What Can We Get Away With?

It’s a bad idea for advertising (though often used). Think of the phrases ’see fine print for details’ or ‘screen images simulated’ or ‘screen images sped up’ or ‘rules and restrictions apply’. Advertisers go right to the edge of what they can get away with to hook us in before we find out that it’s not quite as good as we thought.

But ‘what can we get away with’ is a great idea for creativity. Because it’s more than you think. It stretches you. It surprises you and the audience. You’ll learn something. It brings excitement. It makes you face some fear and insecurity. And if it doesn’t work out it’s not going to kill you.

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All That Practicing

The amount of time you’re going to spend practicing (and preparing) far out weighs the amount of time you will perform.

So the natural question is…does the thrill of the performance out weigh the long practice hours?

But the better question is…do you like practicing?

Practicing and preparing only for the thrill of the performance is sure to burn you out.

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Perfecting Senior Year

If you repeat senior year of high school over and over...you’re sure to perfect it…you’ll keep getting better test scores, you’ll figure out the funnest route to the next class, you’ll memorize which days you should pack a lunch instead of hot lunch, you’ll optimize your locker space, you’ll learn how to maximize hall pass time, you’ll learn how to secure a spot on the homecoming court in the fall and in the spring be one half of the hottest couple at prom. Sounds like a lot of fun.

But the point of senior year isn’t to get it all right.

The point is to move on.

When we’ve done the hard work of getting pretty good at something, it’s easy to want to keep playing in that sandbox for a while.

The mechanic who takes ten years to restore the car.

The chef who hasn’t thrown a dinner party because the dish hasn’t been perfected.

And most certainly…the artist, songwriter, producer, musician who won’t stop tinkering with the song and just release it.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Don't Bring The Last Meeting Home

The way you end your morning routine is what you take into your work day.

The way the meeting ends is what you take into the next one.

The way you end your work day is what you take home.

The way you end your day is what you take to bed.

The way something ends has a lot of influence over the next thing. And if that’s helpful, keep it going.

But a bad ending doesn’t need to hold ultimate power over the next thing.

So the morning routine wasn’t great…to what extent are you going to bring that with you to work?

And the last meeting of the day got heated…does your house need to feel the height of that stress?

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Style For Others

Keith’s headband.

Steven’s scarves.

Michael’s glove.

Their style is for them, to make them look cool…but it gives us something too.

Whether it’s loud or subtle, we get a little jolt from that person wearing that style. It’s a gift.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

I Made It To Nashville...

but now what?

First thing…get a job. You’re going to need money. If you don’t have any money you get desperate…and desperate is a bad look.

Eager, on the other hand, is a great look. Go to all the new artist nights and introduce yourself. Smile. Tell people you’re new in town and what instrument you play and that you’d love to play with them…and then a day or two later drop them a message saying the same thing.

Now you have a job and a few contacts. Say yes to every gig for two years. Practice your instrument. Get good at asking questions and listening and caring for people. Become a regular at a few coffee shops and a few venues. Show up five minutes early.

Find a music business lawyer and pay them an hour a week to teach you things you don’t know.

The old musicians like to teach the younger ones. So find the old ones.

Come up with something you can put into the world on a regular basis.

Make it easy for people to find you and contact you.

And spend some money on a couple good jackets.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple