, and older me will someday say I didn't know the half of it. I hope Morgan understands that saying something in response to their video was the only responsible thing to do. One of the most important lessons I learned as a young professional is that it is a very slippery slope at the fork between constructive criticism and trash talk.
100%, both of those videos are bullying disguised as "opinion pieces" - it's a real pity they reached such a large audience. It's really nasty to use popular UA-camrs to gain a following and be monetised.
Anyone remember D'Angelo Wallace starting out as an art UA-camr criticizing other art UA-camrs on a faceless art channel with speed paints then moving on comentary on pop culture drama and now has a couple channels with a million or so subs and no art content in sight. Just seeing some parallels. Some people find a niche in the drama.... But there's just not enough drama in the art community to keep a UA-camr fed, I think. Anyway... We're all human, thanks for being Art Dad and hopefully Morgue can find some personal growth, I just see someone who is super disillusioned and lost.
I thought I was the only one! 😭 Sometimes I think that was someone else cause D'Aangelo's content has completely shifted.
He still paints for fun though. He heard as a teen how hard it was to be a concept artist and decided it wasn’t for him. A recent video was about the problems with AI art so it looks like he’s cheering from the sidelines
@@Window4503 glad to hear he still makes art.
there are a lot of youtuber covering drama in the art community, can't name them on top of the head but they exist and they really nice
Yup, he has talked recently about how he still makes art, he just does it for himself. He seems the happiest ever.
Making fun of her habit with her glasses is so foul. What’s even the point of that. Yeah I don’t want anyone like that in the community.
Hopefully Morgan feels embarrassed about it and knocks it off moving forward. It’s a bad look for sure
@@AdamDuffArt Yeah. I hope Morgan can listen to your advice. I think that disenfranchised groups sometimes get mad at the wrong people. As artists we have a hard time making money, but we shouldn’t start infighting over it. Watching Morgan’s video felt like watching a bullied kid starting to pick on a random kid in the schoolyard, hoping that it would make them popular 😭
I wouldn’t have a problem with the criticism of Kelsey as long as it was done in a respectful way, this was just gross to watch.
Anyone who wears glasses understands nose slippage. It's not exactly something you can help. Eventually it becomes habitual to the point of still trying to push up glasses on the days you're wearing contacts lol. 🥲 Needless to say, going out of their way to point this out as some kind of annoyance was completely unnecessary.
@@catheroldart but then again, making a big deal about it is cheap and histrionic.
@@catheroldartHonestly it comes across as pure envy. 'Why does she get to have everything I want?!' And childishly they can't come up with an answer so focus in on a detail they noticed and don't understand.
Last week while exercising I was listening to Kelsey's video from 10 months ago about product ideas for an art business, as I finally feel ready to join in on the art community myself. I have been crippled by perfectionism for an embarrassingly long time. I have listened to advice videos, motivational videos and tips and tutorials over many years while slowly building up my courage to share my art. Once or twice I've uploaded stuff followed by a prompt deletion of said pieces because it just didn't feel good enough. I wanted to write a comment because of three reasons; first, to say that I... I'm just happy hearing you say that you're a community. I mean, i know there is an art community on UA-cam but it's only recent that I can like actually see and feel it, and most certainly the first time I feel like I could actually join in on it myself. For the second point, it makes me realize that I have a lot of unexpressed gratitude towards all the people that have inspired me. Adam, you're most certainly amongst them, and Kelsey too - the video I mentioned at the beginning helped shine such a light on what types of paths I could take when venturing into making a UA-cam channel even though that's quite far into the future for me. it helped me connect dots in my mind from my love for art to all the experiences I have within IT and other fields. I want to move over to her channel and send her a thank you after I post this.
And lastly... I wish Morgan was able to see that this is a long term thing. I don't want to comment on anything negative; not what he did or his mindset. What I wish that he saw is that the whole UA-cam journey is going to take time. That's silly coming from somebody who is in the process of planning his first video, right? Just hear me out. Just like I've sat on the sidelines and watched art videos and being scared to put myself out there, I've done somewhat the exact same when it comes to videos on how to start a UA-cam channel. For those of you who are familiar with Ali Abdaal, he has brought up several times that it takes at least 50 videos, but possibly 70-100 to get to the first 1000 subscribers (reference: "Ali Abdaal - If I wanted to Grow An Audience in 2024, I'd Do this: 2 min and 35 seconds in). This thing is going to take time, and it makes me sad that he gave up on it so early on because I'm sure he could grow into the community given time and dedication.
I appreciate your videos very much Adam. They've given me so much inspiration, and I'm looking forward to the day I'll join the UA-cam art community. Hopefully sooner rather than later, hehe.
Kelsey's also the one who inspired me to seriously start youtube although I have very little success she is still one of my biggest inspiration
@@Zetrectos Your comment is really refreshing 🙏🏻
This video really put a lot of things into perspective
I saw the original video and I’m in no way affected by any of it, but I didn’t know Kelsey and after it I could have gone my entire life thinking she was a scam artist and not thinking twice about it, because I didn’t care
But Adam you reminded me that empathy, when we’re struggling against real or perceived injustice, is an art fondamental
And thanks to you for putting it so well!
Right - whether or not it feels great to see her post content about making money or her selling something - Adam gave a perspective I didn’t initially see. I, as a 29 year old with a fresh art UA-cam account, felt seen by Morgan’s video, but Adam is correct - the experience I lack led me to the same negative thought patterns that keep me feeling less than. That and the chip on my shoulder from generally feeling stuck in life.
He include Kelsey in the video but forgot to include Adam Duff and Bobby Chiu both of these are car salesman running a MLM pyramiding scheme.
It brokes my heart to see how many young people nowadays are becoming self-righteous narcissists with victim mentality.
Hi! I’ve just come across from Kelsey’s response video as she linked this one…. You’re talking about Jazza at 38:57 - and yes he gets gazillions of views, but he himself has worked his butt off posting 100’s of videos, not 11…
I'm glad you made a video on this and called out the bullying. The pyramid scheme video from him had popped into my feed and I'd clicked in part due to name recognition because I follow Kelsey and like her videos. I found his video disheartening and hypocritical since he was calling out people for being scam artists...when I'd been lured in by his clickbait title and felt scammed myself. I didn't feel like there was enough genuine constructive criticism for his video to be of value. The skit he did on Kelsey was hard to watch; it was just mean. I'm glad you did your video on his follow-up, if only because watching the initial one again would have felt triggering. I've started taking myself more seriously as a writer/artist because of creators like Kelsey and feel like I delayed myself in a lot of ways because of candle-blower-outers like him in creative circles who naysay the very field/community they want to join. Toxicity like that can really deter people. I agree that he's entitled to his opinions, but I'm glad you pointed out that what he did to Kelsey was defamation and not okay. I feel his comment that he's, 'better than that' in terms of sponsorships is ironic considering he wasn't above trying to humiliate someone for...pushing up their glasses. He admits to feeling thin-skinned himself but thinks nothing of making fun of someone else. I'd rather watch a sponsored video any day than watch an artist bully another artist. At the very least, he seems to have some level of self-awareness that he's harboring resentments due to his lack of success, but not enough to feel remorseful for what he said/did. There are valid points to be made about UA-camrs who promote get-rich-quick schemes, but I feel Kelsey's videos are the opposite of that kind of content. I actually watch her because she's down to earth and provides practical tips...it's more like, 'Follow your dreams, and do so sustainably.' I watched her response video and felt she did a great job standing up for herself and watched yours because she recommended it. I'm glad I did because it's reassuring to see someone in the community stand up for her and her work. I feel like you did a great job handling this subject and held him accountable compassionately. My hope in fellow creatives is restored. Thank you!
