Clarifying Musical Goals As Modern Creatives
We live in an era dominated by gurus and productivity influencers, but this newsletter aimed to influence you in any shape or form. My writing stems from personal experience, aiming to resonate with fellow creatives navigating this modern landscape.
When we think of creatives, we often associate them with disorganisation and lack of clear goals. The stereotype portrays them as free-spirited, drifting aimlessly, often linked to poverty and the “starving musician” trope. While some truth lies in these stereotypes, they don’t always hold. Especially in today’s world, with social media’s pressure to be “content creators,” pursuing a creative career becomes even more challenging. Success in this field demands organisation, discipline and productivity, all while hoping for recognition and validation.
Having spoken with active music industry professionals, a recurring theme emerged: finding our focus and determining how to make progress. We all face similar challenges as artists or band members, juggling music creation, content production for platforms like Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. This demands a lot, and there are only so many hours in a day. Moreover, we must consider how to sustain ourselves financially, given the time invested in writing, creating and editing.
I’ve also heard the “if you really want it, just do it” mentality. While I can understand that for those in their late teens or early twenties, it might seem like a good approach, I’ve come to realise that this mindset can inadvertently encourage the idea that poorly paid jobs in the music industry are expected and accepted. It also overlooks the fact that despite the perception of music as a low-paying industry, CEOs of major streaming platforms are making billions.
So, after that rant, let’s talk about clarifying our musical goals. Do we spend more time creating video content unrelated to our music to gain attention? Or do we dedicate countless hours to writing and recording our music, hoping that when we finally start promoting it, it will stand out amidst the noise we haven’t been contributing to?
Frankly, I’m not sure anymore what the right path is for a music career. It all ultimately depends on hard work, skills, and a bit of luck, which we must create for ourselves by putting ourselves out there. One thing I’ve heard from other successful creatives is that people connect with them because of their individuality, which makes them authentic and unique.
Ultimately, we need to stay true to ourselves, as cliché as that sounds. Above all, remember that creativity is an essential part of who we are, a necessity and a means of expression. In an ideal world, it would be like any other job where we can use our skills in a paid position and earn a living. Not everyone aspires to be a pop star.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic and if you have an approach that works for you that could possibly help others to find a meaningful way and direction in their creative journey.
