highly talented is the bare minimum

This is just a quickie. I was thinking today about a conversation that I was having with an artist friend of mine, and I wanted to muse on it for a second.

My friend was frustrated. He’s highly talented, and his songwriting has been getting really strong, and his performances are becoming highly compelling. And yet he feels like nothing’s really clicking for him, like he’s spinning his wheels, like he can’t get traction for his career.

And: I hear this all the time. The basic line of reasoning is “I’m super talented; so when are things going to start happening for me?”

But here’s the thing: in the music marketplace, highly talented is the bare minimum. It’s not the destination point – it’s the departure point. It’s your ticket to entry.

There are millions and millions of highly talented independent artists.What makes one person rise above is all the rest of the non-musical stuff. The grind. The work. The hustle.

So: are you talented? Are you the best person you know at what you’re doing? That’s great. That’s a good starting point. Now get out there and hustle and start creating your success. Because no one is going to do it for you.

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