What you think it means to be a bard probably has everything to do with what you think historical bards were. I've seen people say that if you're interested in your own fame and fortune and if there's any amount of ego in it then you aren't a bard. I guess these are people who have not considered the implications of being a court bard (Taliesin) or the kind of bombast and self promotion that figures in Welsh and Irish mythology tend to go in for. Scotland's Thomas the Rhymer is hardly a self-effacing figure, either.
You can of course serve the gods, spirits and whomsoever else you wish to serve with secret, private bardic activity. But for anything involving people, being a bard really does involve being good at grabbing, and keeping people's attention.
Being larger than life, charismatic, and compelling are all good qualities to try and develop in yourself as a bard. There is magic in enchanting people, and there's a lot to be said for having no qualms about putting yourself centre stage and demanding people pay attention. Of course if that's all you're doing, people will soon lose interest. Whether a performer intends to be a bard or not, they need to have something going on beyond a desire for attention.
The idea that wanting to be popular necessitates being crappy comes up a lot around 'literature' as well as bardic pursuits. To be serious, worthy, high brow one must also (according to some people) be elitist, obscure and write things that aren't accessible to people who don't already know all the things you know. I think this is by far the bigger ego issue than the natural human desire for attention. People need good art. There are a lot of people who want good art. Trying to make things for a larger audience doesn't invalidate it. There is no conflict between trying to do something a lot of people will like, and trying to do something substantial and anyone who says otherwise is either a snob, or trying to justify why their work isn't much appreciated.
What makes you a bard is that your work is driven by ideas, the need for beauty, principles, vision, inspiration and a desire to make the world a better place. If people pay you for that, you are no less of a bard. If you see creative work as a quick way to earn a lot of money… this is mostly not how anything works anyway. It's surprisingly hard to have a creative career as a soulless mercenary who only cares about the bottom line.
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