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Looking for a Musical Breakthrough? Do What You Hate [?}

 
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GregC
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PostPosted: Mon May 06, 2019 4:19 pm    Post subject: Looking for a Musical Breakthrough? Do What You Hate [?} Reply with quote

https://medium.com/swlh/looking-for-a-breakthrough-do-what-you-hate-ed98663610a

The last few weeks I’ve been in a rut. Zero energy. Zero inspiration. Zero smile. People told me to just keep at it and eventually I would breakthrough. A friend even quoted me Snoopy, “Keep looking up, that’s the secret to life.”
Even though their intentions were good, their advice didn’t help. No matter how hard I tried to grind it out, and bet on my strengths, my creative muscles didn’t comply.

However, all that changed when during a recent morning commute I heard Seth Godin say, “The best way to complain is to make something.”

Like most times I listen to Mr. Godin, something clicked. But instead of making what I love, and giving my standard creative outlet of writing another shot, I decided to mix things up and give a shock to my system by making something I hate.

However, wherever pride lies, complacency hides, and somewhere along the way, I forgot the fact that I won the life I love by doing the very things I used to hate.

I used to hate meeting new people. I used to hate moving every two years as a kid. I used to hate giving presentations.
But by facing these fears, I found my smile. Following this logic, I decided to give hate another shot, and I did something I convinced myself I would never do: I hit the streets of Barcelona to film my first ever video for social media.
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GregC
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Location: Discovery Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)

PostPosted: Mon May 06, 2019 4:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

“Do what you love” is not always the answer:

When was the last time you saw someone who stutters make a video? Can’t recall? This is for a reason, we hate it.

Nothing makes our skin crawl more than hearing every personal branding guru say, “If you truly want to connect with your audience you have to make videos.”
But with my track record of getting hate to work, I knew I had to do it. 20 takes, and an hour of hesitation later, I hit share.

Within minutes, both literally and figuratively, every previous red light turned green. My work began flowing and my smile began growing. However, this was not because the video was good, it was simply because I gave myself permission to be bad.

Get busy living or get busy dying:

The opportunities and enjoyment we get out of life are a direct reflection of the energy we put into it. However, this doesn’t mean we have to spend all of our time doing things we love to find it.

In fact, sometimes the exact opposite may be the very thing that is needed in order to get your mojo back.

You may hate the idea in the moment, but by giving yourself permission to get something wrong, you may end up getting closer to right.

Seth Godin got it dead right, the best way to complain is to make something.
Along the same lines, the best way to get out of a rut is by making something different.
After all, a very wise man once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
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GregC
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PostPosted: Mon May 06, 2019 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am not the author of this article. So I don't have the exact same issues, lack of energy. no ambition etc etc etc

However, there are several good suggestions in the article that are helpful.

For example, if you are in the music business, it is quite frustrating. Thus, it takes a strong attitude and perseverance to fight the fight in that business.

Promotion, for example is my personal devil. I force myself to promote.
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Broadwave
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PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2019 8:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My problem is BiPolar II/Cyclothymia - I could switch from having a great time, either composing or building DIY synth projects, to the depths of dispair where I can't even get out of bed, let alone think about sitting down at my keyboards.

Recent uptake of new medication has helped, but leaves me in a fog most of the time. Even if I try to think good thoughts, I'm often left wondering "What's the point of it all, I might as well sell my keyboards". But every so often a chink of light shines through, and I just get inspired to do something, and generally, once I've started things get much better... until the next cycle (of course).

I've had several recording contracts in the past, but my condition made me unpredictable, to the point where I realised that it wasn't worth the trouble. I stopped performing live in 1989 and gave up session work five years later.

These days, I just roll with it - If I get some commission work while I'm "up", then that's OK. If not, then I just have to deal with it. It's hard sometimes, but that's the life I've been dealt.
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GregC
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Joined: 15 May 2002
Posts: 9451
Location: Discovery Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)

PostPosted: Wed May 08, 2019 1:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the post. I am adverse to daily bad news. My wife can watch a full hour of news carnage and I can't stand it.

Us creative types are more prone to conditions, depression/anxiety, etc. It goes with the territory. we absorb what goes on around us, IMO.

My strategy is to create regularly as it feeds the ego. My last song, 'Peaceful Planet' is an example of counteracting the daily media splurge of violence.

I admire you had some business success in the past or currently. I find the current music business to be 99% impossible to sustain off of. I don't want to discourage, its my assessment. The financial side doesn't deter me as I don't require tangible payment.
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