I saw the thumbnail for the pyramid scheme video and skipped it since I don't like negative videos about the art community. So, I had no idea it was pointed toward Kelsey until you brought it up at the end. I was heartbroken. I am also immensely grateful for the thought and grace in which you addressed Morgan's video and the thoughts Morgan had while justly defending Kelsey, the art community, and all artists who currently make videos or want to in the future. Morgan had good talking points, I thought, and was very discouraged to learn about the context of them. I hope that your voice is heard and makes a difference in Morgan's presence in the art community. Thank you for your careful intent, love and guidance you put into this one, Adam. Always appreciate your input.
Interesting. I watched the video all the way through. I agree that it isn't right to attack someone, but at the same time, there are people who sell an idealized version of their success as artists in order to get views on their channel--I'm not talking about Kelsey.
I think it boils down to people feeling that artists who make more money as content creators yet advertise that they make money as "artists" feels inauthentic to some people. It's not a pyramid scheme and not a scam, just someone telling an audience what they want to hear. Are there scammer and grifters in this space? Yes, there are scammers in every market. Is Kelsey one of them? I don't think so. However, I do see a point where artists cross too far into content creation and lean more heavily into the aesthetics of being an artist rather than producing art, if that makes sense. There is a certain subgenre of artists showing off their aesthetic, well-lit, plant-laden studios and their channels become more like lifestyle or vlogs, and they are making the majority of their money selling the idea of being an artist rather than actually selling art, if that makes sense. I think it strikes some people as inauthentic and rubs people the wrong way. If someone is grinding 10 hours a day making art in a dark corner of their bedroom, they might look at art vloggers with some resentment. Also, some content creators will sell the idea that you can make a lot of money doing art, and when people try out the ideas and realize it's a lot harder, they are of course going to be a bit bitter. Can you see how this might breed some ill feelings?
I'm not defending the original video or how it analyzes the situation (because this isn't a pyramid scheme,) but UA-cam in general does have an authenticity problem. Many people will sell you the moon for clicks, though I think the art side of UA-cam is one of the most honest sides of UA-cam.
I don't see this as much of a problem in the art space, but it's absolutely rampant in the Etsy UA-cam advice space. A lot of these creators push their courses, which are often very expensive, and that's how they make money--and there are a lot of inauthentic people promising very unrealistic income in order to sell an Etsy success course or just to get eyes on their content. Once you fall down the rabbit hole of watching an Etsy "guru" telling you to push AI-generated slop onto Etsy to crowd out real artists, you start getting bitter about the whole UA-cam community after a certain point and start to doubt even the authentic creators. Does that make sense?
yeah, i do. same as in personal finance, productivity gurus, so on and so forth.
💯
This. I was subscribed to Kesley, but I unsubscribed after her money video way before Morgue's video for the reasons you stated.. I like to watch artists develop and it wasn't that any more. Maybe my views are skewed as I have a lot of artist friends who make pretty well all their income from art. There is nothing wrong in making money in other ways, but starting a youtube channel does not have to be part of it. I did watch her response video yesterday. I wish she said that YT and all the sponsorships are there to support her art instead of making them part of her art journey. That is what I have a problem with. It's like me saying my office job was part of me being an artist, when it and art is so disparate.
I agree wholeheartedly on this. I listened to Morgan's videos intermittenly on the treadmill so at the time I didn't pick up on the gestures or the tones, but I do remember resonating with not learning anything when watching these art vloggers. Not that i agree with how Morgan went about the whole situation, but what you pointed out is still a problem. The fact of the matter is, the wider audience prefer to click on videos with a plant-laden studio than videos of an actual, typical studio which often reeks of turpentine and everything is stained with muted paint. The audience out there wants to see a dreamy, staged studio, an idealized version of an artist, more than the actual art, and UA-cam has learnt those will be the videos to push.
There is nothing more damning to one's own career path than starting it by slandering and spitting on the work of other people within your same field. I'm amazed Morgan thought it was a good idea. But in the bigger picture, maybe I shouldn't be so surprised because young artists from Millennials to Zoomers to Gen Alpha have been regularly engaging in bullying, call outs, slander and just rude insults out of nowhere in regards to people's work for years now. (There's even entire YT channels dedicated to covering such toxicity!) It's become normalized and it's insane.
Even at college I saw it within the classroom setting. It was a regular thing that I learned to just expect. The more you and your artwork stood out, the more you were a target. They probably didn't even stop to think for a second that the people they're treating like garbage might be a coworker later, or even end up in a position above them. Or at the very least, might be in a position one day where they could give them a much needed leg up into the industry.
I don't think young artists are learning the lesson that acting this way is actually harming their own careers until they actually have that "oh shit" moment where they realize they messed up. But hopefully at least Morgan (and others) will see your video and take it seriously and correct their trajectory before it gets to a point of no return.
Great vid, Adam.
DA ranter youtubers were a disaster for humanity.
Hello from Montreal. As an artist myself, late bloomer, trying to learn my art and trying to learn how to make my art seen maybe live from it, it is art breaking to hear that young person smashing another fellow artist. Adam, you did a great job to frame what you are thinking on the matter and I really appreciate your diplomacy and experience sharing about it all. Thanks!
50:22 "I'm better than that" omg... Dude... Not every sponsor is evil and money is not the worst thing that happened to humanity. If it wouldn't be green/yellow/purple papers, it would be apples. For now, it's the system that works the best in our society.
Yep. From the get this video had a lot of "holier than thou" energy, but after that I just couldn't really empathize with Morgan's position anymore. It just started to sound like a bitter person shitting on other people for having the life they wish they had. Sponsorships aren't more or less unethical than any other form of advertising, and the whole "the world only cares about money" spiel is really immature.
This! Also, most creators are not going to take sponsorships from companies they don't feel actually have value or that they don't respect. Those doing that are going to be truly desperate for income.
I have heard creators say time and time again, "I do not take sponsorships unless I really like a product/service."
Absolutely nothing wrong with sponsorships. I actually like them, a lot more than random ads.
Yeah, rubbed me the wrong way too. "I'm better than that", while profiting from a platform that sustains itself on AD revenue, like every other platform he also uses. The mental gymnastics are something else
This is such a perfect response. I struggled to watch and respond to their videos with a good response, but this is everything I couldn't articulate. I hope they've seen this and took it to heart.
I would just like to point out that this is literall the SECOND time Adam creats a video talking and defending Kelsey after she has been thrown to the wolves. The first time was because of gross and sexualizing comments on her videos and now this. I think that actually speaks volums about Kelsey and even more about the people that prefer to drag others down instead of simply moving on when they don't like something. It baffles me that in this day an age we still want to gatekeep something as liberating as the creation of art in whatever form it takes. This is really the time when we should be creating bonds over the privilege of being able to create freely and instead we have people creating videos where they just drag someone's lifework into the dirt. I will be honest, I didn't even bother finish Morgan's video, they lost me when tthey began to make fun of Kelsey... And the audacity to simply say they were hurt because of mean comments! I've been on UA-cam for maybe over five years and I've just now passed the 1k milestone. But I'm also a realist! I do not create consistently, and I know that plays a huge part on my audience and the engagement I have. However, the differenc between us is I'm not using anyones name, or bullying them, to climb up a ladder and then make myself a victim. If they instead asked for help or simply gave themselves a chance it would have been more human...
its always easier to destroy than to build, in our current climate drama does great because we all love seeing people get torn to shreds or to point and laugh at the bad take and rally around "the other" social media is letting us in the crab bucket, we need to somehow get out of it and it won't be easy because if it bleeds, it will lead.
Agreed
I have learned so much from many art UA-camrs…even smaller channels! Yes! - money is always going to be an attractive topic. But, I literally catch myself smiling listening to her. I genuinely could see us hanging out. I found her content due to this channel!
Dude I have over 30 videos on my channel and I ain’t complaining. This is a learning experience.
I have been calmly listening to this excellent critique video (i had not yet watched the original by Morgan) but when I reached 54:24 and discovered that Morgan was talking trash about Kelsie, I ripped off my headphones and started shouting expletives. Thank you for defending Kelsie. She is a sweet heart and didn't deserve this public ridicule. This is bullying behavior.
