Why I FAILED in the Creative Arts...
...and How NOT to Follow in My Footsteps
by
Steve Grossman
Published by WordCrafts Press at Smashwords
Copyright © 2011 Steve Grossman
Cover art & photography by David Warren
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1. I Thought Talent was Enough - The many things needed for success
2. I Thought I Had Enough Talent - Self-development – you can learn it all
3. The Company I Kept - You can’t do it alone – networking and crabs in a bucket
4. How I Kept My Company - You own a business and it’s YOU!
5. My Attitude - The power of belief
6. I Was Dreaming - Is what you want real? Make sure
7. I Was Hoping - The power of a right goal
8. I Wanted To Be A Star - What you want is a LIFE!
9. You, Inc. - Using your plan
To my patient, understanding and supportive family: Jill, Kayce and Jennah. I am blessed beyond measure.
I was a musician once, and now I’m not.
Well, perhaps it's more correct to say I used to make my living as a musician, and now I don’t.
Either way, it means the same thing: I’m not in the arts anymore. For reasons I didn’t fully understand at the time, my career path went up, leveled off, and then went down.
The leveling off was the most confusing part.
I knew how to play drums and I was a nice guy, but I constantly saw other people get the gigs I wanted. Despite having the talent to get the gigs, the success I wanted never came, and I didn’t understand why.
Until I joined the “Real World.”
The Real Problem
“Real World” is a term Creative Artists use to mean anything outside of the “The Arts”. They use it in phrases such as, “This sure beats making a living in the real world,” or “It didn’t work out, so I’m getting a job in the real world.”
When people in the Real World tell people in The Arts to “quit dreaming and get a real job,” Creative Artists say: “If I do, I’ll be a sellout.”
These terms imply the “Real” and “Arts” worlds are separated by a big wall; a wall that should not be climbed or looked over because the rules and rewards of each world are different.
I used to think that way. I wish I hadn’t.
Creative Artists think they are different. Of course everyone thinks they are unique and special, but people in The Arts go further. Their uniqueness is worn boldly and proudly. The more unique something is - a song, concert, outfit, whatever - the better it must be. It’s “Artsy.”
There is even some obvious and not so obvious prejudice against people who are not artsy enough. This prejudice divides The Arts from the Real World, and even divides groups of Creative Artists.
I used to think that way. I wish I hadn’t.
Creative Artists have a death grip on their dreams. Because they constantly hear, “You’ll never make it,” and “Go get a real job,” they close their minds to any outside influence or ideas.
I used to also think that way. I wish I hadn’t.
Lastly, Creative Artists struggle with success. They believe they should only be “in it for the art!”
I used to think that way, too.
Just Out of Reach
I had a pretty good run in the arts. As I look back over my 20 years of playing drums in the industry, I have no complaints. I accomplished a bunch of my goals and achieved more than most creatives ever do.
But my ultimate career goals always seemed just out of reach, and I could never figure out why. I saw and experienced things that left me confused and frustrated; things that gave me questions and doubts that eventually caused me to leave the business.
Leaving music - my one and only passion - was hard. But as I worked to retrain myself so I could provide for my family, I found a world of information about ideas and skills that I never knew existed.
This information gave me answers; answers to why I didn’t get gigs and other musicians did; answers to why I got some gigs and others didn’t. I learned why I thought the things I thought - and why some were good and some were not; and why I had partly succeeded, but ultimately failed.
The more I learned the more excited I got. For the first time in a long time, I was excited about my future.
But this book isn’t about me, it’s about you. It’s about telling you why I failed in the creative arts and how not to follow in my footsteps.
So, why did I fail?
I didn’t realize the power of attitudes and beliefs that affected my life for good and bad.
I didn’t know about people skills.
I didn’t know about success skills: things that work for everyone and are never taught in schools.
I was clueless about money and finances.
I didn’t know what I really wanted.
This Book
I wrote this book as a ladder over the wall between The Arts and the Real World; a ladder that will give you access to the real world skills that will help you succeed with your creative ideas. It will also show you how and why you should always look over that wall for help in building your career.
This book is about:
You - the real you, your art and your dreams; the things that make up your life and therefore deserve your time and attention.
