Everyone Is A Critic

So as you have probably learned as a creative person, everyone is always looking to tell you what they think about your music. Your song is good, but if you add this, or take that out, it can be GREAT. I’m sure you expected that, right? But what is so hard for us to expect sometimes is exactly where the criticism is coming from. 

People who love you or care about you are expected to always give you support. That’s not being naive, that’s just what we as human beings with feelings come to look for in others. We never want our loved ones, or even those whose opinions we respect, to have negative reactions to something that you have worked so hard to create. Our creations are our babies, our life’s work, our…everything! How could someone not love it as much as we do?

Well, I’ll tell you how: because everyone is a critic. Everyone has opinions. That’s just how it goes. Musicians create music for their own reasons. Whether it is to make a million dollars or to sell a million records (NOT the same thing, but we’ll discuss that in a later post), we are all “in it for something.” But sometimes the hardest thing for us to remember is that everyone is not born with the same natural abilities or desires or skills that we have. We have used our time here on Earth to use these skills or abilities to fulfill the desire to satisfy the “reason” why we are here. Others become critics, even your fans.

So what’s the point, Mr. Hungry Artist? Well I’ll tell you: life is not about the things that happen to you, it is about how you react to the things that happen to you. I was always that kid who would get mad and “take his ball and go home”. If you blocked my shot as a young kid learning to play basketball, I would be so filled with emotion that I didn’t even want to play any more. It wasn’t until I learned why my shot was blocked that I grew as a person and became a better basketball player. I learned that I was taller than most of the other kids and could jump really high. I also learned that I did not weigh as much as many kids in my neighborhood or school. What I did was develop a jump shot (that was lethal, if I might add!) and use my height and jumping ability to be a good rebounder. Sort of like Dennis Rodman, without the colorful hair and with the ability to shoot the ball from the outside (I did mention the jump shot was lethal, right?). 

At the end of the day, you have to learn that even Bob Dylan was booed off of the stage. Now he may be someone that you are not particularly fond of musically, but he kept moving. He kept pushing and eventually, he became known as one of the voices of his generation. Are you a voice of your generation or are you going to take your ball and go home? 

Whenever you find yourself face to face with one of your “critics” ask them what Dylan asked one of the critics that decided to critique his music from the front row who let him know that he could not sing: “Hey fella, that may be so. But I’m up here doing this. What are you doing? Who are you?”

Free Your Mind, The Rest Will Follow

Ask many musicians why they want to pursue music as a career and I'm sure you will get several different answers. Maybe they learned how to play the piano as a kid and instantly knew that this is what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives. Perhaps they were unfulfilled in their present career, wanted to make money doing something that they loved and thought that music would help them to find the joy that they are not finding in the office. Whatever the reason, you will almost always find the same theme: artists and musicians want to earn a living from the music that they create.

With that being said, the one thing that many musicians don't always take into account is that a desire to be in the music business is hard work. Talent is a factor, but it is not the only factor. When you chose this "line of work," or even when "it chooses you," you are going to have to be willing to accept that it is going to take effort. It is going to take time. It is going to take commitment. Most of all, you have to have the right mindset. This is no longer a hobby--this is your job. Just being a good singer or a great pianist is not enough. 

Now when you first hear someone tell you that, your first reaction may be fear. This is normal. You are not alone. In fact, many creative people deal with fear every time they go on stage or step into a recording booth. You know that you have the talent, but what will people think of your work? How will audiences receive your songs or react to our performances? What if the producer isn't feeling my voice? What if ___? 

Becoming a professional artist, musician, songwriter, producer, etc. is not about the absence of fear. It is about having the right mindset about that fear. It is about having the right mindset about life in general. As creative people, we have found that "One Thing" that truly makes us happy. We have found an outlet for our emotions that has the ability to connect with other people on an emotional level. It also means that you have decided to take that connection and turn it into a source of income. 

Success in this business comes from the talent that you sharpen, the traits that you develop and the mindset that you have. There is no success without a combination of the three.

Now don't be afraid. That is what this blog and the links you see there highlighted in blue are here for. Without freeing your mind of negative thoughts, opening yourself up to new possibilities and getting the help you need to succeed, how can you expect to succeed? Stay tuned, my fellow artists, we are going to do our best to equip you with the tools you need to put you on the path to success, one thought at a time.