Making it happen in the creative world can be tough. Forces appear to conspire against us. F* that. The biggest forces conspiring against us are generally within. And we all hold power there.
I’ve got my own list of Not F*ing Around bullet points that have helped me navigate the treacherous waters of myself over the years. The outcome— hundreds of songs, a half dozen feature length screenplays, films, poems, gigabytes of photographs, etc. etc. If you read my book or click around the site, you already know my NFA list.
In the effort to up my own NFA ratio even further I asked a bunch of other powerhouse creative types what helps them bust through the bullshit to make things happen.
With a little cutting and pasting from The 7Questions of Creativity, here’s a sampler of NFA awesome. Just for you.
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Do it. There’s a reason why it’s a great slogan: Just. Do. It. If you don’t know how, learn how, if people tell you you can’t, don’t talk to them about it anymore, or maybe straight up don’t talk to them. Make time to do it, and do it. Let the idea of doing it charm you. Take a step. Do it again. Take another step. Just. Do. It.’
If people tell you you can’t, don’t talk to them about it anymore, or maybe straight up don’t talk to them. Make time to do it, and do it. Let the idea of doing it charm you. Take a step. Do it again. Take another step. Just. Do. It.’
Keep learning! Learn from your peers, mentors, books, take class, volunteer, read blogs, go to films, museums, and learn from yourself. You have more knowledge inside you then you realize, take time to learn from you as well (like journaling, meditation, or walks in the woods doing some self introspection.)
Challenge yourself to fail. If it’s a creative dream, “failure”, is just you getting so much BETTER. Keep failing. That means you’re doing something right.
~ Jessica Howell Actress, Writer, Producer
Find out what you love doing and see if it’s something that others can benefit from and/or enjoy.
Always follow your gut! It’s rarely wrong.
Get networking. Build relationships and offer help and value to others whenever you can.
Ask for what you want. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
Do what you love and do it with integrity.
~Ross Barber Web Designer (for Musicians and Other Creatives)
Don’t wait for your circumstances to be perfect to pursue your dream. They will never be perfect and that’s just a fact.
Be inspired and start taking the necessary steps to reach your goals.
I always like to have a plan of action. Write it all down and check off your accomplishments. Be good to yourself in the process and remember you must have thick skin if you are going to succeed in this business.
It doesn’t matter if someone dislikes your music. Maybe they are not your kind of people anyway. Don’t get discouraged, anything that is amazing is worth fighting for.
Put your soul into all your work, never give half of yourself. People can tell the difference and you will not be successful.
Work well with others and learn how to respect people even of you don’t always agree with them.
Make music that inspires people and touches the soul. Don’t ever compromise yourself just to please others, stay true on your path.
Make every performance memorable.
Distinguish yourself from others.
Remember to balance your creative self with the necessities of business.
Know what kind of image you want to present for yourself. This is essential.
Promotion is so important when you are starting out.
Build your fan base and keep a great website.
Only put out the highest caliber of work.
And most of all— have fun and enjoy yourself, because making beautiful music should bring you Joy. It certainly has for me.
–Start today, not tomorrow.
–Don’t get discouraged by a bad day of writing. We all have them.
–Listen to what editor’s have to say, but make sure you also listen to your inner voice.
—Make your writing time a priority. If you don’t take yourself seriously, no one else will either.
–Love what you do.
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