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From Hobby To Artist: Music Mindset Formula Part 1

There are many different kinds of artists and musicians in the world. So what does it take to go from hobby to artist.

Understanding your lifestyle and what you want from music, is vital to ensuring that you are on the right path to achieving your goals!

You have outlined your goals, haven’t you?

What you want from music will be different from the next person.

If you’re in a band, understanding this fact becomes even more important. Some people want fame, world tours and all the other perks that come with it.

Some want to create amazing music, but can’t be bothered with the extra work that comes with the business side of the industry.

On the other hand, some just enjoy music and want to dip their toes in the water here and there. They don’t have any long-term goals for their music and are content where they’re at.

From Hobby To Artist: Music Mindset Formula Part 1

At the end of the day, where ever you fall on the spectrum is perfectly fine. The only issue comes when you are wanting to get to the next level of your career and seem to be at a standstill.

A lot of musicians that want to reach higher levels of success with their music, fail to understand that their mindset plays a huge role in gauging their success.

We hinted at 3 main mindsets above which can be labelled as, the “Hobbie Mindset”, the “Artist Mindset”, and the “Business Mindset”. In this 3 part series, we go into more detail of what they encompass and what it takes to go from one mindset to the next.

Going from Hobby to Artist Mindset

There is nothing wrong with treating music as a hobby and many find this to be quite fulfilling. However, if you’re trying to take your music career to the next level you may want to consider a few things:

Are you actively creating new music?

Chances are creating new music is not at the forefront of your mind. You create when you feel like it and it may take you a while to really hone in on completing a song let alone a full project.

The Fix: You need to be creating music regularly and building consistency with your creative process. Set small production goals that are attainable, whether its one song a week or every two weeks. You need to start small and be realistic and work towards higher production numbers.

Are you not taking your career seriously?

Many artists tend to blame outside factors for their situation. However, when you begin to take responsibility for your actions and your music career, things will start to positively change for you. 

Simple things like being on time for rehearsals, following up when you say you will, scheduling your time and staying organized are all key to your success. The list goes on and these tend to be very little details.

The Fix: Artists often forget that the little details that are in your control are what eventually gets you to the promised land so to speak. 

Use a schedule, get organized and be reliable. Seek out more opportunities and be ready to make the best of them. Rehearse and create consistency and have a plan.

Lack of support?

Gaining traction and support is tough but at the same time, you need to understand that you dictate the support you get in a lot of ways. If you don’t take your career seriously and treat it as a hobby, why would you expect others to see your career any differently and be passionate about it?

The Fix: Make music a priority, speak passionately about what you are creating and develop strong relationships. Be on time and add value to those around you and the support will be returned 10 fold.

Are other things more important?

Do you have a job? a girlfriend or boyfriend? kids? a mortgage, a side business? If you said yes to any of the above, then chances are very high that this directly impacts your music career.  Am I suggesting you kick everyone and everything to the curb? By no means is that the cases.

The Fix: The important thing is to strike a balance with the other important aspects of your life. Have important conversations with the people close to you so that they understand what you are trying to accomplish.

In trying to create balance, you also need to schedule it. Schedule time with family and friends. With that said you would also need to ensure that you have set aside productive time to work on music from both a creative and business standpoint.

When it comes to things outside of family and friends like a job, for example, you really need to understand what you truly want. If you don’t make music a priority then you will never reach your potential. I personally believe that regardless of your circumstances, if you want it bad enough you will find a way to make it happen.

Too many fall back plans?

Similar to having other important things in our life, we also tend to use these elements as crutches. Have you heard the theory of burning your ships?

This is where you make your passion a priority and stop at nothing to make it work because you have nothing to turn back to.

In today’s society, this can be super difficult for artists who are not confident in what they are doing. You may not have the full support of friends and family. 

They may wonder why you don’t go and “get a real job” or question why you don’t go to school and the lifestyle you lead. This pressure can be hard to deal with and because of this many artists stay stuck in limbo because they are never truly 100% focused on music.

They think “maybe I should go get that corporate job” even though this will clearly take away from their time for music, or go back to school which will again result in the same thing. I’m sure there are a ton of other pressures you may be facing that take away from you getting to the next level but I’m here to tell you that there is hope.

The Fix: The more planned out and strategic you are with your music the more confident you will be with what you are trying to accomplish. Without a plan, you have no foundation or safety net to protect you from the pressures of society and your head.

Think about a company trying to get a loan from the bank. If they simply showed up to the bank and said: “I want to start X company and I need your support, can you help me?” With no plan, or no proof that you are capable of executing such a venture you’ll be laughed out the bank.

Now think about your music career and consider that artists approach things in a similar way. In order to garner support and develop the confidence to focus purely on music, you need a strong and well thought out plan that will chart out what you plan to do and how you will get there. 

This builds the foundation that keeps you going through the tough times because your dreams in music are no longer a wish or hope at this point. This also allows you to figure out how you will fit other aspects of your life (work, school, family, etc.) into your plan and how you will eventually shift to doing music full time. A blueprint is a tool that makes it all seem real and possible.

Wrapping It Up

Now for artists wanting to make the transition to higher levels of success, it is important to consider the tips mentioned above. In Part 2 of our mindset series, we will show you ways to craft an even stronger foundation for your music career.

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