I related to the frustrations Morgan has had. I too have fallen for some marketing guru scams and struggled to grow my channel. But I'd never even consider taking the approach they did in their previous video of tearing others down.
Adam thank you for this critique. You actually helped me a lot. I need to still discover my own voice and you've given me a lot to think about.
I think the young ones need to know that success on youtube isn't guaranteed - even if you put a crazy amount of effort in making youtube videos. Effort doesn't pay off if the style, composition or subject don't evoke awe in people... or if the videos just aren't interesting. Most of my videos don't get much views but that's MY fault lol, I could never have the gall to attack others because they're doing better 🤣
I completely agree with this video. Making fun of anothers appearance or mannerisms in an industry you're trying to enter is a severe error of judgment. I don't think blacklisting is the answer at all. However, I would never want to support or work with someone who behaved so immaturely. Unfortunately, I think many professional artists would also share the same sentiment.
Yah, that’s a bad look indeed. I hope they’re a little embarrassed about it and grow up from it
Well, they are young. This behavior comes from the lack of maturity. We should also be patient with them, and I think Adam's video is a calm and thoughtful feedback which helps regulating that.
That’s exactly how I felt. They mentioned that they were also a graphic designer and if I needed to hire a graphic designer I would stay far away from them because of that video.
While I feel bad for Morgan, I'd also say he needs to grow some thicker skin. I've been making art videos for over a decade, but I've never really "blown up." I don't do it for the numbers, but for a way to share my process and teach others to try new things and be inspired. It's not a marketing strategy for me, it was a way to share my art/life. Making a channel certainly isn't for everyone, but it sounds a lot like he just wants to be more popular without putting in the work.
Edit: And hearing your analysis I can say in 2 videos he sounds like he is becoming the very garbage he was complaining about.
I see where you’re coming from but I don’t think that’s Morgan’s ultimate goal - they immediately posted a follow-up video expressing how they didn’t want to continue making click bait content
I just hope they reflect on the pyramid video because stuff like that really hurts everyone
The whole "growing thicker skin" thing is just another way of telling someone to supress how they feel. It's quite sad. People are allowed to be frustrated or feel hurt, even if they themselves was not being nice. However, you could say that those who cannot adapt to the hostile environment of the internet probably shouldn't put themselves in the spotlight, as unjust as it might be.
@@Phoenix.Sparkles That's not quite what I said. Growing thicker skin means to take how you feel and act on it responsibly. It's not that I'm telling people to ignore their feelings, but instead implying that there's a right way and a wrong way of acting on those feelings. This isn't an "internet" environment problem, but finding how to act and react as an adult in a professional space.
@@Phoenix.Sparkles I believe most artists are judging their metric of success wrong. Feeling frustrated when the art don't get the attention they hoped from social media while valid will bring them nowhere but in dark places. It's not like they got bullied by people, sure they got some mean feedbacks but the first point was failing to get traction on social media with not even that many video posted, this sounds like they expected an easy way to success and their feelings got hurt by the shock between their expactation and reality.
Sry Its kinda Off-Topic, I can totally understand why an artist or illustrator would prefer to sell their work directly to the market. There's also nothing wrong with selling marketing strategies in the art community. What I find really unfortunate is that art content creators often give the impression that hobbyists should strive to become professional artists. I frequently see ads on social media that push the idea of needing to paint "better" in order to showcase your work. It's perfectly fine to enjoy art as a passionate hobby and have fun with others. There are other ways to make money, and it's not a waste of time because even professional artists spend a significant portion of their time marketing their art.
What an important point. I teach many artists who have no intention to work professionally- they do it purely for enjoyment and make their living in other ways
You're the best, Adam! I love that you take such a level-headed and thoughtful approach in all your videos. You're the sort of community leader we need!
while i'm not defending Morgan's actions in his (their?) video, i do think this lack of patience mostly comes from the societal expectation that we all be financially independent and have everything figured out by the time we're 25.
if you're not killing it by your mid-twenties, you're lazy and behind in life.
if you complain about not being there yet then you're impatient and entitled.
it's becoming increasingly harder for younger generations to live pretty much anywhere yet we're told it all comes down to personal failure. it's a lose-lose
Never understood the angle of "market myself first, then worry about getting better at art"
Isn't there just nothing to market, if that is what you want to do?
I feel like that sort of complaint is basically coming from a palce of "i want to be famous for my art"
and not a more fulfilling reason that would actually drive you towards creating.
Well certainly, the art must come first. Nobody would be defending Kelsey if she wasn’t already a very talented artist - so obviously the art came first for her
@@AdamDuffArt Was not intended to be directed at Kelsey^^
@@AdamDuffArt I'm sorry Adam I respect you and your opinions, but this is just not true. I follow Kelsey for a long time and she was a content creator first, that happen to do art as a hobby. Her work might be improving but it never was (and stil isn't) a foundation of her business model and you know it. I respect Kelsey as a content creator but saying she's making her income from art is just disingenuous.
@@AdamDuffArt Visual marketing is honestly art in itself, but of course it relies on an interesting subject.
@@MrTom-li2gf it's not what he said, he said she has skills in art before making art content
Thank you this was an excellent video inspiring me as a newtuber in the art scene! I do believe too that you have to put your whole heart and all your sweat into building an effective marketing with sharing what you're really passionate about. Talking someone else down and complaining is the opposite of being productive and although I'm still at the beginning of sharing my art journey and encounter a lot of struggles I really believe in success over time. Your "speech" here gave me a lot of hope and a great wholesome feeling of the art community sticking together!
I've found youtube easier to grow than Twitter for example. But I understand that it's not because one site is better than the other.
It's that I don't have the energy, knowledge or desire to write on twitter and do so consistently, but I have that energy for youtube. And I just posted my 13th video, whilst, very very small gains, I feel like the improvements I'm making effect my channel, like I can see the result of my actions via analytic feedback.
UA-cam is teaching me writing, which, I still suck at too but, the more I practice the better I get, and the more I enjoy it.
I think, what newer artists and creators need to do is to just be consistent and develop their voice as you said.
I hope I don't eat my words and rant about it in the future, but we can't keep getting frustrated at ourselves and the limitations of the world around us. We have to believe in ourselves and each other.
Adam, I thoroughly appreciate the tact, respect, and words you used here to handle this situation. You put into words my exact reaction when I saw this initial video.
What I think is an important point to add here-- I would also argue using the term “pyramid scheme” in this context is harmful because it dilutes the meaning of that term. What Kelsey does is not Herbalife. She isn't recruiting artists under her and taking a cut from the profits they make from their art or youtube videos and so-on down the ladder. THAT is what a Pyramid Scheme would be. They are organizations that have been known to be extremely damaging to social networks and financially ruinous for many people’s livelihoods. I've seen first hand the effects of them and know what they can do to people. They were also the subject of very passionately written papers in highschool and college for me. To put creators who are just trying to make a living with their art and do so all from as open, honest, and as genuine of a place as someone can be-- on the same level of a pyramid scheme-- it is very dangerous language to young and impressionable artists.
Because when an ACTUAL pyramid scheme presents itself, someone may not be able to tell the difference. And that is a very scary thing.
Except that these youtubers make money on having hundreds of thousands of subscribers which they mislead into thinking that they also can somehow have hundreds of thousands of subscribers and into putting time and money and sacrificing real education and career opportunities to chase a pipe dream. That's very real damage done to thousands of people.
The reason it's a pyramid scheme is that it's impossible for that hundreds of thousands of subscribers to get hundreds of thousands subscribers of their own. It goes against basic supply and demand. Like just looking at subscriber numbers of these youtubers demonstrates the problem.
So you have a bunch of winners and almost everyone else who subscribes to the scheme loses their time and money.
If there's a difference between a pyramid scheme and it is that there's no pyramid. Because with the required recruitment there's no way there can be a second level for almost anyone involved. Which makes it even worse.
