So I’ve just been let on about Ylvis two weeks ago– two brothers, Bård and Vegard Ylvisaker from Bergen, Norway who has their own comedy talk show and has now garnered millions of new fans because of their viral videos (thanks VIvian & Shemei!). And if you have not heard of “The Fox” (shown above) and the lesser known video “Stonehenge” – you have got to check it out. Just hit play, and I’ll wait for you to be done – because if you didn’t, you’ll have no clue as to what the rest of this article is about.
Now, I’m not sure what your first reaction would be, but for me, when I heard their songs I thanked my lucky stars that I wasn’t drinking water or chewing anything because I could have spewed it out all over the screen. Like it or love it – there are many divisive thoughts about the brothers and the videos that got them worldwide attention since September 2013.
But clearly they must be doing something right – they’re on fully booked tours, contemplating signing record deals from the biggest companies, as well as interviews and guest appearances lined up to go. While the first viewing made me go WTF several times throughout; when I replayed their videos to Mr. T, I found myself enjoying (and yes, even appreciating) their weird sense of humor even more. The howling, the weird body spasms, the sheer randomness of it all, and how they’ve managed to create not just one, but a few tracks at that. It was pure silliness and they’re embarrassingly ingenious.
It reminded me of a time when my sister and I were young, I think I was about 12 – and we made recordings of ourselves on our mini compo (do people even call it that these days?). We sang the weirdest songs which we made up on the spot, and pretended we were hosts on a radio show – making up characters that were being interviewed as we went along. And we were so serious about it too (laughing out loud was only allowed during replays!) One time, we even interviewed our parents to find out what it felt like to be our parents. And suffice to say their response was hilarious (and no this little gem won’t find its way onto the internet.)
And so, listening to Ylvis brought back a lot of memories. While we did a lot of silly things when we were young – I realized that we as adults would hardly think to do the stuff that these brothers did; and that goes for the stuff that we used to do as kids. So in honor of the comedic duo, I’d like to list down 5 things that you can learn from them in your effort of growing your art (and business).
Lesson #1: Not taking yourself too seriously
Ylvis made a deal with one of the hottest producers in New York – a company called Stargate who has produced videos for Beyonce and Rihanna, and wanted to see how they would come up with something in response to their challenging material. They wanted to see how far they could push the producers (who were used to doing classy, normal, regular productions) and in their words, thought it was “more fun to abuse them somehow“.
I think that with all the seriousness of finding your way as an artist, and in an effort to reach certain financial goals; you’ll find that the element of fun goes away really fast, especially if you’ve been working hard without having much results to show for it. Not taking yourself seriously helps to remove the pressure from dealing with the necessary (although mundane) and to just allow yourself room to laugh and play.
Lesson #2: Don’t be afraid of being laughed at. Or criticized.
They are comedians, so they were obviously looking to get laughs out of their material – but beyond that, there were also the people who don’t get it. The people who would not hesitate to yell out “that’s stupid!”, or close the YouTube video that they’ve been watching, 2 minutes into one of their songs. Bård and Vegard don’t really care what you think because clearly they’re enjoying themselves.
If you’ve ever shied away from putting up your work because you don’t believe you’re good enough, or because you are afraid of what other people think of you, it’s time to stop. People are going to have an opinion on what you do, no matter if you like it or not. The trick is to not let their thoughts and actions affect you – and you can do this by proactively not seeking them out in the first place. If you allow others to project their fears onto you, you’ve lost before you ever begin.
Lesson #3: Being true to yourself
While their videos were hilarious, I’m pretty sure it was also also because what they’ve put out was relatable. I’m sure there was more than one person who wondered what Stonehenge was about (hands up if you’re one of them). While being able to put those sort of questions (and their hilarious subsequent answers) makes for an interesting video, it was their offbeat charm of being true to what they do that makes them shine.
With artists, there’s a constant internal struggle between doing what you want and doing what others want of you. And while finding a balance is important (no one will ever pay you to sit on a couch for 12 hours to watch MadMen) there is a lesser-known path that might just hit the sweet spot and it’s about creating what others can relate to. This way, you’re able to tell your personal story, and you get to build an emotional connection with your audience. Give it a go.
Lesson #4: Don’t do it for the money
Did Ylvis hope to gain lots of money or eyeballs for their video? They weren’t looking to do so. In fact, they didn’t expect much from it at all (prior to The Fox video, their highest grossing views ever was 2.2 million, against The Fox’s 73 million.)
While there isn’t anything wrong with creating for the sake of getting lots of money in return, you’ll soon find out that if you don’t enjoy the process then it gets a lot harder as you go along. You’ll feel torn up inside, and very soon, you’ll look for a way out no matter how much the ends justify the means.
Which brings us to:
Lesson #5: Do your best work, and the rewards will come.
Ylvis didn’t do any of this for anyone – they were just being themselves, and they’ve worked hard to get to where they want to be. The videos that went viral was only the icing on top of the cake, built on a foundation that they’ve put in place for a long time.
For artists who have been putting themselves out there, and who have continuously put in the hard but necessary work to get to where they want to be, give yourself a pat in the back. But if you’ve found that you haven’t gotten to where you want to be, or can’t quite see what the future lies for you, I think that going through lessons #1 to #4 might be able to help shed some light to help you along your way.
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I’d love to hear from you – is there someone who has inspired you in your creative journey? Whether it’s a celebrity, a personality, or perhaps it’s just your high school teacher – no one is off limits. Was it what they did, or what they said? Share your insights with us!
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