Business - the fact that you are pursuing a career in an industry just like Henry Ford did when he made the first Model T a century ago. Business is business and the more you know about it, the more you’ll succeed.
Skills - the tools, skills and ideas that people use to succeed no matter who they are or what they’re doing.
What this book is NOT about:
You will not find me dogging the creative or entertainment industries or any of their people. Are there problems and bad people in these industries? Of course, just like the real world. But overall, the creative arts are full of great people and can be a fun way to make a living - if you can.
I will not tell “Arts” people how to understand or deal with “Real World” people or vice-versa. You might learn some of that along the way, but that’s not my goal.
You will not find a list of publishers, managers, agents, advice about contracts, performance techniques, or how to do your hair and make-up. There are tons of books and resources that cover all that stuff and more. Use them all – you need that information to succeed, too.
My purpose is to show you what you need to learn from the Real World, how you can use it to build your career, and why you should.
First, I have a story:
***
Mike and Bill
Imagine a small duplex in the suburbs of an average city. On one side of the duplex there lives a man named Bill. Bill works as a banker. On the other side there lives a man named Mike. Mike works as a guitar player.
It’s 6:15 in the morning when Bill’s alarm goes off. Bill gets up bleary eyed and heads for the shower to get ready for work. Next door, Mike is asleep - really asleep. His band finished playing at two in the morning and he’s only been in bed since four.
We’ll check on him later.
Twenty minutes later, Bill is clean and shaved, and sipping on a cup of coffee while he picks out a tie. He’s got an important meeting today at the bank so he picks his red tie, white shirt and blue suit because he has read countless studies that prove this to be a powerful combination.
At 7:30, Bill climbs into his car - which he bought so he could haul clients around - and begins the 45-minute drive to the office. He arrives at his job and begins to do whatever it is that bankers do. At 10:15 he takes a break, which is the same time Mike turns over, fluffs his pillow and goes back to sleep.
At 1:00 in the afternoon Bill has finished lunch and is giving himself one last check in the mirror before heading to his manager’s office to discuss the afternoon’s bank merger meeting.
Back at the duplex Mike gets out of bed and puts on some torn jeans and his favorite tee shirt. He skips a shower because his band has an important show tonight and his hair looks best a day or two old. He skips shaving, too. He grabs his guitar, climbs into his van - which he bought so he could haul the band’s equipment around - and begins the drive to the drummer’s house.
After loading the drums in the van they head to the club for a sound check, a quick rehearsal, and a short meeting with their manager to discuss the evening’s record deal meeting. The record label’s entire A&R department will be there, and they expect an answer after the show.
It’s about 7:00 pm when Mike pulls back in his drive for a quick dinner before the show. He meets Bill coming home from the bank:
“How’s it goin’ Bill?”
“Pretty good, how ‘bout you?”
“Great, we’ve got our big show tonight.”
Bill had forgotten that tonight was the big night for Mike and his band. “Oh, that’s right. How does the record contract look?”
“I think it could be cool. The company has a great reputation and the connections to get us the attention and fans we need. I think we’re gonna go for it. How‘s the bank merger look?”
“Thanks for asking, Mike. The other company is well respected and they bring a larger customer base to our operation. The more attention we get, the better it is for business.”
“Let me know how it works out, and we’ll go out and celebrate our good fortunes!”
Bill turns to go inside and says over his shoulder, “Sounds like a plan, Mike. Good luck tonight.”
“Thanks, Bill, you too. Good night.”
Mike and Bill both go inside and watch the news while they eat dinner. At 7:45 Mike changes into his stage outfit – a pair of torn jeans and a tee shirt – checks his hair, and heads off to pick up his girlfriend on the way to the gig. Bill changes clothes, calls his girlfriend and makes plans for lunch the next day. He sits back and settles in for a night of ESPN.
At 10:00 PM Mike is giving himself one more check in the mirror before hitting the stage. Back at the duplex Bill climbs into bed, shuts off the lights and thinks as he drifts off to sleep: It’s been a long, but productive day. He’s excited about his bank joining forces with the other bank. It’s a good move for the bank and for him.