They are "honest" and "open" as in they give you enough information to think "wait a minute, it sounds like a pyramid scheme". If they were really honest and open they wouldn't try to recruit you at all.
Art is a tricky beast. You can make good, great, or even fantastic art but when it comes to art as an industry its usually art+something else that can grant more value to others. A picture may be worth a thousand words but by itself it probably won't be worth very much money without something else, some other form of legwork, or thing that increases its value in some way. Its the same with most art careers. A concept designer is art+game design, an illustrator is art+books. Plus this gives more character to the art simply because it filters that artists experience through how they view the world, their life.
Regarding some of the things in Morgan's video; There are already people who already want to grow their art business, their UA-cam channel, their Twitch stream, etc. They are not being sold this idea solely by watching artists / content creators because they are actively searching and asking these creators for info. The things an art content creator is offering might be a direct response to what their already existing audience is asking them for.
Mentioning this because there was a content creator / streamer (not Kelsey) who was called out in the video for selling emotes on Etsy. These assets are specifically to help people get their Twitch stream started at an affordable price. (It's not unheard of for small streamers to use assets until they can commission artists.) This same creator also offers many free emotes and free tutorials on how to make your own emotes. Mostly everything in their shop is less than $10. They provide transparency on how much they have gotten paid for sponsors and encourage other creators to also be paid a fair rate. I really encourage people to look closely at the creators named for themselves because a lot of the nuances were not discussed.
I feel like I understand his frustration of throwing himself to the wall and hoping his stuff sticks, but most of the time anyone can draw. It's the art itself that reflects the person that makes it interesting to watch.
Being an artist is so much more than just making art if you're doing it for a living. It's about making art that you can constantly do with no ease while also being your own salesman, marketer and PR guy.
Like any other job it's up to you as an individual to figure out how to make it work and I believe this creator is lashing out at everyone pointing out that it's a tiring process making those videos.
Damn! Right now I don’t even know how to express the surprise of the impact this video had on me. All I can say right now is thank you very much!
Well I’m very happy to hear that Red. Hopefully it’ll serve as a little timestamp when this comes up again (which we both know it will)
I was trying to keep an open mind, but all I could hear from Morgan was "me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me". And a lot of arrogance coupled with virtue signalling. Being gay, I've seen this attitude in the gay community very often from people who believe they're unpopular because everyone else is stupid and less than. They usually become very bitter and very lonely believing the entire world is conspiring against them. Therapy sometimes helps (and I'm not being sarcastic).
Yeah. There was a lot of self-agrandisement mixed in with comments designed to make them sound humble but I couldn't see past their hugely inflated ego.
@@discordantfungi2741 Ego is the enemy indeed
Really great video! I came across a comment on IG one time of a woman criticizing a digital artist as not being real art. She was a very talented artist, and my comment to her was that someone with her amount of talent should be building others up, not tearing them down. I stopped watching Morgan's video after the glasses thing. Kid has a lot to learn and hopefully can get the chip off his shoulder and find that there are many ways to make it on UA-cam. And I do hope his conscience gets the better of him and he offers an apology, not just to Kelsey, but all the others.
This situation makes me sad for everyone involved, even Morgan. Had they not been leaning into bully behavior, I’d probably really enjoy their videos. I refuse to support people like that, and then the creators they called scam artists. There is no reason to act that way and my only guess is they are young and need to grow up a lot. Hopefully one day they will look back and remove the damaging video. We need as much love and support in this world.
I think it's usually artists who actually paid a lot of money to go to art schools that complain a lot on the internet...
They intentionally pursue art as a career.
But as a self-taught new/beginner artist, I don't complain about growth because for me it's just a hobby that I wanna share with the world.
I watched Morgan's video and was ready to make my first YT video 😂 i wanted to talk about the history of marketing, what a pyramid scheme actually entails, and why marketing tactics may FEEL scammy. At the end of the day, a lot of artists are selling SOMETHING. There are honest ways to go about it, and dishonest or misleading tactics should be frowned upon/avoided.
I think that video sounds worth making, especially since many of us do have to market ourselves as artists and we're often deeply uncomfortable with the slick and inauthentic kinds of marketing we've seen, and often don't know better ways to do it
I felt the same way. Trying to follow the adage: When they go low, we go high. The level of negative I feel towards the hater aspect of the attack is surprising me ... Surely I could be more productive
If everyone started recording videos complaining about the lack of likes on social media... no server in the world would be able to handle it.
Sometimes I hate myself and my skills, or even my hands. I drown in self-pity, but after a while, I pick up a pencil or a stylus-simply because I can't do otherwise.
When it comes to Morgan, I think the root of it is that he’s frustrated, disappointed and sad, and those emotions are coming out in an extremely toxic way. He’s exhibiting the behavior of all bullies, just in a more underhanded manner: he’s trying to make himself feel better by tearing someone else down. It doesn’t excuse what he’s doing, and I don’t mean to sound snide, but this is one of those cases where he may need to talk to a professional to unpack these feelings. If he works on himself, hopefully he’ll change his behavior before he does even more damage to the community and himself.
As I said on Kelsey's video, I had been following Morgue before their infamous video, and really enjoyed what they did. But this video they made just reeked so much of negativity that it made me unsub the second it was over. Tearing others down is never the way to grow, and you worded what I felt after watching their video very well at 52:50
Side note, I hadn't watched their newest video, but I find myself astonished with the amount of arrogance they showed, and it really gave of a "I'm better than everyone and I've understood all about the youtube/art game", that just, doesn't look good on anyone, new to the scene or not.
Thank you for putting so much importance on the empathy and support we must cultivate with each other. Wishing you the best :)
I learned a lot from watching this, thank you. Its never okay to bring someone else down because you are suffering. I hope he changes their ways for the better. I can relate to the frustrations of at times being more a self advertiser than a creator, but bullying others is not the way. Hate the game not the player. Or tbh, learn how to play the game your way.
I saw his original video and I've been following Kelsey for a long time. You put to words what I didn't like about the original... I did agree with some of his opinions, but I also think it's not anyone's fault if some content does better than other kinds. Kelsey is a great artist, but she's also very passionate about marketing and sharing what she's learning, why is that a bad thing? should she stick to what doesn't work for her channel because what she's doing now gives others the impression that "if you do what I did your channel and business are going to be successful"?? I think that kind of video is valuable, obviously every path is different, but having the possibility to see what others did that worked for them is invaluable to forge your own. I also find it very interesting that his one video that doesn't have to do with art did so well, and now he's thinking of pivoting to making more of that content, because it works. That's how it works, and that's what Kelsey and other content creators did, it worked better, and it puts money on the table, it's normal to go with it over other types of content. It's not "fair" to have to do stuff you're maybe less passionate about in order to live, but that's how it works. At least Kelsey is putting out useful videos for others who want to attempt to build a small business, instead of putting down others for how they fiddle with their glasses
Where is her art? I can't find any beyond a few rock studies and master copies in her print shop. I would love to see more.
Thank you Adam for this video. I came across their video like you did and was appalled by the mocking and singling out of our community member. Your last 10 minutes was so well put ,and exactly what needed to be said. I hope they have watched this and stepped outside of themself for a brief moment to reflect. You spoke for us all here.
