Hi,
I've been around for a long time, I've been around in many different scenes, I wrote about even more scenes and their inhabitants, i ran 3 labels, multiple radio shows ("real" radio, not on the internet), i wrote for famous publications, also for not so famous publications...
i produced with some very famous producers, or interviewed them, or booked them for my parties
indirectly i ve known even more famous ones, like, i have had friends who knew pop stars in the very mainstream music world... (and with "friends" i don't mean vague acquaintance, But friends to the point they worked the door at some of the parties of our "crew").
but this does not matter, i just want to give some background, because, as you can see, i've been around a lot, and bent over many corners... talked to artists of all walks, or to artists on their path to many, many different destinations (destinations like the stars, or the gutter).
and, in my opinion, there is only one, and yes, only one thing that decides whether an artist finds success or not.
and with success, i mean success in the most broad sense.
could be success in the sense of money and fame. or success, because they were able to fulfill their dream.
and that could indeed be a dream that does not necessarily involve lots of money and fame - like being the founder of a wholly new genre (pioneers rarely get paid). or becoming resident DJ at a famous club location.
or becoming the political voice for those who need to be heard in this world.
and every kind of shade between these three (or maybe all these together, even!).
and what is this thing?
there is group a), the group of artists that actually *do* something, that follow through with their plans and ideas and schemes and visions and grand or not so grand thoughts...
and group b), people who don't. who always have excuses, maybe even good excuses, to give up, or do something different, or to stay silent, or passive.
i met so many people, that were great artists, that had the best ideas ever, that already had demos ready for the most amazing albums. but that had second thoughts, that had doubts, that were afraid, afraid what other people could think, maybe they were afraid that they get mocked, or noone would like their stuff...
so they never released it, they never really showed it to the outside world, they kept it to themselves, or they only reluctantly went forward, with a minor release, they did not really push it...
so the world turned, time went on, the world forgot them, but they could have been amongst the greatest and best known artists ever... if they only had had the courage, to spit everything out to the world!
or maybe it wasn't even the "public response" they were afraid of, but had inner doubts, thought that their ideas were too zany, too out there, too strange, too unfinished, and hell, maybe even too dark and fiery (can happen to the best of us).
and did not push forward, and got forgotten.
while, on the other hand, i met total idiots, who had zero talent in no parts of their bodies, that did stupid music. but that somehow had the courage, talked to everyone about their music, even to those that did not care, pushed their releases into every place, and boom, they went famous, even though they did not deserve it by all sensible accounts!
and that is the way the world runs.
if you look at the biographies of well known, or cool underground artists (or both), you will see that almost all of them, with little exception, at one point of their path, or at several, hit a wall of doubt or a major crisis, and they nearly broke down, but then made the decision... to push through!
so why wouldn't you? why don't you?
and this brings us to the third point. there are actually good reasons to stop. financial reasons, or social reasons. really dedicating yourself to the art can bankrupt you, or you need to move up up and away, to a far away city, in a nation where the people do not even speak the languages you know...
and you could come to the point that, *if* you fail, you truly end up in the gutter, or at least get financially "gutted". and your life is in ruins and shambles!
what to do in such a situation, or in the other cases?
well, if you really lack the courage to go "all in", there is still one thing you can do:
find a way to go ahead with your art without putting yourself at the risk of a crisis.
for example, keep a daytime job, and do music or art during the rest of the time.
don't move away yet, but spread your art online first (there is a risk in being purely online, though).
*but* you need to be honest or true about your art. and not mellow it down to please others, or the critics.
and if you are socially and financially in a relatively safe position, it should not be that hard to put out art that is exactly like you envision it, but might enrage or go over the head of the rest of people.
yes, it should not be that hard. but believe me, i met so many people, that were brilliant artists, that stopped, but not because they thought everything could go wrong and that they end up homeless and moneyless as burned out artists somewhere... but really just because they feared to get ridiculed by others, or that their own music would leave others cold... can you believe that!
but it happens
so, please, don't do that.
don't leave the world to the idiots who have the "courage" to spread art to all places. a few smart, nice, and brilliant people should be allowed to spread their art, too, right?
so here is one, additional thing:
i know all of this can be very hard, so i will give you one imaginary token or item. keep it in mind.
when you are an artist (who does art that is bold and different), and hit a severe crisis with your art, you can use this token by thinking of it. and it will allow you to walk on, and keep working, despite the crisis and the problems.
and if everything falls to pieces despite all of this, there is noone else to blame but me, because i gave you that token.
is that a deal?
i know i (possibly) load quite the responsibility and blame on me this way, but i trust so much in the concept i wrote about above, that i am willing to... take the risk!
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