Think like a media hacker

Think like a media hacker

Artist and creative entrepreneurs want to change the world. Whether it is through music, graphic design, animation, filming a commercial or writing a newsletter— creative entrepreneurs want to enter the day-to-day lives of people, and make a lasting impression.

But no matter how valuable your content is, if it doesn’t capture attention, people won’t notice it, won’t see it or listen to it. Your good intentions and desires to have a positive impact on the world come to a sudden halt when it doesn’t get the chance to be seen, heard or read. This week’s letter is about how to turn the attention economy’s tools into instruments of expression. To see beyond the surface and using what’s available to create something impossible to ignore.

Play the game

My medium of choice were visual arts, after having grown up with graffiti in my teens. The art world was not my world and soon enough I chose music. I spend year at perfecting the craft, or rather I was struggling most of the time to match the ideas I heard in my head with what actually came out of my hands.

It was in this period that I met Digital artist Frank Nitty 3000. Frank transforms still, stylized fashion images into quirky, illustrative moving collages. Currently based out of Hong Kong, Franky Nitty 3000 works partly as a visual artist and art director. We met in Eindhoven where Frank studied at The Design Academy in Eindhoven. He was rapping like RZA, we became close friends, and started making music together. For a period he lived in a room in my small rented house in Eindhoven.

Years later— Frank had already moved to Tokyo —when my music started to be any good, I managed to get a deal with a small Japanese label to release my first album. This turned into nothing. The releases I had after that did the same. Almost nothing. No DJ, (pirate) radio would play it and besides some excited personal messages, the release went ‘wood’.

The labels I released on were small, and they had no muscle to get the music in the right places.

I realized that in order to get my music heard, I had to play the game a little differently.

Art as a Trojan Horse

Around that time, we started working for international brands, as Frank’s career started to pick up. We were excited about working with iconic fashion brands, because the fashion industry at that level isn’t afraid to push artistic boundaries. It was a perfect idea: We could make work we would make as an independent artist, and at the same time leverage the global reach and impact of these brands as our canvas. This way we could reach a number of people within a cool niche we never could reach on our own. Plus, being associated with brands like GUCCI is a validation of having style and quality. This way we could marry Art with Commerce and have a hug audience to see and hear it, injecting our subculture message into the mainstream. In a way it’s a modern day iteration of the idea of Graffiti in the 80’s: The use of public spaces as a canvas. We leveraged the means available in our favor.

The problem is:

I wonder why not more ‘serious’ artists try to use the systems and tools available to broadcast their work. The problem is this: Many creative entrepreneurs shy away from commercial activities. They fear that their work will lose authenticity. They focus on the act of creation itself, because it’s often their primary source of satisfaction. Exploring new ideas, perfecting a piece, or innovating is rewarding. Commercial activities may feel shallow, or feel like creative compromises, where innovation / creation is aligned with making money. This focus on creative satisfaction shows a focus on personal growth, artistic integrity, and innovation. And there’s nothing wrong with that, on the contrary. The problem with this is, that the journey of a creative entrepreneur, designer or artist is about more than ‘making something great’— getting the work out there in the world, where it can do its important work— is equally important.

You can choose to be a genius innovator or creative whose art never leaves the room, or make something for the people.

What do you want?

You can choose. Think about it: You’re a creative entrepreneur because you want to:

• Change the world for the better
• Show the world what’s possible
• Touch a random person with your work
• Can’t stand the idea of working for someone else

The modern creative shouldn’t be limited by old rules. We’re bold enough to draft a new strategy moving forward. Our approach to the world is as if it’s a collection of Lego blocks: We combine existing elements that everybody knows, to construct something new and thrilling that captivates everyone.

If we can think new thoughts, we shouldn’t shy away from making them a reality. We can use social media and brands collaborations as our tools. We can ride trending ideas to get our deeper message spread. Knowing what’s getting attention and leveraging it, is the way to play it now. These systems function like “Trojan Horses”: Deep messages packed as commercial activities.

Examples

Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based street artist, political activist, and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation.

Banksy doesn’t just make art; he uses the media’s hunger for stories as his canvas. He knows that the system of media thrives on disruption. His work, often illegal and controversial, challenges authority and get immediate coverage.

The Fabricant The Fabricant is a pioneering digital fashion house that leverages co-creativity through platforms like Instagram to grow both its brand and the digital fashion industry as a whole. By pushing their community in collaborative design processes, they empower individuals to become digital co-creators, fostering an innovative fashion ecosystem.

They position themselves in the centre of the digital fashion industry, following the birth of The Metaverse and the environmental impact the traditional fashion industry is to blame for.

They know how to ride these waves of attention, and use social media as a core element of their business. Their Instagram page is a dynamic space for showcasing digital fashion pieces and inviting community participation. For instance, they host remix challenges there, encouraging followers to reinterpret existing designs, thereby promoting creativity and a sense of being part of something new and important.

FrankNitty3000 FrankNitty3000 is a pioneer in merging digital art with commercial imagery. His work involves collaborations with prestigious global brands such as Gucci, Burberry, Louboutin, and Dior, further solidifying his role as a trailblazer in this field. He gained recognition through his Instagram account by frequently posting a peculiar animation. These posts earned him an underground reputation and helped his account achieve a robust following. His rising fame caught the attention of global fashion brands eager to collaborate with him and be associated with “the new thing.”