Five hours later - as Bill turns over, fluffs his pillow and goes back to sleep - Mike’s band has just finished a smokin’ set and had a great meeting with the label folks. The gear’s been packed up, his girlfriend’s been dropped off and he thinks about the day as he drives home: It’s been a long, but productive day. He’s excited about his band joining forces with the record label. It’s a good move for the band and for him.
***
Why the Story?
Two different and separate lives in two different and separate worlds, right?
Wrong.
I don’t think there are any differences at all. None. Nada. Zilch.
I know what you’re thinking: “What about Heavy Metal bands? Surely you don’t mean those guys are just like doctors?” Yeah, I do.
“But what about the girls on So You Think You Can Dance? You can’t mean those girls with their tight pants and halter tops are the same as mechanics?”
Yes, I do.
Now, if you’re like most people, you’ll tell me that they dress differently, and they act differently, and they do things differently, and they do completely different things. You’ll tell me that creatives are pursuing the dream while the doctors and mechanics have jobs. You’ll tell me that the success of an artist depends on talent while doctor or mechanic’s success depends on skill. You might even say that creatives are expressing themselves while the others just do work.
And you might be right; at least on the surface. But if we dig deeper, I think you’ll agree with me that artists and doctors and mechanics are not all that different. So, let’s start digging.
I auditioned for Barbara Mandrell and she was impressed.
It was sometime in 1989 or ’90 and I was hoping to move from the contemporary Christian side of the music business over to country. I wanted to stretch myself and have more chances for work. It wasn’t exactly the gig I wanted, but I needed the work and thought it would be good exposure and experience. So, I tried out.
We played through the audition songs and even jammed on a few more. I got lots of nods and compliments and then they discovered I could sing. We stood around the piano and sang through some of Barbara’s hits.
I got more nods and compliments, and Barbara was especially glad because not only could I sing, I could sing high. She even joked that she was jealous because I could sing higher than her.
They hired a guy who had a drum suit.
They hired a guy who, in addition to playing great drums, had put little pickups all over a set of coveralls - coveralls that were wired to a drum machine run through the speakers. He could put on the suit, dance around the stage and still play the drums.
Clever guy.
I failed in the creative arts because I thought talent was enough.
The Many Things Needed For Success
In the first paragraph of the story of Mike and Bill we were introduced to two guys living in a city. This means:
They’re making a living and, a living can be made anywhere. I want you to know that you can make a living in the arts and live anywhere you want.
All it takes is money.
“Money is not the most important thing in life, but money does affect everything that is important.”
~ Kim Kiyosaki
The Importance of Making A Living
People in “The Arts” and people in the “Real World” share a common bond: they get hungry and they need shelter, so they go to work. They go to work to make money, so they can buy food and pay for shelter.
I know money is a tricky and sometimes dangerous topic, but it has to be talked about. It has to be talked about because, to paraphrase Kim Kiyosaki, money affects everything.
If you don’t agree, than ask yourself this: how long could you live without money?
How would you live?
Would you run out and hunt your dinner, or would you eat a few berries off a bush? When you got thirsty, would you drink some of the nice, clean water out of your local river?
Me? I’d be dead in three days.
People in “The Arts” and people in the “Real World” share a common bond: they need money to survive. Thankfully, it is possible to earn money in the arts. I’ll help you find the right work so you can, too.
Questions:
1) When I mentioned money, was your reaction positive or negative?
2) Is it hard for you to imagine earning a living in the arts?
3) A good living?
4) A great living?
Your Work Isn’t Your Life
Next we read that “Bill works as a banker” and “Mike works as a guitar player.” Note that it does NOT say Bill is a banker and Mike is a guitar player.
Why does that matter?
Because you are not what you do, and what you do doesn’t make you who you are.
This is a hard idea for creative artists to wrap their heads around. They have spent their whole lives creating art and see themselves as artists. I can relate. I grew up behind a set of drums and thought that what I did was who I was. I didn’t just play drums, I was a drummer.
But we are more than what we do.
Questions:
1) Do you think you are what you do?
2) Can you imagine not playing music?
3) What would that do to your perception of who you are?
4) Why do you think it matters?
The next section of the story reveals that Bill and Mike both get sleepy, which just proves that work is tiring.
