How to Be Believable: The Artist's Approach

Have you ever told the truth only to find no one believes you? If your credibility is in question, your message, no matter how truthful, won't resonate. The truth remains the truth. Yet, there are times when the believability of the truth is determined by other factors. It’s frustrating when you have something important to say but no one listens. So, what was missing in your delivery? Let's explore what you may have overlooked.

This problem is highlighted by the difficulty politicians have in gaining public trust. Elections are imminent in Europe and America, including the United Kingdom, where polls show nearly 50 percent of the public are undecided. Many who do support a party are half-hearted. Voters explain that they don’t believe politicians, whether about not raising taxes, funding public services, or other promises. Why do organizations and individuals find it hard to convince people of their message?

Lie Like an Artist

Source: Rod Judkins

Techniques Used by Artists

The solution is for politicians and anyone else to adopt techniques used by artists. By "artist," I mean artists, writers, composers, filmmakers, advertising teams, and others in the creative industries. In a chapter from my latest book, Lie Like an Artist, I explain the artist's approach and why it works.

Picasso said, "We all know art is not truth. Art is a lie that helps us realize the truth." Significant truths are difficult to convey, so creative people develop ways to communicate them. They may use illusions (art, films, novels, songs), but with the best possible intentions—to give you a deeper insight than mere facts can.

Many people lie to hide the truth, to pull a blindfold over your eyes. However, the creative person’s goal is to lift the blindfold and reveal truths about our inner world of thoughts and emotions or the outer world.

Revealing Truths

Artists are motivated by the sense of purpose that revealing truths gives them. As Aristotle said, “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” We look at films, paintings, novels, and TV programs because artists give us a deeper awareness of what it means to be human. They reveal who we truly are.

Years ago, I wasn’t convinced by Jackson Pollock’s drip paintings. They looked too easy. I’d think, "Anyone could do that." Now I’m convinced by those paintings because I believe in Pollock. He persuaded me he’s a great artist. I’ve seen hundreds of drawings and paintings he produced during the 20 years that led to his iconic drip paintings. He made his process and thinking transparent for all to see.

Pollock’s years of preparation prove his commitment to exploring his inner world. He made sacrifices in his personal and professional life for his work. The history of his artistic struggles is laid bare, so I’m convinced. The agitated marks reflect his erratic, hyperactive personality. He died before I was born, but I know him because he was unflinchingly honest and revealed himself in his paintings.

The core of every artist is believability. I believe in Basquiat, Kahlo, Mahler, and Hemingway because they stuck to their core values: come rain or shine. Their dedication is compelling. I believe what they say in their work because I believe in them as artists.

No one will believe what you say unless they believe in you. To believe in you, they must trust you. To be trusted, you must be genuine. Words like trust and integrity may seem old-fashioned in a world of gimmicks and quick fixes, but people's belief in you is a valuable asset.

This article is based on a chapter from the book Lie Like an Artist by Rod Judkins, published by Bis Publishers.