Attention Musicians (and all creatives): Your Success is Up to You

Hello there, readers!

I've had a good year with plenty of lessons learned and goals reached, and I want to touch on an important aspect of starting and running a business in any creative industry, with a particular focus on music: it takes hard work, and there are few, if any, shortcuts.

Don't get me wrong, there have been times when it felt like something has fallen into my lap, but the reason that sort of thing happens is because I work hard, I'm dedicated, I'm always researching and learning, and other people see it. I also network, talk about my work with joy, and follow up with potential clients to keep my name and brand in their minds.

I have a very good musician friend who is talented, smart, and extremely capable, but he expects things to happen with little to no effort on his part. While he's dedicated over fifteen years to music, he doesn't actively seek out new venues to play, or market his music across different platforms, or research and try different ways to get his music to new audiences.

I've offered him plenty of advice over the years about steps he can take to increase his online visibility, how to earn income via different revenue streams, and I've provided services and tools that will give him a leg up - if he does the work. Unfortunately, he's not doing any of it. There's always an excuse, never a solution.

If he'd been putting more effort into the business side of his music over even the past five years, he would undoubtedly be in a better financial position and could focus on building upon that. Instead, he's still in the same place and likely won't move forward unless he starts committing to himself by putting in the work.

Here's the thing: you cannot Tom Sawyer your way into success in creative fields. If you're a band leader, you can't expect your side guys to book gigs for you. Clubs and venues aren't going to call you (some won't even call you back), you need to be persistent. If one publication doesn't respond to your album review request or story pitch, you have to keep trying.

Booking agents, managers, and labels all want to work with artists who have proven dedicated to their craft, which means the artist has to do the hard work of running their music business for years before anyone will be willing to shoulder even a tiny part of the burden, and, even then, that burden will be lifted for a chunk of money.

Making money in music has become increasingly difficult over the decades. It takes time, savvy, and sacrifice to build a large enough following to support a solo artist, much less a full-scale band. A booking agent wants to book artists that will sell tickets, which is how they earn their percentage. If you're not willing to build your following, no one is going to do it for you. Even the most dedicated fan will lose interest if you're not regularly engaging and sharing your story with them.

On the other side of all of this, one of the great parts about creative marketing is that most fans are less interested in a constant onslaught of new work than they are in the story of the artist. Want to keep your fans engaged and build your audience with people who legitimately care? Start with the 80%/20% rule: make 80% of your content personal and 20% promotional or professional. Once you figure out your rhythm, you can experiment and adjust those numbers according to your experience.

It's never too late to start promoting yourself and your creative business. While it does take hard work, don't forget to take care of yourself while you're in the building process. Your fans and followers know you're human and will stand by you when you're feeling overwhelmed. In fact, the occasional display of vulnerability can solidify their dedication to you and your brand.

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Five Steps to Getting Control of an Overwhelming Schedule

We've all been there: taking on too many tasks and not thinking about the reality of our schedules. I recently went through period of saying "yes" to too many projects. It took some time, but I learned valuable lessons in managing my schedule and what my priorities are.

Here's how I came back from the brink:

1. I took a step back.

It's hard to follow this advice when one is overwhelmed.

I remembered to deep breathe. I have the ability to work until I am almost dead with exhaustion. This is not healthy, but it can be very productive...or can it? When I really started to look at my situation critically, I realized that I was running myself ragged by taking on so many projects. I was doing a lot, but accomplishing almost nothing in the process, and I was running at about 60%. I like to give 100% to any task I take on, so this 60% thing was like ice on my spine.

2. The hard edit.

At the opening reception of Placement in June. I look exhausted because I was.

Hard though it was, I cut out extracurricular band membership. Music is fun for me, but I am primarily a visual artist and designer. I set a limit: I sing with only my husband's bands, and I have to draw the line there. That still means performing with three different bands, but it's feasible since we can practice whenever we want. I don't have to schedule anything, we just do it.

I also decided to take a break from exhibiting my photography. While I love showing my work, I saw a recent collaborative art opening as a burden, not an outlet. Until it becomes a healthy, productive exercise again, I'm putting it on hold.

3. Priority refining.
I assessed the projects I have that don't have deadlines and decided where on the priority list they needed to go. Several have been postponed indefinitely, others have been finished, and a few are still in the queue. When time and motivation allows, I finish one of these open-ended projects, but until these clients and friends decide they need these projects completed, I am not going to worry myself by thinking about them.

4. Nurturing existing professional relationships.
I put a spotlight on my relationships with my current clients. If they have a need, I rise to it. When they need advice or just a sounding board, I make myself available. This is easier to do than I initially thought, especially since I started to prioritize properly.

5. Bringing it home.

Taking a walk with the loves of my life. Imagine a schedule coming between me and these two! How silly!

Finally, and most importantly, while all of this was happening, I really focused on my relationships at home. I had overwhelmed myself to the point of being short with and overly demanding of my husband, which created tension in our household. Even our dog, Sapo, felt it. When I started to give Bill the love he deserves, the tension melted and our family unit became stronger than ever.

Now, several months later, things are so much better. I can see clearly where I failed to be fair in my time allotments, especially to myself. Since I've taken these steps, life has balanced out and I'm back to being happy, optimistic, and my can-do attitude has been restored and upgraded.

Do you have any advice to add? Feel free to leave your comments below!