For most career choices I recommend thinking things through. But if you really want to be a professional artist or singer-songwriter then I would very much recommend not thinking things through.
Why? Because it doesn’t make sense. The numbers won’t add up on your Excel spreadsheet. Well…whatever the numbers add up to for an aspiring trapeze artist, those will be similar (or slightly less) for the aspiring singer-songwriter.
Yes, I know that I’m a singer-songwriter. But I’m far enough along in my career to realize I didn’t really think it through. Which was a great asset. Call it dumb luck or fate, but it certainly wasn’t calculated. Now that I’m here, I just gotta keep going.
People ask me if they should move to Nashville, or if they should do this or that to make it in the music industry. What I really want to say to them is that they’re on the verge of thinking things through, and nothing’s killed more artist careers than that.
The best thing you can do is pray that you are not an artist and that you can do something else fulfilling with your life.
But if you are an artist none of this matters anyway because you’re going to go and do whatever it is that’s in your heart. You won’t be able to help yourself. Thinking things through won’t even be on your radar. And even if you’re reading this warning, it’s not going to phase you.
If that person is you, you’ve got a good chance of having a career. I’m wishing you the best of luck!
Love,
Aaron