Dressing For The Job
The following morning: “Bill is clean and shaved and sipping on some coffee while picking out a tie. He’s got an important meeting today and picks his red tie with his white shirt and blue suit because he knows that countless studies prove this is a powerful combination.”
Before I got my first gig in Nashville with Russ Taff (more on that later), I played with a rock band in Dallas and I had the wardrobe to prove it:
*Boots – a scrunch-down suede with a nice heel
*Correctly faded jeans
*Colorful shirts
*Several colorful bandanas (yes, it was the late 80’s)
*And long, permed hair that flew all over the place when I played.
I was cool.
After a few years I left that band and landed the gig with The Sweethearts of the Rodeo. I had lived in Texas and had some western clothes, but I had to buy more for the gig - like a cowboy hat that I sometimes accidentally hit with my drumsticks.
Not cool.
Next, I joined the Gibson/Miller Band. We were signed to Sony/Epic, so we had wardrobe consultants who bought us stuff we thought we’d look good in. On the flip side, we had wardrobe consultants who bought us stuff THEY thought we’d look good in.
Guess what happened when I moved to the “Real World?” I bought a new wardrobe. Does anybody see a pattern developing here?
If you’re like every other artist I’ve ever met, you think that everybody in the “Real World” dresses to conform and that you’re lucky to be free to express yourself. You’re thankful you can wear what you want and not care what anybody else thinks, instead of having a job where you’re told what to wear everyday.
You also think that if I filled a room with bankers, you’d know they were bankers in less than two seconds. Doctors, too – wouldn’t the white lab coats be a dead giveaway? Same thing with airline pilots, police officers, and every other profession.
Imagine what would happen if all those doctors, pilots and professionals in the room were dressed like Christian Marclay (visual arts), Johnny Depp (acting), Mario Testino (photography), Rihanna (singer) or Rino Nakasone (dancing)? Wouldn’t you say, “Hey, look at all those artists?”
But you’d be wrong. You see, clothes don’t define what people do; clothes are defined by what people do.
People dress to conform to the rules – both spoken and unspoken – of our respective career choices. When a businesswoman dresses for a day at the office she chooses her clothes for exactly the same reasons Beyonce chooses hers.
What are these reasons? Well, some jobs, like a police officer or UPS driver, actually dictate the clothing they wear. But there are other reasons for choosing attire that is appropriate for your career.
First, we all like to be a part of a group of people. If it’s a tight knit group that is bound together through some sort of uniqueness it's all the better. Creatives certainly have this bond, but so do autoworkers or computer geeks.
Second, survival. Remember my comment about money and living? Well, I don’t think some of the mega-selling singers like wearing some of their get-ups anymore than nurses like their puke-colored smocks, but getting paid a million a year can make any outfit comfortable for a few hours a night.
Take a look around at the next big function you attend and you’ll see my point first-hand. If any one of those people were standing in line at the grocery store dressed like that, they would stand out, but put them all together in one room and their outfits are barely noticed. Now, put a successful middle-aged guy in a suit in the room and everybody looks at him weird.
Unless he has money to invest in new talent, then he’s the hit of the party!
Questions:
1) Do you own clothes specifically for performing?
2) Clothes for NOT performing?
3) Do you just wear what you wear regardless?
Equipment And Tools
Each of the guys has a vehicle. The banker bought his “so he could haul clients around.” Mike bought a van “so he could haul the band’s equipment around.”
The point is, you’re not alone in your need to have the right equipment and necessary tools to do your job correctly. Every occupation has specific tools of the trade, so just keep that in mind when you’re complaining about the cost of something you have to have.
Questions:
1) Do you have all the tools and equipment you need for your career? I’ll answer this one for you from experience: No. There will always be something cool you want or need.
2) Do you have a plan to get the things you want and need?
Business Is Business
The next section revealed that both Bill and Mike have important meetings to attend.
Bill’s bank is considering a merger and Mike’s band is discussing “the details of the record contract they’ve been offered.” We’ve already discussed money and making a living, but this part of the story brings us back to an underlying philosophy about your career that I mentioned in the introduction:
You are pursuing a career in an industry that is every bit as much of a business as the automobile industry that Henry Ford started more than a century ago.
