Making It!

“Making it” in music or any artistic endeavor is a matter of perspective. From time to time someone will say to me, “I don’t know why you haven’t made it yet.” That sentiment makes me cringe. It’s all I can do not to scream out some insane shit back. I’ve made my living solely from music for more than a decade. In my mind I have made it, for quite some time, thank you. Sure, I have visions goals for the future, but all in good time. Through this journey, there are lessons I’ve learned along the way that have helped me carry on and “make it.”

1. Set reasonable goals.

As a songwriter, I first started performing in 1998. I remember my goal to play 40 shows that first year. I played 44; never-mind that I hardly made any dough. I was successful! The next year my goal was to play 75 shows and earn $50 each time I played. At the time, I lived in a cabin in the middle of the woods and had ridiculously low overhead. Today with a family to support, a mortgage to pay and cars to keep on the road my definition of “making it” has changed. We all start somewhere and “making it” looks different from day to day, artist to artist. Thus, setting reasonable goals for you, provides incentive to grow, and a perspective from which to look back on that growth.

2. Don’t let “the others” hold you back.

Friends and family, fans and the general public, aka “the others,” may have different standards for “making it”. Many see the Art and Entertainment Industries as all or nothing propositions: either you are ‘the next big thing’ OR you struggle all your life. Guess what? Even those who become ‘the next big thing’ struggle the rest of their lives to get back or stay on top. This is your journey so you make it up as you go along. It’s easy to get caught up in what “the others” are saying and doing, but ultimately this is about you. Go climb your mountain the way that works for you.

This Blog

In the weeks and months ahead I plan to interview fellow artists and industry insiders to gain different perspectives on “making it”. A friend once told me that there are 365 degrees of perspective and when you’re so focused on your own thing it can be hard to see past the one direction you’re moving in. I’ll be exploring opportunities to learn from fellow musicians and share ideas for DIY and independent artists looking to make connections and promote their works. This week, I’ll end my blog post with a very short manual for climbing mountains, written by one of my favorite authors, Paulo Coehlo. Enjoy.

[URL=http://paulocoelhoblog.com/manual-for-climbing-mountains/]Manual for Climbing Mountains[/URL]

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