Consider the source

Consider the source when asking for opinions or advice.

When asking for someone’s opinion it is wise to remember that everyone has their own agenda. They are more concerned with themselves than with you even if they appear to be empathic. They are wrought with their own fear, insecurity, needs and wants.

Everyone has their own motives.  When motives and interests align , like teacher and student, then all is good.

But what about when we are working for or with someone else? Do your clients, competitors and peers live by some invisible altruistic guidelines?  Do your hopes and dreams magically align with theirs? In a utopian world everyone would be truthful. The reality is that not everyone tells the truth in large part because their personal truth is as elusive as yours. Try going a whole day without 1 little fib to yourself.

As artist’s we have devoted countless hours to our craft in hopes that we reach our full potential…even surpass it. If you are trying to make a living as a creative why not put the same emphasis on training ourselves about how to navigate in a business environment? I doubt you would expect to hit a home run in your first at bat nor would you walk on stage to perform a concerto without first putting in the time to prepare yourself to excel.

Communication skills that will help you in a business environment include:

• Read body language
• Understand the importance of tone of voice and language
•  How you feel in the room….at the moment… in the heat of battle.
• Confidence that you are prepared for the task.
• Decipher exactly what is being asked of you

The more you understand about the other person’s problems the easier it will be to determine if the advice you are receiving is unbiased and helpful or, if there is a hidden agenda at play.  Are they having a bad day? Is this the way they always treat people? Is this too good to be true?

More importantly: you will know if you are the right person to solve their problem, reduce their pain.

To be sure, agendas are not always a bad thing but, the better prepared you are to read the context of the situation, understand the subtle, non-verbal communications the easier it will be to understand if a person’s needs, preferences and taste are a match with yours. 

At the point of making a decision you will have ask yourself how you feel about it. This is when you will weigh your self-growth and personal training against the opportunity being offered.

The better prepared you are in knowing what you want….the easier that choice will be.

The Curse of Indecision

Do you struggle with making a decisions? Do you drift off into “what if...?” Do you worry about being wrong? About being perfect?

Seems to me that it is all too easy to base decisions on our perception of reality. This makes our decisions susceptible to a variety of influences that can distort the decision making process. When we are faced with making a choice under these circumstances our biases and beliefs can distort the quality of the decisions we make...sometimes with disastrous results...sometimes with more pleasant outcomes. Some times your choices may be well thought out and have no effect on the outcome at all! Choices work or they don’t. Moving forward is about not stopping...not letting fear prevent progress.

When you approach a fork in the road you are forced to make a decision. Right or left. stop or go back. Obviously your choice will send you down a path, each with a different potential outcome.

But how can you decide which road to take?

Clarity of purpose

The best we can do in this situation is to remind ourselves of the purpose we wish to achieve and make our choices accordingly. Without knowing where you want to go and having the commitment to stay the course, chances of success become exactly that: chance. Or in other words: your probability of success becomes random at best. Not good odds at all.

However, once you have made the decision to go in a specific direction, then, and only then can you figure out how to get there and have any chance at success.

Take an architect for example:

An architect is trained to take ideas (for buildings) and make them real. They aren’t in the business of fantasy or “what if”. They apply their craft to execute their ideas using the tools and skills in their personal arsenal.

I’m sure you’re wondering what this has to do with making music? Well, the short answer is: EVERYTHING. 

Writing music is a constant decision making process. The choices are endless. 

So, where to begin? 

You won’t get anywhere if you don’t start walking. 

Commit to your purpose and get going. Move past the fork in the road and see where you end up. Soon enough you’ll find out if you have made a good choice or not. Don’t be afraid of falling off the horse or being ridiculed. Just get back on the horse...and carry on. Just like mastering an instrument or skill, the more you practice the better you’ll become.

Music is art...not open heart surgery. Remember, no one will die if you use one reverb over another. This instrument or that. There is no right answer...it is entirely subjective. And, you can’t control whether or not anyone else will like your work so why worry? 

Being comfortable with the decision making process is the path to releasing your artistic voice. 

This is about your journey and no one else’s. Work with purpose. Be conscious of your choices. Be willing to make mistakes. If you can’t make it past the fork in the road...you’ll never know what you are capable of nor will anyone else.

Vital Collaborations Part 3: Making connections

(This is an excerpt from a speech I gave at the VizualNow Event July 27th).

What is this thing: “charisma” Why is it some people are more popular than others? We’ve all known someone who is a people magnet....people can’t seem to get enough of them. So why is it easy for some  and so difficult for others?

