Complete Beginnings : Why oh why do we do it?

This may sound like a silly question but ‘why’ do you want to be an Artist?

Before you start anything you must look at they ‘why’ and ‘what’ you want to get out of it, what are your expectations? Hear me out! This is not for entirely personal development reasons and an excuse to overthink stuff…We are already good at that.

This is because I meet many people who would like to be an Artist for the title.

Now you have to do it all…and be good at it all. The trade off is being able to release your own music. Not so long ago we didn’t have the privilege yet overwhelm of juggling everything ourselves as we couldn’t self release.

As you are operating in an industry where you can release and self-manage then you can call yourself an Artist. This title ‘Artist’ means more than simply popping a track up on Spotify. You must must must quality control yourself.

I get sent mixes and tracks to advise on; the artist or band are disappointed when I respond to them to say it needs a tweak. Not because they can’t be arsed to make the change/amendment but because it makes them feel that they are still a step away from being this ‘Artist’ when they thought they were finally there.

The ‘want’ to be the Artist can take over quality control. If you care for your craft you must make sure it is right. This means checking in a lot, and then continuously doing so even as you get older and more experienced.

I have found with some that this urge for the title of 'Artist' is because of how it makes them feel. Some pursue being a performer because having fun turned to attention which turned into validation. (Not all, but some do).

And therefore an understanding of your reasons is an excellent start.

You can set your intentions.

• If you want to release music because it’s your creativity and you don’t care who likes it then good for you! Do that unapologetically…what a fantastic place to be in.

• If you are seeking validation through your artistry, look at ways to deal with this is a more healthy way so that you can express yourself from an authentic place ... and not feel disappointed at ‘making a living’ from your music rather than feeling you have fallen short if you aren’t a millionaire by 30.

Set the intentions to be the best version of you and sod anyone that doesn’t get your music.

Don’t do it for validation. Do it because it’s fun and for many there is no greater job than making a living in the amazing music industry. Feel empowered. Create your art. Share it with the world but PLEASE quality control yourself so that it aligns with what you want, for the right reasons.

The best advice we can give...

Don’t do it for the title.

If you are making music you already are an ‘Artist’ whether it’s released yet or not.

Start to believe in this and take it seriously.

Have business meetings with yourself.

This is your creativity, none else’s and we want to be with you every step of the way, even from afar. So, when you release something, let us know so that we can shout about it for you.