EDIT: added stupid disclaimers because some people be insinuating my intentions (or at least gettin the wrong message)
gotta be honest.
imo, i think university culture (a lot of it as it exists at least of the time morgue attended, not all across the board) blew smoke up their ass. not saying morgue didnt work hard, or dismissing their achievements, because nobody really coasts on opportunity alone (most of it being more just doorways to the hard work associated with proving ones skills… unless that "opportunity" was a small loan of a 1m usd). and i do think disadvantaged groups should be given more opportunities. just that in terms of the their work, i'm not seeing it.
obviously i dont know exactly what morgue's exact uni experience was, and my assumptions can be flat out wrong. that said, if that was the persona chosen to present online, it's at the very least a window to what they feel is appropriate to act irl.
being in that minority group (queer with disabilities), having done a thesis that highlights minorities (45:04)… it's not surprising (especially if in the humanities) when someone of similar being says that they graduated with the highest level of honors (42:59). university culture eats that shit up (a bias to a degree that can affect grading depending on faculty values, which students are highlighted, even scholarship eligibility).
this extends beyond art. take essays: countless examples of students bein docked or even failing, solely because of their topic/stance not agreeing with the views of the professor. or even because prof didn't like a student. there's a social game that's part of the academia that is important to play if we want to succeed in that environment (and which is also important to understand how to navigate, as it can exist in the workplace too).
which also might explain the way they talk about themselves, the quality of their work and content (25:32 subtly inflated), and the behavior they felt was appropriate (the cutthroat stuff mentioned around 55:59). being part of that minority group, they may have been given a pass to act that way in uni, it may even have benefitted them. but that don't fly outside. most nobody give a shit if we're a minority irl (for the most part anyway, who we are as a person and what we bring to the table are much more important).
and i liked their pyramid scheme video. brought up a lot of solid points, and we can draw lessons of tempering our expectations as it concerns our art education. so i went through their previous work to see if their stuff is up my alley in general to see if i want to subscribe. it's okay, definitely does show a solid level of skill. but nothin they've posted is really relatable or appealing in terms of "wider audience appeal" (or at least very much lacks the qualities of things that do have that wider audience appeal). which is highly important as it's relevant to stuff like exposure (e.g. anime has a wider appeal than documentaries, art centered around character and story have wider appeal than art based on history or even pure skill development/process/instructional stuff for that matter)
I just believe that the kid grew up in a very protected environment because he belongs to multiple sensitive groups, and got a lot of undeserved praise. He has some skill but, it is expected to have some as a graduate after all. His style is run of the mill, clip art like illustrations of the 90’s early 00’s. His Thesis was nothing extraordinary, it was not bad, but nothing deserving top grade but good luck to the professor who would not pander to the queer disabled boy with a queer subject and a large mouth.
Exactly university really encourages this elitist or pretentious personality, especially in the old art world. Then reality check hits in. Kids realize that art is entertainment and up to the customer, not about being moral superior or what ever.
Summa Cum Laude is an achievement regardless if we agree with the person or not. Traditional higher education has its problems, but let's not suggest or assume their grades were given unfairly due to bias or minority status. It comes off as a bit hateful if I'm being honest..
@@LillenArt2 It has nothing to do with liking the person or not. I’m a working graphic designer in online media, publishing, advertising firms, since 2002. I’m as, if not more qualified than his professors to judge his work. And I see nothing extraordinary. And to be honest I’m not supposed to see it cause usually, not skipping classes, be thorough in your homework assignments and showing some skill, is enough to get you top grades.
Suggesting or supposing that he was probably favored because of his multiple minorities status is actually very logical, not hateful. I mean imagine a professor in his 40’s with kids and mortgage giving Morgan’s Thesis a B+ (or a 7 if your grade system was based to 10 as it was mine). He will come immediately under scrutiny if not a straight up witch trial that might result to the loss of his tenure. So straight As and out of the door is the rational and self preserving thing to do. Let the market clear him out if he needs to be.
As someone who is BOTH a summa cum laude graduate and a working graphic designer, I can speak to both sides. I earned every bit of that achievement along with an award for my research in Anglo-Saxon elegiac poetry. I’m a black woman. That didn’t stop red pen from decorating my papers nor was there some box to check for my identity regarding my achievements. If my college wanted bragging rights to that extent, they would have featured me in their marketing materials. And I would know…I design for a university now. They saw my work before they saw me. There was no special interest for BIPOC or extra consideration. So to automatically dismiss someone’s achievement because of their identity is ridiculous. Even if the admin wants bragging rights, the faculty love their field (which they earned the right to teach in) too much to just let that stuff slide. Someone can still be academically successful but let that deceive them into thinking everything else is easy. I think it’s more an issue of gifted kid syndrome than anything else.
I mean all business owners have to spend time doing things they don't want to do, including marketing, irregardless of the field they are in. A wise mentor once told me that if you are spending close to 50% of your time doing something you enjoy in a job that that is pretty close to a dream job. The alternative to doing art + other marketing activities is spending most of your time not doing art in a job you dislike 100% of the time while dreaming about making art (or maybe you are lucky and you kinda like the job but not as much as art).
Morgue expresses a valid frustration about being unable to find a meaningful audience/content niche on YT in order to have a fulfilling career on the platform. Which as an artist is 100% relatable. But it seems like they're self-sabotaging themself with their behavior and mindset.
Throwing successful people under the bus for engaging in online marketing tactics that they disagree with, putting them on full blast, and then turning around and making a video expressing their frustrations on their lack of success on this platform makes them seem like they were speaking out of jealousy on their previous video.
Regardless of what they think about ads and sponsorships, saying that they're "better than that" kind of thing also paints them as someone who believes that people who do sponsorships and stuff are below them.
The biggest thing, like mentioned in this video, is their lack of experience on the platform. 3 years with a dozen videos is nothing compared to most of the people on here who have any sort of significant following.
I can't tell if Morgue just really, really poorly worded their opinions, or if they're genuinely just extremely un-self-aware. I hope that they're able to grow from this and not be so quick to judge others for just playing the marketing game like all artists must.
I agree - I don’t see malice or selfishness in Morgan’s actions - rather, someone being misguided by algorithms, knowingly to the click-bait nature of it, but not focused on the potential hurt it could cause someone’s career.
This isn’t a “cancel culture” situation, it’s a learning experience for all of us, particularly the bravest of us, willing to take a risk and put ourselves out there - like Morgan
Well thought out response from the seat of wisdom and experience. This especially broke my heart for Kelsey. As artists its already difficult to share our souls through our work. Most of us creative types are already sensitive and have to navigate the gauntlet of criticism, to have someone publicly attempt to defame us... especially for personal gain... yes we all have opinions, but bad things are best kept to oneself. In Korea, you could easily find yourself in a lawsuit battle for defamation. Hopefully this was a teaching moment. 🙏🍂🐈⬛️🖋📚🍁
to be honest, if I had "discovered" his channel early on and then weeks go by and then months go by without a new video I would have moved on. I also noticed he peppered his vides(s) with "entitled". I zipped through some of his videos in one he said he had a job in graphic design (I think it was) but he quit to pursue art full time. I wonder if he had expectation that his UA-cam art channel would take off and he'll make a living off it and then when it doesn't pan out "it is someone else's fault, not mine" type mentality. I do wish him luck
Me too - I want this to be a learning experience for them - we’re all allowed to be short sighted - we have to forgive and forget if we can, otherwise nobody will have a chance to grow
I believe that Morgan’s worst sin was taking their voice for granted - that what they say matters and can have a profound impact on the lives of others
I really hope this isn’t interpreted as a takedown, rather, a realignment
That's victim-blaming, though. Like yeah, some people like me just looked at subscriber counts of these art career youtubers and thought "yeah, sure, I bet 400k of people can all get 400k subscribers if they just try hard enough. What is supply and demand?", looked at numbers on people's Patreons and quickly realised it's a pyramid scheme.
But sad reality is that there are masses of people who bought into that grift, who have spent their very limited time and money chasing pipe dreams.
@@fuzonzord9301that's not what a pyramid scheme is, good god
@@kat8559 Unsustainable progression is literally the only thing one needs to know about pyramid schemes to want to avoid them.
@@kat8559 Unsustainable progression is specifically the part that makes a pyramid scheme a fraud.
The rest isn't important.
is so crazy that some one like makes this kind of comments< this why a lot of people feel scared of posting our selfs online I think kelsy is amazing she has inspired me to star posting on youtube I have been thinking about doing this for years but I always feel the cringe of starting and people like that make that even harder I hope I can help people with my videos one day
I somehow missed most of this situation until the aftermath, but I love how you addressed this. I've also been on UA-cam for a few years, but I'm not going to tear others down to make money or grow my followers. I hope Morgan grows from this.
this, that's why while I believe it's best to assume the best of people some behavior change the assumptions into certainty. I can hardly believe that someone willing to do that kind of video is anything good
"This young artist is so full of himself. I've been in the game industry for over 10 years, and I've seen many talented artists, but I’ve rarely come across someone who praises their own work as much as this guy. Honestly, there's a big difference between confidence and arrogance.