If you get nothing else from this book, please understand that the more you grasp this fact and understand its ramifications the more success you’ll find. Yes, it’s true that creativity is an art form and it is all about expression. But, it is also a business and THIS IS NOT A BAD THING!
When money is a part of the equation, market forces and business realities must be factored in if you are ever to reach your goals and dreams. Business is not a complicated subject, but it is complex. It’s simple if you remember the word, "exchange." What’s complex is the number of pieces involved in even the simplest of exchange transactions.
Questions:
1) Why do you think I’ve stressed the importance of grasping the fact 2) that you are pursuing a career in an industry?
3) Do you think of business as simple or complex?
4) Do you see yourself as a business person?
5) Why?
6) Does defining it as an exchange help or hurt?
7) Why?
People
Bill worked in a bank and Mike played in a band. How could Bill earn money working alone in a bank with the doors locked? Likewise, would it be possible for Mike to make his rent payments sitting in his living room playing guitar? The answer to both questions: Of course not.
Both Mike and Bill work with people, which means they have to have at least a little…um, talent.
They have co-workers, managers, and employees. Mike might not think about the folks he works with in those terms, but that’s what they are. His fellow band mates are co-workers, the band has a manager, and the folks that help them put on the show are employees – whether they’re working for cash, free beer, or the chance to be a part of something cool.
As I said earlier, business is nothing but exchanges, and that’s what working for cash, free beer, or clout is all about. It’s also about exchanging work for work. Both Bill and Mike put their time and efforts into the bank and band respectively because others are doing the same. They are literally exchanging work because they know it is creating something bigger than their efforts would create alone.
Questions:
1) Who are some of the key people in your music career?
2) Can you label them as co-workers, managers or employees?
3) Is there an overlap?
4) Is it hard to think of some of these people in these ways?
A Life
“Mike and Bill both go inside and watch the news while they eat dinner. At 7:45 Mike changes into his stage outfit – a pair of torn jeans and a tee shirt – checks his hair and heads off to pick up his girlfriend on the way to the gig. Bill changes clothes, calls his girlfriend and makes plans for lunch tomorrow. He then sits back and settles in for a night of ESPN.”
Mike and Bill have homes, girlfriends, and a little free time. They each have a life.
In addition to the struggle with work and identity I mentioned earlier, many artists also struggle to separate work from their lives. While this is easy to understand given the nature of “making art for a living,” that doesn’t lessen the dangers.
Despite your love for practicing, rehearsing, and making art, you need to recognize how draining these activities can be, especially considering your intimate involvement with your craft. Despite what you may think, you can’t go on being drained without eventually becoming empty, and emptiness is not a pretty thing. Why do you think so many artists struggle with mind-numbing addictions?
It’s also possible that you don’t want what you think you do. It’s possible that while you think you want to be an international star and tour the world, what you truly desire is to express yourself and travel the world. If this is the case, the international star part is nothing more than a means to an end. You might be more satisfied creating art while teaching English as a second language in major cities all over the world. Same result, different means.
Questions:
1) Do you ever feel emotionally drained?
2) What do you do about it?
3) Have you ever separated the things you want from life from the things you want from your career?
4) Who are some of the key people in your life?
5) Are these some of the people you listed as co-workers, managers or employees?
6) Do you think that’s a good thing or a bad thing?
Customers
Finally, in contemplating the merger of the bank and the recording deal for the band, Mike says that the label can “get us out to the media and the fans we need” and Bill’s merger will “bring a larger customer base to our operation and the more attention we get the better it is for business.”
Customers are the life blood of all business.
If you are going to make a living in the arts, you have to come to the realization that you will be dependent on customers. By definition that means people who not only like what you do, but actually pay you to do it. These payments might be direct, as in the form of buying your work, or indirect by turning their friends into fans that buy your work.
Questions:
1) Who are your customers?
2) Is it hard to think of these people as customers?
3) Is that a good or bad thing?
4) Are some of them also your co-workers?
Talent is NOT Enough
Don’t misunderstand anything I’ve said as diminishing the importance of talent. Talent, and the honing of your talent over years and years of work, is critical to your success in the arts.
"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."
