All businesses start as a response to a demand in the market. The problem with the flourish community right now is that demand for this type of performance is very limited and awareness, while better than it was 10 years ago, is still incredibly niche. Furthermore, relegating it strictly to commercials and video only further narrows the scope of what is possible. These are challenges that, while not insurmountable, a performer still needs to be aware of going in.
So let's take a hypothetical young flourisher. For the sake of discussion, we'll refer to him as James. James understands the challenges described above, so he decides to start small and work his way up. The first thing he needs to do is hone his skills through practical experience while also absorbing performance theory and media theory.
James begins this little trek by going onto the streets to do short flourishing routines for tips in the style of a busking juggler or a guerrilla magician. The streets are a true crucible that force you to step up your game in a hurry or you don't get tips. James also searches for open-mic nights at all the local coffee shops, juice bars, etc. This also serves the double purpose of being an excellent place to network with other local artists. Remember, to get on TV, David Blaine first did an insane amount of networking among the various artists, actors, filmmakers and musicians in his native NYC. He learned all about media from them and it in turn enhanced his own abilities as a performer.
At the same time, James goes to the library to learn a little about marketing and copywriting. He's going to be a one-man operation for the foreseeable future, so he needs to learn the business side of entertainment. Once he's feeling more comfortable in front of audiences, he starts by setting up an online presence with some social media, maybe a website, but most definitely building up a mailing list. He collects emails whenever he performs and keeps people updated of when and where he's going to be performing, what new material he's working on, new videos, etc.
Once he's established as a regular at the open-mic nights, he starts asking the bosses if they could give him some testimonials for his website. By now, if he's tracking the open rate to his email list, he should have a better idea of what demographics and types of people respond to his act as well as what aspects of it people seem to like the best, including in his own personality and the persona he projects when performing. With a handle on this, he sheds what isn't working and plays up what is.
For the sake of argument, let's say that James is a debonair, charming guy like an old-fashioned movie star. He's classy, witty and keeps his mouth shut enough to be intriguing and a little bit mysterious. He starts performing on stage wearing only black and white and using cards with similarly classy looks. He notes that his audience especially likes the aerial moves he's worked into his show, so he expands on that, even adding card throwing to his list of skills. He might even make vegetable chopping with thrown cards a part of his act.
Once he has a decent list going (at least several hundred strong) with an open rate of higher 10%, that's enough for a modest, though not great start. He puts together a list of bars, clubs and other venues that are known to book live entertainment. If he's kept up with his networking, he might even team up with a couple of other entertainers such as musicians to offer a package deal to the prospects. They put together the direct mail campaign and follow up. They persist in mailing and calling until they either are given the gigs or the venue starts hanging up on them. One of the hooks James uses in his campaign is the uniqueness of his act translating to word of mouth and bragging rights for the venue. They're hosting a talent unlike anything else in the area, drawing people in through sheer novelty. Your job as an entertainer is to always, no exceptions, make the guy who booked you look good and possibly make him a little wealthier by the end of the night.
When James finally does get his gigs, he always, always, always tries to add as many people as he can to his list. He gets more testimonials. He sends out new mailers. He designs mail campaigns to venues that already booked him to get repeat gigs. Once he's established himself, he then has a strong platform to jump into other media such as TV appearance, web video at popular sites, etc.
Can the same end result be achieved through serendipity? Yes. But Cinderella stories are few and far between. It's playing the lottery. It cannot be depended on to produce consistent results.
This is the sort of thing I'm talking about. The above story is hypothetical, but the actions I described work consistently. It's very doable, very achievable. It does require work on your part, but it's far more likely to produce results than just posting more videos on YouTube and hoping that someone sees you.