His art is very nice, though, so I'm not sure how he's being arrogant? There are far too many artists that call their art garbage and the moment someone comes around and praises their own art, somehow they are full of themselves? Either I missed something in the video or he is in fact confident, not arrogant.
That’s fine - a little confidence never killed anyone :) it’s when you start putting down others work that you should check your ego at the door
@@AdamDuffArt I would never put down anyone else's work, For example, look at Kim Jung Gi his extraordinary talent spoke for itself, yet he never came across as arrogant. Even you, with all your talent, never boast about it. As artists, I believe we should stay humble, always learning and acknowledging that there are others out there who excel in ways we can learn from.
He's a child just out of Art School (as it meant ANYTHING AT ALL) that knows nothing about anything, really, who is so self-important and has no critical awareness of his and his art's faults. I've seen his art and its incredibly mediocre.
Humble? What good does that honestly do as an artist? Being an artists means overdeveloping your critical thinking skills as it is, and being humble is a great way to ruin your bravado and confidence. Being humble is a great way to downplay your sacrifice and your journey to improve.
Only a fool would think there is such a thing as an “self taught artist”. We are all where we are because of being on the backs of giants. The masters that we learn from throughout life. Instead of humbling yourself, instead, bring up others. If you’ re on a pedestal as being recognized as having ability and skill, then a real artist will help others along. Not by “humbling” themselves, but by raising others up. Don’t step down from a pedestal if someone puts you up there just because “humble” is something you think is valuable. If you’re someone’s giant, then encourage and embolden them to become one themselves by having belief, swagger, confidence, and hope.
Zooming out what this all sounds like is the dangers that can manifest when we feel we’ve gone unseen.
From a teacher’s comment, to Likes/View Counts, to the sheer heart put into projects, to the ideas of noticing a dysfunction, seeming pyramid scheme, to calling it stupid to have gone to obtain a degree in Graphic Design, IMO Morgan has perhaps struggled under this load of feeling unseen.
When we zoom out beyond the online art community/circle, this dis-ease plagues our societies, many of us; loneliness, experiences of isolation is surging. The irony of course is that we have never been more connected than ever. Adam and Morgan would for many of us almost never be people we would cross paths with, let alone have para social contact with, if it is not for the technologies that have only come about just in the last few decades.
Perhaps the universal truth in many of our hearts, if not for all of us, is that we long to be seen.
IMO Morgan should he encounter this video should not walk away with shame. What this should instead point to is grief, and with professional psychotherapy assessment, perhaps a grappling with ‘Trauma’. And to be fair to Morgan, Adam does present as IMO a little too aggressive in being punitive at the end. IMO perhaps there is space to be firm but also urging of a different, better direction.
Wishing Morgan well on his work and his future.
At a systemic level, the business models and incentives in place don’t always steer towards directions that net a benefit for the “common good”. But these don’t uniquely affect the art community, there are likely countless instances of populations being exploited, resources being pillaged all in part due to the machinations of the broader system. As artists, creatives IMO two direct choices that can be made is to 1) see the system, and then seek to develop strategic pathways navigating the structures, 2) choose to make our art affirming. A third available choice of action is to involve ourselves in advocacy, policy work should we feel that’s the path we want to undertake.
I agree with every expression of understanding and compassion in what you’ve shared, as well as the loneliness that comes with a “life online”
I’m actually reading a fantastic book on the topic as we speak called “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt - it’s a serious issue that should not be taken lightly
That said, you also have to set a clear voice against what’s very hurtful and antisocial behaviour. Regardless of Morgan’s opinions and emotions - dragging someone else’s name down for your own gain is not a reasonable remedy to your own struggles if such struggles exist
So yes, I was being gently punitive in my tone, I’m a father of 3, all around Morgan’s age give or take.
I and am taking a gentle yet fatherly stance on the matter (thankfully) because Morgan needs to know that this type of public behaviour is damaging to themselves and others
I would never try to “destroy” Morgan, they aren’t villains or evil, but they are learning the harsh reality of the online world, thankfully in a safe place where there’s understanding
What we don’t want is to subject them to the broader, far more sociopathic world of online harassment that can come with being called out publicly - death threats, insults, demeaning etc… we’ve seen it many times with celebrity controversy
Yes, this is punitive, that’s what communities do, hopefully in productive and well meaning ways
Like they say “it takes a community to raise a child” - and I consider this a community, and a community needs parenting if it’s to remain a healthy and safe one
Am I calling myself Morgan’s dad?
No, but I am almost 49 years old and I am a father and I do believe that Morgan is currently trying to play in a very adult playground in a dangerously irresponsible way that could bring them harm
I do believe that the online world needs more parents cause this shit is not safe for kids
Hopefully Morgan is feeling a little embarrassed, upset, ashamed
That’s called “growing up”
I thought Adam's "aggressiveness" toward the end was just the right level that was appropriate in response to this actual bullying that took place. Even if Morgan isn't intending to be a bully in the long term, they were in fact a bully in that video, and bullying should always be met with a stern response explaining why it is wrong. As I was watching Adam speak I definitely felt like he resembled a dad or even a teacher. Turns out he's both, lol.
It’s so important to assume the best of people and reach out to people directly. Thanks for sharing your wisdom. I am really hoping for more camaraderie in the art community.
I’m 108 videos in on UA-cam and I have 185 subscribers. I am so grateful for every single one of them. They are truly my community and help me and I hope what I share helps them. Community is so key and I appreciate you touching on that.
Assuming the best of people is a great thing, but to me actions speak the loudest and I can hardly see Morgan as a nice person if they are willing to publicly attack someone they never interacted with without real proof.
That aside you are really impressive, I been on this youtube journey for 3 years and I'm still far from the 100 videos although I have been blessed with 75 subscribers, helping them out while sharing my art journey are may main motivation
@@Axiasart Well in the case of Morgan I will assume everyone makes mistakes and everyone can grow. I’m hoping their intention was to share a grievance and not defame other artist and this entire situation will open their eyes to look for the best in others content too.
Thanks so much for applauding my efforts on my channel! I really appreciate it. I checked out your channel and honestly the level of effort that goes into one of your videos may be like 15 of mines so I do hope you give yourself a lottttt of credit too. You are an incredible artist and your videos inspire me to get to making!
Wow, i did not know about any of this and just happened to watch your video, turns out there was a big surprise at the end. I really respect the way you handled this situation
While I feel for this guy, I can't help but think that it's unreasonable to expect thousands of people who don't know you at all to crowd around your art videos. People want to get something out of a video when they watch it. Either they're looking for advice, or entertainment, or education, etc. It may be something you personally enjoyed making, but that doesn't make for good content always. If a video you made about something different blows up, that's great!
I'm personally planning to try some other forms of content myself as well, probably some video essays about horror stuff, who knows. If something does significantly well, that's just an opportunity for me to integrate my art into making the quality of that thing as entertaining and good as possible. 😄 What I take from this is that he just had a big break, but instead of seeing it as an opportunity, he's seeing it as a personal insult. 😕
I've never met a "very good" artist who says "my art is very good". Everyone is too nice to point out that he makes mediocre art so he garners mediocre levels of attention. On top of that, the fact that he's offended that people aren't all flocking to his channel of "very good art" just makes him unlikable. He's still young and has plenty of room to grow, but man that attitude does not make me want to root for him.