Interview FrankNitty3000

I asked Frank about his approach in balancing creativity and commerce.

Joris: You’ve mastered the balance between creating impactful visuals and getting them seen in an oversaturated digital landscape. Can you break down a specific example of how you’ve “hacked” traditional or social media systems to turn a creative idea into a widely shared moment?

Frank: A specific example is motion tracking my visuals into real world video footage.

This technology has been around in the visual effects world for ages and there is nothing mysterious about it. when you ask a pro vfx artist who might work in the movie industry he/she will tell you that.

But I started using it as a new way to present short ideas for my social media accounts and people seem to really gravitate towards it.

It’s because the effect is completely surreal. When you execute it right it’s hard to tell the difference between it being really there or being computer graphics.

These kind of short ideas are fun to share as inspiration.

I noticed over time people started copying it, to the point it has become a whole trend in online brand marketing which they even gave a name; FOOH or “fake out of home”. Referring to what advertising agencies call Digital Out Of Home (DOOH).

Joris: As an independent entrepreneur, how do you balance the freedom of pure artistic expression with the strategic moves needed to succeed in a media-driven economy?

Frank: I would say it all starts with pure expression. But in the end you need to think about specific use cases for your work that make sense to people you’d like to work with and have the ability to pay you for your work. Then share ideas that lead your work slowly in that direction. Become good at things that you enjoy but also make sense.

For example if you’re a sound designer i think it doesn’t make sense to just share music and/or refer people to your music on soundcloud or whatever platform.

It’s wise to just take your favourite movie scenes and start re-doing them with your own sound ideas.

Thats how you signal, and also get better. You start understanding why what you like is so difficult. And you need to become better then the people you admire. Thats the goal, to not only enjoy and express but also have some sort of desire to be the best.

When i realised I really wanted to work with ppl in the fashion industry I started making more work inspired by ideas out of that world.

Thats how you communicate to them.

And you want to be so good at what you do, that you can add value and inspire people instead of just doing whatever you like at that moment.

Finish your work. Finish it in a way you’d be confident to share it with the people you really admire.

This has become part of my work in a way that it hugely inspires me now.

Joris: Many people see creativity as just making art, but ingenuity requires seeing systems and finding new ways to use them. —How do you approach understanding and leveraging media ecosystems to amplify your voice while staying true to your vision?

Frank: Even though im a highly sensitive person who is driven by letting subconscious ideas come to the surface in a very meditative manner, the execution of the work can get quite “involved” and nerdy even.

It’s because of the nature of the medium. It’s a bit techy and the production of something like a photoshoot can get complicated.

So I always have that dichotomy. On the one hand being an artist in the traditional sense, on the other hand I’m an independent professional who needs to take care of his own presence and relevancy. Even though I work with agents and managers.

And yes, that’s “systematic”. Mathematical even. I’m constantly calculating. Not just with software and hardware and the work itself, but also about my career as a whole. It’s good in a way to stay grounded. Being more “entrepreneurial” as opposed to just being an artist. It’s fun, I make it part of the art, part of the story.

When i first started leveraging social media as a way to share work and ideas it was still quite early in that game. It was fun to explore the landscape and the way i was presenting also became part of a new personal narrative. Social media work is almost an art in itself. I just embraced it.

Because of the nature of my work (digital) it all felt quite natural and fitting. So I didn’t have any real shift to make in my approach. I didn’t feel I was devaluing myself or my work.

The way I see it is to have fun with it. Try to make it a part of your practice , a part of your story in contemporary creation. To be IN the current world. As an artist you are commenting on the Zeitgeist. So you can be a part of it in some ways.

And you need to become better then the people you admire. Thats the goal, to not only enjoy and express but also have some sort of desire to be the best.

The way forward

In this media-dominated world, the artist should’t be trapped by it. They become a strategist. Artists weave their ideas into popular media. Their messages seep into public awareness with subtlety. This strategy redefines how art interacts with culture, blurring lines between commerce and creativity in ways previously unexplored. They redefine how art, culture, and commerce connect. They use disruption to make lasting impact.

How to get there:

To leverage (hack) media is to claim agency in a system designed to homogenize.

• You can turn the attention economy’s tools into instruments of expression rather than exploitation. The power lies in seeing beyond the surface and acting with precision, using what’s available to create something impossible to ignore.

• You take what exists—the platforms, the norms, the audiences—and use it to create something entirely new. It’s a mirror, reflecting what’s already there, yet showing it in a way no one expected. It’s a funnel, channeling personal impact at scale.

Concept

The idea is to inject good ideas into the daily lives of people. Use what’s available and use it in ways it helps you achieve your goal. Social media and brand associations creates ripple effects, as the message becomes part of the collective cultural dialogue. And that should be the aim.

Just like the NYC Subway lines were used as moving billboards to transport street art through the city’s veins, media hacking is the art of alignment and subversion. It’s not rebellion for rebellion’s sake, but a dance between visibility and intention.

The system—a sprawling web of platforms, trends, and attention—is not your adversary, nor is commerce dirty or shallow; it’s a collaborator, although an unknowing

Actionable tips van Nitty

— A great way to get attention for your work through socials is sharing these ideations and short form experiments with influencers and aggregators in the space. If the work inspires it can really spread and lead a life of its own. If you are confident about your work i would really suggest this as a “hack”. Be in contact with influential people in your own space or niche and share your work with them.