In my experience it all revolves around the ability to connect with others in a deeply personal way. 

Some years back I met Oprah Winfrey. We had a short conversation about both of us working on the Color Purple. What we talked about is not that important. What I remember most about that encounter was the intensity of her attention. When she looked me in the eye I was speechless...she was focusing her entire being on me and it was overwhelming. Honestly, I had to look away....I wasn’t prepared for that. 

We’ve all met intense people...people with a personal agenda who never hesitate to push themselves onto us.

Oprah WAS intense...but it was different. It was as if she was searching, scanning me....to absorb as much about me as she could. She was focusing her ENTIRE ATTENTION.....to see what was in my heart.

Connecting in a conversation is basically an exercise in empathy...listening not with the intent to reply but to absorb everything about the other person....trying to understand what is REALLY being said....not what you THINK is being said.

Most of us listen, waiting for the moment when we can blurt out what we are thinking....when we do we can easily miss the subtext of what is really being said.

It doesn’t matter if you are in line at Starbucks or in this room. 

Looking the person you are speaking with right in the eye...giving them respect by actively paying attention sends a huge message: 

At that moment they are more important than you...the most important thing to you is the next word they say...

This simple yet profound act of connection will pay enormous dividends by creating trust and intimacy.

And Trust...

 is the foundation of ALL sustaining relationships. 

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Deadlines, Deadlines, Deadlines! What's the big deal?

Why is it we cringe, if not freeze up, when a deadline approaches? All of us can lapse into self-doubt or lack of confidence...especially when we are challenged. Having an understanding of the use and importance of deadlines will help move you past your fear and indecision.

Deadlines have a purpose. 

A deadline creates an expectation between the consumer of your product/service and you, the creator of that product/service. This is essential for the creative person. Without a deadline (with consequences) there is a good chance you won't complete your project...let alone complete it on time. 

Meeting deadlines requires organization and focus

Being organized will bring clarity to your process. The first step is to articulate (write down) your goals. It doesn't matter if you work alone or in a large group, taking the time to be specific about your responsibilities and intentions will pay great dividends by creating better communications between team members and yourself..

After determining the scope of a project what has worked well for me time and time again is to segment the process (and the resulting fear) into smaller parts. 

Once I have a good idea of what my role is, how I fit into the whole and what is expected of me I can segment my process into smaller, manageable parts. I then estimate how long it will take to accomplish each one. This creates a schedule that will ensure I complete my project on time (provided I am disciplined enough to keep to my schedule). 

Time to be creative.

Once you have a timeline in place with clear objectives the fun begins. You can always find a way to be creative "inside" your project and thus satisfy your creative urges.  If you have faith in your schedule and organization you can let go and immerse yourself, giving each part your full attention because you have the comfort and confidence that you will finish on time. 

The benefits of organization are:

1- less anxiety means better focus and productivity

2- being able to manage client relationships (staying on schedule and being able to account for your time generates confidence)

3- effectively dealing with distraction (knowing where you are in the process at any moment will help bring you back to the same state of mind)

Skin in the game

Reputation is EVERYTHING. Reputation is more valuable than money because it can't be bought. Like it or not, we are judged by the perception of our reputation...and not the actual product we deliver. Not delivering on time will have severe negative consequences to the perceived quality of your work. Once that genie is out of the bottle...it is impossible to contain.

Understanding your role, your responsibilities and your process are the tools you need to be able to work under deadline pressure and maintain the integrity of your work. Mastering these simple tools will enable you to call up your creative muses on demand and be in charge of the process instead of letting the process be in charge of you. 

Ideas vs. Execution- Monday Musings

What separates the successful from the wannabes is execution.

Oh man! My dream is to be ______!!!! 

Where do I start? 

As you begin your journey you will be filled with excitement, uncertainty and have many questions. It is all too easy to bounce from one idea to another especially in today’s social media driven environment. Too much stimulation. Too many choices. No clear answers. Knowing which questions to ask and how to assemble what you learn will be crucial to reaching your destination.

Daunting? maybe. Insurmountable? no.

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

When you peel an onion multiple layers unfold. Each one is slightly different with each fulfilling a specific purpose while still being part of the whole. Like peeling an onion, deconstructing your dream into smaller, manageable pieces allows you to see how the puzzle is put together.

