Myth Seven: When I make a million, I’ll be set

Myth Seven: When I make a million, I’ll be set

Creative Sterility

Knowing that fame is fleeting and seemingly dependant on the winds of fate – here one day gone the next -  would you choose fame and the accompanying financial gain or a career that would include the same financial gain spread out over an undetermined amount of time? When the band REM signed a seven record deal with Warner Bros., I remember hearing an interview with lead singer Michael Stipe where he said, “We can basically record musical burps on our next seven albums and it doesn’t matter, we’ve already been paid.” 

Sometimes having money takes you out of the struggle that was the impetus for your creative drive too begin with.  As renowned personal growth blogger, Steve Pavlina attests, “It’s too easy to become dependent on external funding, and there are always strings attached. What happens if your financial support gets cut off while you’re in the middle of a creative project? I worked hard, sometimes sleeping at my games studio office, but when my funding source was cut off, I was stuck with unfinished projects that never saw the light of day.”

Steve Pavlina 

Steve Pavlina is widely recognized as one of the most successful personal development bloggers on the Internet, attracting more than two million monthly readers to his website. He has written more than 700 articles and recorded many audio programs on a broad range of self-help topics, including productivity, relationships, and spirituality. Pavlina has been quoted as an expert by the New York Times, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, the Los Angeles Daily News, Self Magazine, and The Guardian. www.stevepavlina.com.

 

Artist Myth 10g: Agents

Myth Ten: If I only had an agent, my worries would be over.
Consider this. Charles Ross premiered his "One Man Star Wars," in Toronto, Canada in 2001, and toured the show for the past 8 years. In the show, Ross, plays all the characters, makes all the sound effects, and hums all the in-between music.

As Neda Ulaby mentions in my NPR interview (8.12.09 - nprinterview) Ross hasn't been known as anything but the "Star Wars Guy" for the past 8 years. My friend Noah in the last blog entry is known as the skull guy. Are you able to place yourself in an easily defineable box?

In terms of your career and attracting the attention of an agent, focus can mean all the difference in the world.

So, what's a creative rebel to do if you like to keep your creative brushes in a little bit of everything? When I began to sharpen my focus I visited the website of artists I admired who seemed to have a lot of the same renaissance spirit I have - that double-edged sword.

First stop - Steve Martins website. What you'll notice is that he considers himself a comedian/actor. Ignore the fact that he's written a bunch of books, is a re-known musician, has written and produced a ton of plays and started it all as a magician. In all likelihood it was this very focus that helped him find his agent.