One Cool Free Idea

Inspired by my son’s upcoming move to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music, I started writing the advice I wish I had gotten a bit further back along my path to self-actualization. So in no particular order, I give you my initial musings, hereby labeled “life advice for the aspiring creative.”*

90 THINGS I’VE LEARNED ON THE PATH TO CREATIVITY

1. Never forget the joy you first felt when you discovered music.
2. Find a few people who believe wholly in you and protect these relationships with all your might.
3. Don’t ask everyone you know for feedback.  Music is subjective, and your art will find its tribe.
4. Your dream has its own heartbeat.  Listen for it.
5. It’s a DIY world, but you can’t do it alone.  Build your team as wisely as you choose words for lyrics.
6. Live performance is about learning to live with the imperfections, not reaching for perfection.
7. Embrace your place on Earth as a musician.  Give thanks you were given this gift to share.
8. Turn a deaf ear to those who say the path of a musician is hard.  Doing something you don’t love is a much harder path.
9. Learn to live with less so more of your resources can support the development of your passion.
10. Study the patterns of your mind and honor your needs for time alone to create.
11. Accept that not everyone will “get” what you are doing, even those close to you.
12. If you ever doubt the value of your gift, imagine a day without sound, music, art or design.
13. Remember that rejections are the building blocks of success.
14. Ask for help before you get in too deep to benefit from the support.
15. Don’t measure your success.  Your steps will often be infinitesimal.
16. Dream big, work little.  Commit to the details and the big picture will unfold.
17. Admire those who have walked the path you are on, and know it is a shared path.
18. Concentrate on the square you are standing in right now.  Tomorrow it will be a new one.
19. Don’t compare yourself to those you admire.  Babies learning to walk aren’t compared to long-distance runners.  Each is on his own path to movement.
20. Make your evolution your priority.  You grow through change.
21. Moments of fear are often signals of change on the horizon.  Listen carefully to them.
22. Learn to let go.  You can’t control how people react to you.  You can only control how and what you think about yourself.
23. Never make excuses.
24. There is no pecking order.
25. Bigger is not always better.
26. Edit out those people who instill fear, doubt or negative thinking into your world.
27. Be open to new places.  Everywhere you go is creative food.
28. Remember to look back at how far you have traveled.  If you only see the mountains ahead, you will forget those you have already climbed.
29. Celebrate your accomplishments when they happen.
30. Learn to walk side by side with fear of rejection.
31. Know that doubt may hang over you, but see it as a cloudy sky with your light behind it.
32. Thank the people who believe in you.  They are your support and foundation.
33. Clear away the clutter in your environment. Your space is your energy.  Keep it clear and give your ideas room to expand.
34. Talk to strangers.  Tell them what you do.
35. Get a dog.  There is no truer companion and no purer form of affection.
36. Let go of perfection.  It pits you against your peers.  Seeking approval puts you in competition with those who are your companions along the path.
37. Spend a day pretending you are your own best friend.  Listen to how you talk to yourself in this role.
38. Be who you are.
39. Write down five things you want people to remember about you.  Now start doing them.
40. Sit in the back of a church one day or at the ocean’s edge and absorb the power of belief in something greater than you.
41. Honor your equipment.  Treat it with care.
42. You will know when you are with the right people.  You will migrate to your proper tribe.
43. Don’t stay open 24/7.  Screen your calls. Respect your own time and energy and save it for those you choose to let in.
44. Sing in the shower.
45. Teach a little kid to do what you do.  You’ll appreciate how hard it can be to do what comes naturally to you.
46. Learn from nature.  Seasons change, things die and regrow, just as you will. Change is continuous.
47. Surround yourself with photos and objects that remind you of people and places you love.
48. Eliminate reminders of people who are negative or fearful.
49. Go to the gym.  Walk.  Run. Play.  Break from the routine and clear your head in the process.
50. Keep putting yourself in places where you are the newbie.  Get comfortable not knowing what’s next.
51. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.
52. Be true to your calling and open to the many ways it may lead you.
53. Don’t say “I want to be a composer.”  Say, “I am a composer.”
54. When someone shares their art with you, be certain to respond.  Giving no feedback is as bad as giving negative feedback.
55. Always carry a notebook and recorder with you.  Some of your best ideas will happen walking the dog or driving through the carwash.
56. Respect open space in your music.  Too much in too little space will choke your idea.
57. Record something in your backyard as a cheap 8 track and share it with your fans.  They will love your transparency.
58. Don’t read reviews or listen to reviewers.  They can be the most jaded people around.
59. Make a list of all the business side stuff you should do to move to the next step in your career. Circle the things you dread doing and recruit someone today to take on that job.
60. The fruits of your labors won’t always be tangible.  Be OK with that.
61. Think back to someone who believed in you at the start.  Look that person up and say thanks.  If they’re not alive, write them a note and save it.
62. Keep your sense of humor.  Keep your funniest friend at close hand.
63. Marvel that we live in a country that allows you to create as freely as you do.
64. Learn to view your creativity as a gift that you give back to the universe - not a vehicle for personal gain.
65. Honor the artistic in your surroundings.The chair you are sitting on, the carpet beneath your feet and the faucet where you draw water were all imagined, created and designed by people like you.
66. Protect yourself from too much of the mind-numbingness of mainstream TV.
67. Your darkest days can produce your brightest art.
68. Seek out thoughtful people.
69. Travel somewhere where people need a helping hand.  Giving your energy this way will refuel your capacity to see yourself as part of a larger scheme.
70. Whatever you focus on, will grow.  Be mindful of this.
71. Go to the small venues and buy the CD from the artist.  Ask for an autograph.  Say thanks.
72. Your purpose here is no more or no less important than the tree that gives you shade, the plants that give you oxygen and the sun that warms you.
73. Get comfortable with the idea that it’s the path, not the destination that matters.
74. Wear a different color and see how different it makes you feel.  Try a new synth, a new amp, a new plugin to fuel new ideas.
75. Before you close your eyes at night, ask for guidance.
76. Your true success will never be measured by the approval you seek or get from others.
77. Give encouragement.  One small compliment or word of encouragement can make a huge difference.
78. If you can envision yourself as an equal with all other musicians you are on the path to self-determination.
79. Accept compliments graciously.  Show people you appreciate their support.
80. Treat yourself with divine reverence.  Don’t minimize your gifts.
81. Don’t be trapped by profit goals.
82. Avoid wet blankets.  They’ll only dampen your spirits.
83. It takes courage to claim your destiny.  Be proud that you are the hero of your own life.
84. Heroes stumble along the way.  But they persevere.
85. Listen to the advice you give others.  Often it is the advice you need yourself.
86. Don’t blame others for where you are or where you’re headed.
87. Listen to music from totally different genres than yours.  Be inspired by your differences.
88. Let go of labeling things good or bad.  It’s too limiting.  Learn to focus on the details that make everything unique.
89. It’s not about the quality of your toys.  It’s about the authenticity of your message.
90. Life begins at 18.  And 25.  And 32.  And 49.  And 60.  You only stop learning when you stop looking.

* I’m honored to have been included in a project from @pattidigh of the fabulous 37 Days blog, in which she asked for advice to her daughter Emma upon graduation from high school.  Patti graciously published my favorites from this list here.  (mwah, Patti.)