Exactly The Way You Want It
If it doesn’t turn out exactly the way you want it to, do you still want to do it?
If it turns out only kind of like you wanted, are you still glad you put in the work?
If it has to be one specific way you need to let everyone know on the front end and then be very clear about what the outcome needs to be and what the expectations are.
If there’s wiggle room you need to remember that the wiggle room isn’t going to go exactly the way you want it to. Because wiggle room allows for both ‘better’ ideas and ‘different’ ideas. Better ideas are easy to go along with and make you look easy going. But people coming in with different ideas might make you wish you hand’t allowed any wiggle room to begin with.
Hype Cycle
How many can you survive?
The hype cycle can be fun and it can also destroy an artist or band.
The hype cycles I’m talking about are the ones where the artist is getting a bunch of industry buzz because they’re the next cool thing…and they need a label…or they have a new album they made with the hit producer in town…or a celebrity commented on a post and then another one did and now everyone’s talking.
A hype cycle opens your eyes to what’s possible, the world is about to be yours. But it also makes you believe it’s going to happen a lot quicker and easier than it seems. And those falsely elevated expectations, paired with inevitable false promises, lots of traveling and late nights and either way too much money or barely any money are enough to burry an artist in dejection.
The first line of defense is of course knowing that hype cycles happen. Smile and appreciate it. When the earth, sun and planets are promised to you, you can remember they’ve been promised before and they’ll be promised again. Everyone means well and no one cares. You’re not as big as the hype and yet you’re way better than the hype.
Hype cycles look different as you gain more traction, fame and money but they’re a part of the game. Brace yourself. Enjoy yourself.
Hanayama
A couple years ago my brother brought a couple Hanayama puzzles to a family gathering.
Hanayama puzzles are hand held puzzles…like the two keys interlocked that you have to get apart.
The best part about the puzzles isn’t when you have it all figured out. No. The best part is when you don’t have it figured out but you’re onto something and you think you can get it.
As soon as I would get one figured out, I wanted the struggle of a new one that I didn’t have the answer to.
We think we want the answers. But really what we want are fun problems.
Why Are We All Here?
First Monday of the month, new Hum Love playlist on Spotify and Apple
It’s a big question, ‘why are we all here’…but there’s a couple categories that are at least a part of the answer…
To make and make new again.
To create and recreate.
To build and rebuild.
We make songs, relationships, videos, vacations, dinner, bands...and then when they fracture and get messed up and completely fall apart…they can be made new.
Do It Again, Chef!
If you’re a famous chef and you have people over for dinner, your guests are excited about all that you’ve achieved over the years and feel really special for getting to be associated with you.
But what they really hope is that dinner is good.
That’s the deal for a chef…you have to be able to do it again tonight. Tonight’s dinner doesn’t magically get world class because you cooked three good ones two weeks ago.