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In my first article here, I commented briefly on the "flip side" of the joy of fan support. Indeed, being a fan should be a joyful and fun experience. We all should be able to go to a show, love the spirit of what draws us there, and be able to show appreciation to artists. Unfortunately, dealing with our humanity and needing to feel wanted and accepted sometimes gets in the way. When favoritism arises, it can create unpleasant situations, regardless of whether it involves secular or Christian artists. The ground becomes fertile for hurt feelings and, especially in the case of Christian artists, the focus on the real reason for being there can get lost.

Take it from someone who's been there and back. I've struggled with this because I've been on both sides of the fence. Yes, I've had a fair share of public artist appreciation…but that has sometimes come with a price. I've been on the receiving end of jealousy and resentment because of it. As much as I've enjoyed occasional "favors" I've received as a result of support, I've wondered how fair it was to other fans. On the other hand, there were times when I've felt left out of things and I believed what little best I had to offer in support wasn't good enough.

The most important thing that fans and artists can do is not set up a competitive atmosphere. Of course, it's nice to be recognized. It's great that the artists can know you by your first name. Some fans do reach a greater degree of recognition by virtue of the amount of their visibility, or by actions that get them noticed.

However, fans should not make such recognition a status or self-esteem issue. If someone mentions a kindness they've gotten from an artist, don't do "one-ups", such as "well, he said this to me," etc., drop names or try to demonstrate something to make your experiences seem bigger and brighter than someone else's.

Conversely, the artists need to be careful to not elevate certain fans over others. In many cases, fans know each other and can be very perceptive. They can pick up on it when it looks like an artist is playing to an audience of one or two where it's actually a full house. I am aware that friendships can be formed between artists and fans, and I've had that experience as well. It's for this very reason that discretion is critical. I've seen friendships fall by the wayside because things started getting competitive or expectations got out of line.

Some of us only have the equivalent of the widow's mite in terms of time and talent. We can't travel as much or we can't afford to be generous as other fans. We take what little we have and try our best to make it go far. It's important to demonstrate that a little can go just as much a long way as a lot…and for the fans in that category to know that artists value it just as much.


Wendy Vickers
http://www.wendyv.com
http://www.embraceencouragement.com

Reader Comments

Thanks, Wendy, for another very perceptive article.

God is good all the time & all the time God is good. 

Elaine Harcourt

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