~ Abraham Lincoln
On the other hand, don’t diminish the importance of what I’m saying about treating the creative arts as a job. Success will remain just out of reach as long as you rely solely on talent to build and sustain your career. It’ll be out of reach because you will never invest in the tools, clothes, concepts, skills, perspective and relationships necessary for success.
And it will stay out of reach because you’ll never recognize you don’t have enough talent.
I performed for my 3rd grade class and I had the kids in the palm of my hand.
As I gradually increased the speed of my sticks, the sound became a blur. With every eye fixed on me, I began to enjoy the moment. “Even the jocks who pick on me are watching,” I thought.
The girls were watching too.
I was the kid who hit things all the time. Since I had the benefit of being born into a musical family, it wasn’t long before my mother declared, “We have a drummer on our hands.” Despite my skeptical dad, I soon had a toy drum. I have a photograph of me playing that drum on my mom’s knee while she played a wooden flute.
I was two.
As I got a little older, I graduated to what could loosely be called a drum set. It came from Sears and was made mostly of cardboard. That was followed on my 6th birthday by my first real drum set - it had an orange sparkle finish.
I had arrived!
It wasn’t long before I was putting on concerts and performances for neighborhood kids. Our home movies show my friends excitedly watching as I played along with a record at a birthday party. Looking back I’m sure they were bored out of their minds, but I thought they were excited at the time.
My childhood was spent playing with every music group I could find, in and out of school. When the time came to decide what I was going to do for a career, it was more like a decision that didn’t need to be made - I had the talent to play music, so I would be a professional musician.
And it worked.
After high school, I attended the University Of North Texas. I went for its world-renowned jazz education program and a chance to compete against some of the best musicians in the country. I practiced everyday, worked my way up the ranks, and got quite a bit of attention there and in the Dallas/Fort Worth music scene as well.
After graduation, I stayed in Texas playing sessions and clubs with various bands - one of which had a lovely singer who soon became my wife. The same year we were married, I auditioned for and got the gig with the Contemporary Christian artist Russ Taff. That’s what brought us to Nashville in 1987.
I continued to have success after we moved, too. Russ worked on and off throughout the year so I had time to play with other folks in the studio, locally, and on the road. I was the hot new kid in town and work came easily.
For a while.
Eventually my career leveled off. I worked, but I never got rich. I played with great people, but never with huge stars. I made a living, but didn’t build a long term career.
I failed in the creative arts because I didn’t have enough talent.
Self-development – you can learn it all
Based on that experience, I give you the pivotal question of the book: Are you the best in the world at what you do?
It’s a pivotal question because your answer determines every aspect of how you’re approaching your career. It’s also pivotal because if you’re like me, you’ve never been asked it before. I’m not saying you haven’t thought about this question though, because if you are honest, you have. Often.
There have been countless times you’ve seen or heard someone’s work or performance and thought, “Crap! They’re amazing! I hope no one ever compares me to them.” Or, “WOW, how will I ever get any work if I have to do what THEY do?” Or the classic, “I’m glad they don’t live in my town!”
I know, because I have thought all three of those and more. I even joked about it with friends in college. Anytime we were blown away by some amazing drummer, my buddy Pete and I would grab each other’s foot and pretend we were shoe salesmen. There we were in a concert hall in Dallas asking, “Would you like to see this in an 8 ½ or 9?” Yeah, funny.
Yes, the question about talent was on my mind, just like it’s been on yours, but no one made us stop and answer the question. Until now. So, are you the best in the world at what you do?
I’ll answer for you: No, you are not. Now, before you get all defensive, let me explain my answer.
First, I say, "No," because we can’t define “the best.” It’s not enough to say “The best writer, dancer, or artist in the world.” For instance, what kind of artist? Painter? Sculptor? Architect? And what kind of art? Modern? Classic? Impressionist?
Second, I say, "No," because “the best” is subjective - just like all art is subjective. Do you know of any two people who have the exact same taste in art? Me neither.
Nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.
~ Calvin Coolidge
Third, even if you perfectly define “the best,” and find that everyone has the exact same taste in the art you love, the answer’s still (probably), "No." Why? Because we live in a BIG interconnected world and you now must compete on a global scale. Odds are that there’s someone somewhere that makes what you do look bad in comparison.
Just sayin.’