It’s not up to me to judge their work. It wasn’t a good look for them when they did it to Kelsey, I’m not about to repeat inconsiderate behaviour
I've been thinking long and hard about what I want to say. This situation with Morgan has me in an interesting place. I'm mostly frustrated, and mad, but also a little sad. I think it's because I see my younger self in Morgan. I remember being more upset at my environment than willing to address my own flaws. And maybe it's because of this similarity that when I directly compare my own struggles and my efforts to get into content creation that I'm overall just frustrated with the path Morgan chose to walk. And maybe some of it is recognizing that this path is one I could have taken had I not gone on my own journey and began to address the real reasons why my life is where it's at now. Including why I struggled with content creation and, more importantly, my art.
If there's anything valuable to be found with what I say, I hope it's this: it's okay to accept that we are inadequate. Sometimes, life does have a way with getting away from you. It gets harder and harder to stay the path or correct it. Access to mental health services make that difficult, and I know for a fact had I not decided to pursue therapy things would be a little different. It took time to get to where I currently am now. It took 10 years to figure it out, but I'm finally there. I'm on the right path... but I know it's still going to be a while. And that is okay.
One of my favourite Brennan Lee Mulligan quotes encapsulates this: "urgency is not the same as importance. I keep putting out fires when I should be building a fire proof place to live." Though like Brennan, recognizing it was one thing from actually doing this. But once I stopped trying to force content creation or making art to placate the anxiety of urgency, things have gotten a little bit better.
I learned very quickly that content creation is a beast to approach. We can't rush with it; things take time to build, and you need to be smart with your choices. Keep the full time desk job, work on the passion projects as a hobby. This actually does more to benefit your mental health than trying to pivot too early. And most importantly, recognize the flaws in your own efforts and address those before anything else. I started keeping a daily planner, and introduced structure into my free hours to build better habits. It is definitely a work in progress that needs improvement. But I'm actually making things again. I've done so many illustrations this year alone compared to the last few years combined. I'm actually doing game dev now! And I'm writing again, and even though it's not the novel I trunked more than 5 years ago (if even that) I'm still telling stories. I've never been so relieved about that.
I know I'm saying this with the benefit of someone who had 10 years to figure this out. But I'm 32 this year, my life is barely getting started, and that's okay. Because doing it slow is so much better than rushing ahead with a half-baked plan and then getting mad about it. That's an unhealthy, toxic cycle that no one should ever get trapped in.
Whoever finds any value in this, thanks for reading.
Sincerely, a full-time back-office admin in Finance and game dev hobbyist, writer, and artist. Or, a work-in-progress.
I actually like this message so much because most content creators or just trends is to expect young people to be instant success and just all or nothing plan. Especially it’s almost treated you failed or not a real artists if you aren’t an instant success.
18:47 I totally agree. Having a youtube channel has always been a great avenue for learning new skills. Even though it can take away from drawing time, I feel a bit refreshed when I get back into it after producing a video. Same is true for any other forms of monetization, if you try to tackle those with passion and creativity it can make it far less grueling
You’ve produced enough videos to see the BIG picture, the macro perspective of a life’s achievements
It’s a valuable perspective for everyone to know about, I’ve followed you for years and you’ve always been on the human side of creation
Honestly Adam, I think you were very kind in your response to Morgan, his reaching 1000 subscribers through tearing down another is quite foul behaviour, and dont constantly tell everyone how great you are at Art, and then claim to you keep yourself humble... Honestly for artists, the work usually speaks for itself. His struggle on youtube may be partially due to his utter lack of empathy for the community, his eminating negativity, lack of experience making videos, and as you pointed out, isolating oneself from the community. Thank you for the video Adam, hope you are well!
Being a hater shouldnt be a hobby at all
I remember watching Morgan's video about art styles and I remember it being good. But when I saw that "pyramid scheme" video it just seemed like drama for drama's sake so I didn't watch it. It's a shame that they've gone through that path, as drama only brings out more drama.
I've been watching this video as I drew, and it helped me think about my own channel and social media presence, I still need to find my "voice" and somehow niche, I guess? I'm just trying many different art-related topics trying to see what can land best, but now I know that I need to give it time and I will someday find my niche + voice, just as you've said. It's been motivating to hear.
Lol censorship at its finest
Thank you Adam. Your care about community is very heartwarming and inspiring. This video made my day )
Thanks for the deep dive into Morgans video , dissecting it and the concluding takeaways were pretty spot on.
no I'm sorry you went terminator mode , I agree 100% with everything that you said ( even the not harassing ) and I'm gonna watch his vid just to have a full picture but I'm actually proud to have you here protecting this community ( even though I was frustrated about the ai situation and I'm sorry for giving in to the blind frustration ). This reminded me of why we have people like you here ( and I should also do my part better)
I’m just happy you’re here - don’t worry about it for a moment, AI is a very challenging topic for all of us
This is one the best videos about artistic practice/career. Thank you for providing insightful advice
i feel like they have the potential to add a lot of valuable things to the community, & i hope that they take this to heart & use it as an opportunity to move in the right direction. it’s really disheartening that they made up their mind about these artists (kelsey in particular) without giving them the benefit of the doubt or having a conversation with them & that sucks. i’ve always really loved kelsey’s videos, & have found them to be greatly helpful & inspiring as someone who hopes to someday make art into a full time career (or at the very least, a successful side hustle). i understand being frustrated but it feels like they took out that frustration on other artists.
Thanks for sticking up for our community ✌🏼💕😊
Very well said Sir
Bravo Adam! I follow you and the person he threw under the buss and agree it's not the way to go about getting continuing views. While some of the topics he brought up where legit frustrations: I don't believe anyone is entitled to views. I had a youtube channel i got locked out of because I cant remember the password. It never did gain any real amount of views: so I get his is this worth the ROI and perhaps i should just be focusing on just making the art. Ive been doing art since 1996. I even went as far as going to college for programming to try to be able to do at least graphic art. So he has no idea the level of frustration that can go into trying to make a art career thrive. I've gone through phases, that have been fads as part of my art career as well. An totally wished I had documented my journey more. 14 years ago, I said to myself you really need to get around to making youtube videos. I wish I had so I might have some momentum now. Instead, I took a studio job that sucked up all my time. I totally appreciate the artist, like yourself that bring something of value to the online art community. An dont just do it as stunts to get eyeballs on them. While I feel for the frustration the kid shared, cause I myself have felt it at times he shouldnt lash out at those doing better then him on this platform. She has worked hard and earned her success. It takes a lot of effort to do youtube well. An I want to point out: a lot of the artist doing short reels on instagram and facebook arent the best. Its a grab for attention. Im so thankful I got that kinda validation already in my career and no longer sensitive when I dont get it. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. The community does need your voice!
great points and very thoughtfully spoken~ thank you for sharing your view on this
I wasnt expecting this video to be so thought provoking, I've been making art my whole life and am never sure I have the skills or bravery to do it, thank you for the video, i wont forget this.
"As an artist you have to overcome this entitlement" I think there is wisdom in this. I often say "the first victim of complaining is you", not meaning that you shouldn't talk about what causes you issues, discomfort or frustration (you should find ways to change the source of these issues), but more as when you keep hoarding anger you are going to build a bad mindset around the endeavor. Also you could "brainwash" yourself into this entitlement that everything should be easier or more successful, so it would be fair. That doesn't help you and quite honestly sounds like a recipe for disaster.
Don't know why they think Instagram would be different then UA-cam and also their assessment of UA-cam is slightly inaccurate, its still UA-cam whether you are talking about yourself or not ... By saying you want to make a certain type of content because it is getting traction is the same reason why the artist they complained about are making those videos because its getting traction and also instagram will do the same in the future its all apart of the algorithm for us to play into and then reinforce until something breaks the mold forming a new algorithm...
I said Instagram will do the same in the future, but in a way they already do the same thing right now just in a different way. Instagram literally does the same thing that UA-cam does with pushing content, for example on IG if you make a certain type of content you would see that some of your followers are not seeing and for some strange reason even people with hundred thousand followers get low engagement if they pivot so slightly on IG...
Subscribed because i really appreciate your kind of voice in the community. Informative, holds weight without pulling people down for the sake of pulling people down.
