Stay Disciplined – Not Motivated

It gets hard sometimes to stay driven and motivated. Burn out is a thing, in every profession. But music?

In this profession it’s not so much a physical or mental burn out, but rather an emotional burn. 

Something about expressing yourself and the constant desire to share that with an audience takes a hold of me.

Sometimes, to keep my relationship with composing healthy, I need to slow down and remind myself that it’s a passion.

Don’t just push and rush through it. Every artists rushes a project in their time… I have (go listen to the tracks and see if you can decide which 😂). But reminding yourself to treat it more importantly that “content” is valuable. And necessary. You didn’t fall in love with the art because it was “content”.

There is a fine line though. No growth comes from comfort… which frustrates me on some days! But I’m a realist. If this was easy- we’d all be doing it.

I’ve experienced so many waves of emotions in my music making “life”. Not in a volition way; the joy it brings me is incredibly consistent. Very rarely am I “done” with the music making. But the business that pairs with seeking exposure and sharing my creations with the world can sometimes have me feeling trapped. 

Trapped is a strange word if you’re unsure of context

It’s just that, as a musician, you don’t feel in control of your “level ups” quite like we do in other careers. There are sequential levels or tiers to climb in most careers. It’s logical, there’s one or two routes. Layer upon layer, job description by job description- it’s clear what you need to do to get to earn that next “vacancy”. 

I have a business brain. I’ve always been lucky in that regard, I’m emotive in my music making but the logic in this brain is ever present. I have other lives, and have career climbed or grown very quickly in these spaces. I see outside of the box, I measure where we lack growth, I design methods to improve and I execute WITH evidence of growth. I am constantly reflecting and seeking to enhance what’s already in practice. 

What’s funny though, is that this is the first career I have never been able to “just know” what to do next. How to climb. 

There are people and programs that promise to mentor and teach you, some that are so authentic and real; others that ride the wave of your emotions with an alterior agenda to your success. Detecting this is a skill! I am a very trusting and optimistic person, so when I encounter a “hurdle” in this “i can help you” world- I will usually assume this person is here for me and not for them. What a naive concept. 

It’s something I love in myself, and am proud of, but am learning to choose where I spend this trust more wisely.

Makes for great music content at least

But this industry is a very ALL IN industry. Hence why it’s so easy to jump in for the ride with these “helpful people”. It’s very evident I am speaking from a biased experience. My lens is my lens. Perhaps those people did have good intentions? Usually at the beginning they do. But as parties come together, we learn one another and agenda changes. Or maybe it doesn’t, maybe it was always like that. Either way- sometimes you gotta discover that the hard way.

This blog has layers upon layers. Even as I write this, I personally know it’s very disjointed. Perhaps that illustrates how “bits parts and pieces” this career path is. But the purpose of the blog is for me to actually voice the power of challenge. I’ve wanted to throw in the towel a few times, but the passion and dream that is chasing a career in music always finds its way back to me. It’s embedded in my heart; regardless of the highs and the lows.

It’s so rewarding in its ability to teach you about yourself.  It’s the emotional investment that has me taking risks, then learning from small and huge mistakes, to then build trust in yourself and take a more measured and educated risk. The cycle is constant, but it’s an upward spiral of a cycle and you constantly come back better.

Motivation is the passion and desire for the goal, but discipline and an open mind for learning (the challenge, yourself, the world around you); THATS what takes you to your next chapter.

Hayli xx