And fourth, you’re wasting your time answering this question because talent doesn’t matter anyway.
Fairness
My hunch is that you’re freakin’ out right now because you believe that only the exceptionally talented should be stars and everyone else should go home. In support of this belief you can point to a long list of exceptionally talented stars. Well, I have a list like that, too, and I agree that talented people may indeed become stars.
However, I suggest that for every exceptionally talented star there are three or four UN-talented stars, and 30 or 40 people you’ve never heard of that are twice as good as the star. There it is: a non-scientific statistic that says relying on talent alone gives you 1 in 44 chance of making it. I’ll go one step further and say that even the exceptionally talented stars didn't make it on talent alone (and you’ll see examples throughout this book).
As long as you have certain desires about how it ought to be you can't see how it is.
~ Ram Dass
Is this fair? Well, it depends on your definition of fair. If by fair you mean that the creative arts should reward only the most gifted people on the planet, then no, it’s not fair. On the other hand, if you believe the arts should reward the most gifted, relational, business and marketing savvy, self-confident, and mature individuals possible, then yes, it’s fair.
I’m hammering this point hard because it’s so crucial to your success. How you answer “Are you the best in the world,” and what you DO with your answer drives and supports your approach to your life and career.
If you believe you are better than everyone else at what you do, you will gravitate towards, and surround yourself with, those who believe likewise. You will also shun anyone who offers the slightest bit of criticism – whether it’s legitimate or not. Over time, two things will happen. One, you will stagnate creatively because of a self-centered feedback loop that says nothing but “You’re the best!” Two, you will become increasingly fixated on proving you’re the best to those who don’t believe. You’ll die frustrated and bitter.
If you believe you are not the best in the world, you have four choices:
1) You can quit now and go sell shoes. And maybe you should quit. Seriously. I’ve met LOTS of creatives who wasted their lives chasing fortune and fame. Most of them were supported by the people I mentioned above, the ones shouting “You’re the best, you’re the best!” They weren’t the best and they KNEW they weren’t, but they didn’t have the heart or guts to say ENOUGH!
2) You can double your efforts to become the best in the world. This is a choice that’s common and understandable, but not recommend because of the simple fact that it leads you into the “die frustrated and bitter” life just described.
3) You can think this is a dumb question and ignore it, like I did.
4) You can wake up to the fact that your long term career success does not depend on being the best and devote yourself to learning what does.
I recommend you choose number 4.
Combinations
It’s easy to assume that what’s needed in “The Arts” is creative talent and what’s needed in the "Real World” is technical skill. But is that really true? I suggest what’s needed in both worlds is a combination of both. I have met gifted musicians who could not play with a band because they never practiced. I have also worked with musicians of average talent that are tremendous players because they’ve worked their tails off. The same thing can be said of dancers, photographers, actors, writers and producers.
But, what about outside of the arts? Is a combination of skill and talent needed there, too?
Consider doctors. If you need brain surgery, would you want the most experienced surgeon, the one with the most natural talent, or the one who was the appropriate blend of both? I would pick an experienced and creative surgeon; one that had spent years gaining the necessary knowledge and skills, and who also had the talent for using split second creativity and improvisational skills to save lives during surgery.
Wouldn’t you choose the same guy?
Music, and all art, has rules and regulations and structure just like other fields do, and that fact must be dealt with correctly and respectfully. Think about what would have happened if I had played heavy-metal drums with The Sweethearts of the Rodeo. Would you say I was being creative, or should I get fired? What about vice-a-versa (country drums with The Demons of the Rodeo)? Fired also, right?
My point is that “The Arts” is not all about freedom of expression, and the “Real World” is not all about rules and regulations. When I put a band together for a project I look for the same qualities in the musicians that I would want in my doctor, mechanic, or financial advisor. I want a band full of folks that know the rules AND can create fresh music at the same time.
It’s also important to note the importance of creativity and skills in areas beyond career specifics, regardless of whether you are a brain surgeon or an actor. We want our brain surgeon to be creative and skilled in the operating room, but we’d also like him to have a great bedside manner. A clean office with a pleasant and well trained staff and an ability to properly track our payments would be nice as well. It would also help if he was a capable marketer, so you could actually find him when you needed brain surgery.