So nice to see response videos instead of reactions. Thank you for this very mature, and respectful take. So important to show that there's a way to express differing opinions without bullying. Hopefully they are going to learn their lesson and put more time into their art and communication and less into victim narratives, while talking down and hurting others. Fingers crossed.
"...your memories to everyone else is a new experience" Holy shit, Adam. I know it may not seem like much but I am blown away by that and I think its what i needed to hear as a writer
Thank you so much for this video Adam. The community needs to hear this.
Since Morgan says they have put a lot of effort into their channel, I want to assume they have made more than 11 videos. It’s common practice to unlist videos that don’t do well or no longer represent the content you want to make, and they seem to be at a turning point for their channel.
I saw the pyramid scheme video recommended to me but didn’t click, I’m glad you brought it to my attention. I watched it afterwards and I get their point, but this isn’t done the right way.
As a creator myself (for 5 years now on different channels), a lot of what you said about UA-cam resonated with me and validated some conclusions I had come to after experiences and mistakes. How crucial it is to stay yourself. That was really good to hear, thank you for your perspective!
If i were morgue i would apologize to kelsey
Bruh, 90% of suggested art content by youtube algorithm is same shit over and over. "TOP 5 easy and fast MISTAKES/TIPS/TECHNIQUES/ADVICE for artists for amazing results" with same information that echoes on their channel forever with a different title. Or some clickbait video 1 hour long that you need to watch for 15min just to know wtf it is about and 30min later you close it after wasting 30 min of your time. I agree with Morgan at some things like that majority of UA-cam Art channels are just art education businesses and some are more greedy than others, some are more deceptive than others and some are more qualified than others. People need to be more caution and pessimistic and know that if a youtuber brings up his paid class or mentorship 10 times a video it's not because he cares about your art progress but it's because he is trying to sell you his product.
I get his frustration. But youtube takes time. I think the problem is he "destroyed" his youtube feed with those "how much i make as an artist" videos. I was watching them and of course youtube started to recommend them to me. And all I saw were only this kind of videos rather tutorials about art which i love. I have got the impression that you need to make only videos about money as an artist, not about art. Like Adam said.... art is very niche. I've got trapped in this marketing/sale topic. The best thing is to focus on relevant and positive topics you are interested in and then you will reach YOUR target audience. The world is negative enough. Create a positive safe space on youtube.
im glad you brought this up, the entire video felt limited by Morgan not leaving the bubble of social media content he was in
28:28. I recently started a channel, myself, and this is kind of the route I'm taking. It's partly inspired by your channel, but also by something Kelsey had said at an online conference I attended. She said something along the lines of people craving authenticity and how what makes each artist unique is their personal journey.
But more importantly than taking her advice, I think this is what I have to offer. I wear my heart on my sleeve for those willing to listen. And I haven't had any of the success that you've had. I graduated with a degree in animation 12 years ago, but I've never had a job in a studio. I've freelanced here and there over the years but never had steady clientele. And yet, at this point in time, I'm the most hopeful I've been since I was a wide-eyed 20 year old. Hopefully someone who's been trying to hone their craft while on the outside looking in can still resonate
"I can't empathize with a cutthroat."
Truer words have not been said.
I'm so appreciative of you and Chelsea and this☝🏼 This response creates a better world for all of us and we sure need it right now. ❤❤❤
I can’t watch this Morgue again, he is entitled and bitter.
Adam, the voice of reason. ♥ I'm so happy that both you and Kelsey did not make fun of or ridicule Morgan. I think it's easy to feel angry and pissed off and it's easy to be reactive with something like this, but you both handled it very well. I did go and watch that video where they called out Kelsey and I did not see any hate comments on there. I absolutely ADORE Kelsey for being a good-hearted and sincere human being. We really need more people like her in the world. 🙏
I'm totally on the fence about this. It was Kelsey's content that motived me to start UA-cam, and before UA-cam I don't consider that I was marketing my work correctly. Conventions are very hard to do here where I live in and there's hardly any other way to start getting myself out there. But at the same time I agree with Morgan's pyramid scheme video. He talks about overpriced courses and income stream transparency, and that's something I think art youtubers should be having. It's extremely misleading for someone trying to start out saying you're a full time artist when your first income stream is not even art. But at the same time he says youtubers purposefully make a lot of videos on more than one subject to get people come back to watching, but I think that reflects a bit of a lack of understanding of what being a UA-camr is. You change your opinion with experiences, you learn, and that's why you make more videos on just one subject.
I agree with you on this. Morgan almost hit the nail on the head with the fact that people are selling a dream they themselves aren't experienced in. Kelsey is skilled as an artist, but for several years only had one art piece on her shop. This caused many people (including me) to tilt their heads and think "wait, is she really selling art as her main source of income as she says?" Selling her marketing skills should be her focus, not portraying herself as selling art as a majority income if she might not be.
Art tutorial youtubers bother me a lot because many of them can't teach worth a damn. It is simply them advertising their art with small tidbits of regurgitated tips without examples of use.
It's hard to find popular artist education youtubers who don't fall into formulas that cause them to stagnate as artists.
I have mixed feelings as well. I think it helps to really research the person before you buy anything. What is their experience? What are the prices? Most every artist I follow does supplement their art business with either resources or courses, so I feel like that alone is a little too generic in itself to label someone as a part of a 'pyramid scheme'. It really depends on what they are offering for the value.
@@nursebee-vomit5058 I don't know this person's history, but even if their current shop does not offer art, they might still have experience selling art in the past. They might have had a reason they took time away from the art making side of things. I can understand your concerns from that perspective though.
@@LillenArt2I checked her website yesterday and I saw several prints. The actual art shop can be found in the menu, but the link on her front page doesn't go to it for some reason.
Her prints are nice from what I've seen. I'm not sure why she only had one or none up for so long.
Morgan's art is nice, too. Ignoring everything else, I like his work.
As a professional artist, I don’t sell my art online. I don’t even sell my prints online anymore. Viable sales at good rates are not coming from there, and it only cheapened my work to list it online at all. Y’all need to learn media literacy and differentiate between what is posted or made available via one digital medium versus the whole of someone does as an artist.
Thank you Adam for this message and encouragement.
You’re right. We do need each other. ❤
Thank you for your thoughts on this and your always gentle and level-minded nature.
Allow me a second on a soapbox to add a thought that you of course can't.
As an artist (author), who is also from the queer community, I'm sad that the stigmas that new extreme "woke" manages to cast a bad light on the overall pretty easy-going and invisible part of the community that doesn't need to wave the flag and shout in order to exist and add to our other communities. They (Morgue Design) makes a lot of good points, but the execution is...unfortunate, to put it mildly. What I mostly see sensible people react against is extreme wokeism where people forget that the respect we EARN in life is earned from how we show up and what value we bring to others, meaning our families, our communities, etc. Extreme wokeism is rare BUT loud, and their entitlement harms the rest of the community their entitled minds think they speak on behalf of. I'm not saying Morgue does/thinks this!!! I haven't watched all their videos or know who they referred to. But I've seen it! Even among "allies". I'm merely stating that the loud ones that people mainly hear don't speak for those of us too busy trying to add value while focusing on our own shit to be able to follow the drama and shout louder, stating a single sentence: You do not speak for me.
Outside that rant, I really respect you for going through the video (even when YOU were actually called out, and you skated right past that), and you added nuanced thoughts on the topic, managing to make it broader. That's why I follow you. I admire your ability to add perspective. I admire your ability to calmly walk us through tough topics - often times mental blockades in the realms of art. This is what makes a great teacher. Presenting material. Adding thoughts and nuances. Leaving food for thought to be contemplated. Especially in the realms of the creative. 2+2, the earth is round, and dinosaurs exited is just one side of teaching. Art, philosophy, ethics... You do that well!
And I just love your voice, man! Cream to the ears with valuable content, and I always sketch and just have a moment of peacefulness.
Thank you.