Ideas are a dime a dozen especially with creative individuals. Not unlike having a marble continually rolling around inside your head without end. Creating something tangible from your idea requires you to get it out of your head so you can examine it from different angles before you take action.

Any journey or project requires research and planning to be able to execute. And while planning may not seem as glamorous as creating it is every bit as important. And, it can be creatively rewarding too.

If you are considering taking a vacation most likely it is the destination that entices you to choose one over another. And while there may be many things to see along the way the destination is usually the driver. Committing to the idea (of taking a vacation) is the first step. Breaking your trip into manageable pieces (how far you will have to drive each day, where you will stay each night etc) will ensure you reach your destination. 

You can take the same approach to your career. The overwhelming part comes from looking at the mountain wondering how you will ever get to the top?  Without doing the necessary preparation it is next to impossible. And while everyone's journey is different, in the end, the path is remarkably similar.

A big difference between those who succeed those who don't is that the successful person can create a strategy, know what tools to acquire and how to create tasks small enough to be executed successfully. You build a wall one step at a time.

Don't let the size of the mountain stop you. The more aware you become you may realize that your approach will have to change to reach your destination. And if your approach has to change. So be it. Better to take a detour than stay on a dead end road.

The trick is to enjoy the ride. :)

Monday Musings: 5 steps to increase your effectiveness

When I was in my twenties I discovered that I had some bad habits that were preventing me from getting the most out of my life and career. I was getting in my own way. I was unconsciously sabotaging myself.

Through much effort and plenty of angst I learned that if I paid attention to a few basic truths I could combat my conditioned behavior and not be enslaved by habits that were less than productive. Take this for what its worth. I hope it is helpful.

1. Accountability

Your behavior is never someone else’s fault. Regardless of the situation you are accountable for your actions.

2- Control.

Knowing what you can and can’t control will help you clarify your role in your process. See the big picture. Know the limits of your responsibility.

3- Personal growth

We are all participants in our own journey…the hero of our story. If you can see the pot of gold you desire the path is clear to you. However, most likely it is YOU that is holding you back.  Work on yourself.

4- Observation.

Motivation seemingly comes from many sources but can always be traced back to acting out of love or fear. Awareness of yourself and your feeling while you are in the process will illuminate the true motivation for your actions. Don't be afraid of what you see when you pull back the curtain. The path to empowerment comes from the ability to see which actions are beneficial or detrimental.

5-Be Bold.

The line between foolish behavior and bold action may seem thin to the outsider. However, to the participant bold actions seems like the only choice worth making. The hero makes the only choice they can see...the best choice at the time. 

If you wildly make a choice that results in success chances are it was an accident.

If you make choices and achieve your goal more than once it may be a coincidence.

If you continually progress towards your goal you have discovered a pattern.

If you work to objectively look at your behavior and abilities you will have a better chance at becoming more effective at EVERYTHING you attempt.

Monday Musings: Wash, Rinse, Repeat

Entrepreneurship, composing and survival.

Ever wonder why some people succeed and others don’t? In the past pathways to success were well defined and thus can be navigated. As it was when Henry Ford created the assembly line, finding your pathway to success today it is not so simple. 

Navigating through life and music can be viewed as a continual decision making process—constantly choosing between different options. But how do we determine which choice to make?

There are no rules. Most of us rely on our intuition to help guide us based upon past successes and failures thinking that what has worked in the past will work again. But what if the rules change in the middle of the game?

If our goal is stay in the game (survival) both our attitude and our perception has to change to meet the challenges as we face them. We must change our expectations and goals to stay inline with life as it is—not as it was. Why is that so difficult?

Conditioned responses are very difficult to change. The good news is that it is not impossible. The challenge is to not only be a participant in your life but also an observer. If you make the commitment to being brutally honest with yourself you can apply the problem solving skills you have developed in your creative life and intuition . Here are some steps that helped me:

     1-   Accepting that my previous life no longer exists- and to pursue the future using previous models will not move my life forward.

     2-   Doing a personal SWOT Analysis

     3-   Keeping abreast of leading trends.

     4-   Creating a strategy based on what you have learned.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

As we move away from 20^th century business practices (mass marketing, media, broadcasting) we will no longer have one or two careers in our lives. We will be forced to adapt from one career to the next as the world around us changes. Uncertainty is the new norm but it need not be overwhelming.

The good news in all of this is that the creative individual has an enormous advantage. The creative individual constantly reassesses and evaluates situations and opportunities.  Who better to define the future than the creative individual?

What is the best news?

