In my Nov 3rd post I boldly stated that guitarists everywhere--regardless of skill level--have fans waiting for them. Is that BS? Happily, no. Will the majority of axe-slingers reach their fan-base? Unfortunately, no.
In his uber-popular post, Ignore Everybody, blogger and author Hugh Macleod said "Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb." And he is exactly right. In fact, disturbingly so. Why disturbingly? Because most people
Guess what?
Most people don't want to be successful.
Yes, fear of success is real for some. And there are many different reasons for this. According to an article posted about one year ago at livestrong.com, fear of success can be due to many things, including:
- Fear of accomplishment, recognition, or honor
- Fear of being eclipsed and eventually replaced by another who is more talented
While these points and others are true I believe that unwillingness, not fear, is the real bad guy in this scenario. The majority of folks don't want success, plain and simple. Success means change, harder work, and possible failure(s) along the way. These things are largely undesirable for many people.
SUCCESS DOESN'T PLAY FAVORITES
Think about the "ugly" kid that was somehow the center of a beautiful girl's attention. Most everyone has seen this type of thing before--either in youth or adulthood--and it never ceases to astound and amaze.
Popularity courts artists in much the same way. Sure, there was Elvis, Sinatra, Redding, and many other male vocalists with enviable voices and features. But then there was Dylan, unkempt both in appearance and in voice. Yet he is a top American icon. And when he came on the scene decades ago his fans were waiting for him. They didn't know his name, of course, but were waiting nonetheless...longing for someone to express how they were feeling.
And it's the same for every guitarist. You fulfill your fans' needs for self-expression. You are their voice and often, their image. You are their creative advocate. When they hear you play (and sing, if you do that) some--maybe many--are feeling / thinking / saying:
"Yeah! THAT's how I'm feeling!" or "THAT'S how I want to feel. He (or she) is relating to ME."
And most likely at the same time someone-- hopefully just one--is thinking how they wish you would just turn the volume down, wear the guitar lower, not sing, play shorter solos, or hold your bends longer or...whatever. Point being: you can't please everyone.
But if 15 out of 40 people at a dive / bar somewhere in your town miss you because you didn't show up that Saturday night for the 'open mic', you are famous. Yes, famous. Not in a big way, but that doesn't matter. Rome wasn't built in a day.
So the good news is that you already have fans waiting for you. The bad news is: they're not going to step up to the stage for you; you have to make the first move.
Everyone "wants" success. But are you willing to be successful? Or to slightly mis-quote another 60's icon, "Are you [willing to be] experienced?"
What do you think about success?
-6SV
Popularity courts artists in much the same way. Sure, there was Elvis, Sinatra, Redding, and many other male vocalists with enviable voices and features. But then there was Dylan, unkempt both in appearance and in voice. Yet he is a top American icon. And when he came on the scene decades ago his fans were waiting for him. They didn't know his name, of course, but were waiting nonetheless...longing for someone to express how they were feeling.
And it's the same for every guitarist. You fulfill your fans' needs for self-expression. You are their voice and often, their image. You are their creative advocate. When they hear you play (and sing, if you do that) some--maybe many--are feeling / thinking / saying:
"Yeah! THAT's how I'm feeling!" or "THAT'S how I want to feel. He (or she) is relating to ME."
And most likely at the same time someone-- hopefully just one--is thinking how they wish you would just turn the volume down, wear the guitar lower, not sing, play shorter solos, or hold your bends longer or...whatever. Point being: you can't please everyone.
But if 15 out of 40 people at a dive / bar somewhere in your town miss you because you didn't show up that Saturday night for the 'open mic', you are famous. Yes, famous. Not in a big way, but that doesn't matter. Rome wasn't built in a day.
So the good news is that you already have fans waiting for you. The bad news is: they're not going to step up to the stage for you; you have to make the first move.
Everyone "wants" success. But are you willing to be successful? Or to slightly mis-quote another 60's icon, "Are you [willing to be] experienced?"
What do you think about success?
-6SV
No comments:
Post a Comment