Have you asked yourself why do you want be an artist? Because you want to monetize the thing that you love? Do you even want to monetize it? If you got into the creative arts specifically for fortune, you’re probably doing it wrong, because there are way easier ways to make money. Or maybe the fame or attention you’re after? That craving for attention may be resolved with a long overdue hug from your parents, or just release a sex tape. A balanced artist can achieve all this stuff without stress or burning out or appearing naked on camera. I did music full time, and it wasn’t for me. Late nights, lots of travel, missed birthdays and no energy to create. I thought, this was how I was going to live the good life. Wrong. There are way easier ways to make money. Surfing the internet in an air conditioned cubical, is way easier than playing music at a wedding catering to all of bridezillas demands. They say there are 2 reasons you haven’t broken through with your work. 1) It’s not good enough 2) Not enough people have seen it. You need to amplify one or both of those. But if your consistently doing what you do, there is no way you’re going to get worse at it. And your fan base is only going to grow. Your value rises with each and every release. Which brings me to the next group of people: The ones who won’t release anything because it needs to be perfect before the world sees. You’re comparing yourself to Beyonce, and compared to her, everybody sucks. But believe it or not, there is an audience out there that is going to resonate more with what you do than what Beyonce does. The only way to discover that audience is release your work, so that it can be discovered. When you’re balanced, you’re along for the journey, not cutting corners. Most people think satisfaction is waiting for them on the mountain top. Then when they get there, they discover It’s waiting for them at another higher peak. They need to understand that the satisfaction is in the hike. If you can’t find it there, then you’re pursuing art for the wrong reasons. You’re motivated by extrinsic values that don’t move you emotionally. If your motivation isn’t aligned properly then you’re creating work that is popular in the moment, but doesn’t connect with the audience you’re trying to speak to. That’s a hack. By creating art from your authentic voice, you are sustaining longevity and organic growth in the work that you create over a long period of time. If you’re new to this podcast, what we’ve done in season 1 is interviewed creators from all walks of life. Musicians, actors, comedians, happiness coaches, marriage experts, to try to give insight in how you can apply some of their knowledge to your own situation. Season 2 is a series of short episode about one particular topic that you can listen quickly to hopefully spark an idea a new point of view with whatever you may be working on at the moment. As always, if you want to connect, you can reach me @rorygardinermusic @balancedartist. Our website is balancedartist.com, join the mailing list for monthly goodies.