If a strategy doesn’t work, let it go and start over. The only person holding you back is yourself.

Monday Musings: Scarcity vs. Abundance-Have we been duped?

Have we all been duped?

A component of 20th century business was the idea that scarcity could be manipulated and controlled. We were also systematically conditioned to respond to cost thus creating artificial  vs. organic value. Prices would rise if the consumer believed that fewer “copies” of that item they desired were available. In some cases this is true. Precious metals such as gold, platinum, silver are finite resources but the people who profit in the entertainment industry are the ones who control access to the item we desire rather than the creator of the product. 

The business of art is nothing more than selling a receptacle (painting, record, photo, movie) that enables the user to trigger their emotional memory. Great art will continue to engender an emotional response not because of the package it comes in...but from the emotional intent captured at the moment of creation.

Where does the desire for art come from? 

With billions of people on the planet it is safe to say that human emotion and our need to be connected is abundant . But the packaging created by a business to expose and create artificial scarcity is not. Good art (packaging) will capture your attention. Great art makes you feel.

Art as a product (a CD, DVD or painting) is physical but its value is derived from the emotion created by engaging with the art. And, the ultimate judge of the value is the user of the art....not the packager of the art. In social media one metric of value is determined by how often a piece of art (or content) is shared which suggests that art is a container of emotional value that is then transmitted from one to another. Sharing online has nothing to do with ownership. It has to do with our inherent human desire to feel connected. Social media platforms monetize access not ownership or distribution of a physical product. Value is judged by the experience created.

The challenge for the artist is not to create the flashiest physical container for their work. The challenge for the artist is to create value in the form of an experience that undeniably taps into the abundant nature of human emotion. People will do the rest...you need not be overly concerned about it.

The basic question for the artist is “where is the value? Packaging or emotion?”

You  be the judge.

Similarities between art and extreme sports

Believe it or not their are more similarities between extreme sports and creating than you might imagine. Athletes routinely create a state of "Flow" to enhance their performance.

Are you in a state of Flow when you create?

“Flow” is a psychological term defined as being a state of optimal consciousness. Normally applied to extreme sports I wonder if the most powerful and effective art is not achieved through the same state of being? From my personal experience I would have to say yes. Is it possible to apply practices used by athletes to the creation of music? Absolutely. I think it is essential for any creative artist moving forward.

Extreme sports require near perfect decision making because the stakes are high. It requires acceptance of limitations and the exploitation of personal strengths. Lack of awareness can be the difference between life and death. 

Is making art a life or death decision?

Music as a profession has been hit hard by disruptive technology and will continue to be challenged. Maybe it is a life or death decision after all?

If you watch someone who is about to jump off a bridge, free climb 2000ft or surf a 100ft wave there seems to be a calm about them. They are focused and relaxed. They are not distracted because they know if they aren’t ....well you know.

If you look at great performers they have a similar aura about them. Focused, relaxed...in the moment. Any person who performs at a high level has learned how to put themselves in a state of “flow” on command.

Watch how athletes prepare themselves in pressure situations. Most adopt a preshot routine to put themselves in a state of flow. Do you have a pre-shot routine before you begin to write? If you don’t you might consider creating one. The better decisions you make the more efficient you become and...the better art you will create.

Monday Musings: Is it possible to own music?

Art at its best is a transformative experience. Art can bring us to tears, make us laugh, make us reflect. Art can even be powerful enough to start and stop wars.  

Never underestimate the power of art or its value.

Value implies measurement.  But, who determines how that measurement is taken? Or what it is based on? Is it even possible to “own” art? And, if I have access to the “art” that interests me why on earth would I want to own it?

Access vs. Ownership- the dilemma of the information age.

Whenever we go to a movie, watch a live performance or purchase a song aren’t we buying access so we can be transformed by the message of the artist? Is it not the experience that is of value? 

Art has long functioned as a mouthpiece for those without a voice. It is the creative individuals who can coin a phrase, write a speech, or capture the times in a song who have unified our culture in the past. It is the human need to share these common experiences that creates value for the individual and the creator alike. 

Never underestimate the power of art to create a valuable common experience.

  

If we, as content creators, are trying to monetize our artistic endeavors we should remind ourselves:

• to realize that the experience we create is the product we have to sell 
• to acknowledge and embrace the value of the shared experience
• to let go of the all or nothing “grab the brass ring” mentality

Focus your energy on creation of your art. The value will be determined by the quality of experience you create. You can measure it later.