Back to Life: Moving On After Success or Failure
What a week!
Our government shut down causing the media to do their best at creating must see TV and nearly every social network to overflow with comments about President Obama (yes PRESIDENT, not Mister, not Barack) being at fault, the Tea Party, and how ridiculous it all is. No matter your opinion or view, it is safe to say that if you didn't have one before today, you probably have one by now or are too damn fed up with being laid off or having so many people screaming in your ear and pointing fingers that you turned off the TV and computer and dropped to your knees to pray that you had acceptable healthcare and didn't have to read another racist comment from your Facebook "friends" about certain members of the government.
Maybe that wasn't your week. Maybe you opened a show or started a new job. Perhaps you had a baby or bought a new house or moved into a new apartment. Some of you may have made a new purchase or read a new book that is gripping and you find it hard to put down long enough to spread the word about how great it is. I know there are many of you who had a rough week. You may have lost a loved one, or received one too many bills all at once. Maybe the grocery store stopped carrying your favorite product or you had the worst luck traveling to and from work. You might have found out that a hospital was going to be expanding by knocking down buildings on your block so that they can build up to your back door. Wait, wait, I know... Your favorite sports team lost and you've been in a funk ever since the final whistle. Whatever happened to you last week, good or bad, today is a new day and it's time to learn from those experiences and get back to life!
Last week was a busy week for me! I was so excited to release my debut single and title track from my EP, Shot of Bourbon. I made sure to research the best time of day to release the song & video. I even consulted with people whom I consider to be my inner circle and chose 11 AM on October 1. Well, so much for that! I was so excited in my preparation that I accidentally released the video 15 minutes early via twitter and Facebook. I was alerted by my friend and producer J-Ideas and I quickly deleted the posts only to re-release a few minutes after 11 AM EST. I had a good sniggle (snicker and giggle) and continued to be blown away by the response to the song and video. In less than a week, the video had over 250 views on YouTube (if you have yet to see it, check it out below).
The song was being downloaded and shared left and right (and probably forward and backwards but people don't usually say that so I'm not sure) to the point that I went from #150 to now #13 on the Singer/Songwriter charts on the music website Reverbnation. I found myself nearly obsessed with the statistics of the song and video, checking my phone constantly while not really doing much else for about 4 days. Having your music on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Myspace Music, CD Baby, Last.fm, Rdio, Google Music and other online retailers can really drive you crazy... if you let it. October 4, 2013 I played at the Brooklyn Conservatory Concert Hall and as soon as the show was over I beat myself up because I felt that I didn't play as well as I could have (see footage of St. James Infirmary below).
Clip of St. James Infirmary
I know, I know, some of you might be saying, "Aww, that's cute" or "Dude, get a life!". I agree with both sentiments. After building up the courage to finally share this music with the world and finding out that the world didn't hate it, I realized it is okay to enjoy this taste of success and also time to move on and get back to living life.
I have to get back to work as bills don't pay themselves. I have to keep exercising and eating healthy foods. I have to leave the house more than once or twice a day for something other than going to the store or checking the mail. No matter how good or bad LAST week was, this week has just begun and I have to keep living and moving forward through life. It's a little difficult, I'll admit. As an artist you want success and you want people to appreciate your efforts and for them to want more of your work. I'd be lying if I said I don't want to keep basking in the glow of last week's success. However, looking back will cause me to miss what's coming my way and basking in that glow for too long could blind me from my responsibilities as a man.
So, how do I balance the two? How do I enjoy my modest success and keep living and working hard. Easy, I was raised and surrounded by people who instilled in me to be humble and maintain a good work ethic. Psh, c'mon, ask me a tough one, right?! Right?! (crickets)
Okay, bad joke, but seriously, how do we not let good or bad things get to our head? We have to stay in the present, the now, and do whatever we have to do (legally) to get more of that good feeling or make sure we don't experience more of that bad feeling. Yes, that's vague, but for me, I know I have to keep working hard. I have to make sure I practice playing guitar and singing every day. I have to keep reading plays and working on my craft during my down time. I have to make sure I stay in shape and also keep in touch with directors, producers, and other artists with whom I've had the pleasure of working. I have to keep myself surrounded by honest, grounded, like-minded people who have my best interest at heart. It sounds pretty simple but you don't go from Hannah Montana to twerking without being blinded by the limelight and having one or two people on your team that steer you into a crash and burn.
I'm not hating on Miley. Let's face it, we're all buying what she's selling in some way. You may disagree with her performance or her popularity, but you talk about her and try to keep her from your children, right? That's what she's selling! She wants people to talk about her and when that happens she's relevant and when you're relevant people are caring about what you're doing regardless of if they want to admit it or not. Yet, she too, must move on and live life and keep evolving as a person and an artist... at some point.
Don't worry, I won't be twerking or pulling any Miley stunts to get your attention. This week will be spent updating my 9-5 resume so that I can keep cash flowing into my bank account between acting gigs and music projects. I will be emailing my temp agency to let them know my availability so that I can get back to reality. As you see, my life has yet to reach the glamourous state.
I still have concerns of paying bills on time and having enough food in my cabinets and fridge. When in the comfort of my own home, I wear a pair of broken glasses to let my eyes rest from wearing contacts. The glasses are so broken that they only have one arm and the right lens only stays attached to the frame if I wear them on the tip of my nose. It could just fall out at any moment. There is STILL a bag full of laundry that needs to be done, even though that chore was completed last week. My bedroom needs to be repainted and so does my kitchen. Did I mention I have a slow drip from the faucet in the kitchen sink? I have at least 99 problems. Thank God a bitch ain't one. HIT ME!
With that said, it's back to life for me and back to work I go... after all, I am a working artist whose life is his art. Thank you for finding it interesting enough to keep tuning in- damn my right lens just fell out...
Our government shut down causing the media to do their best at creating must see TV and nearly every social network to overflow with comments about President Obama (yes PRESIDENT, not Mister, not Barack) being at fault, the Tea Party, and how ridiculous it all is. No matter your opinion or view, it is safe to say that if you didn't have one before today, you probably have one by now or are too damn fed up with being laid off or having so many people screaming in your ear and pointing fingers that you turned off the TV and computer and dropped to your knees to pray that you had acceptable healthcare and didn't have to read another racist comment from your Facebook "friends" about certain members of the government.
Maybe that wasn't your week. Maybe you opened a show or started a new job. Perhaps you had a baby or bought a new house or moved into a new apartment. Some of you may have made a new purchase or read a new book that is gripping and you find it hard to put down long enough to spread the word about how great it is. I know there are many of you who had a rough week. You may have lost a loved one, or received one too many bills all at once. Maybe the grocery store stopped carrying your favorite product or you had the worst luck traveling to and from work. You might have found out that a hospital was going to be expanding by knocking down buildings on your block so that they can build up to your back door. Wait, wait, I know... Your favorite sports team lost and you've been in a funk ever since the final whistle. Whatever happened to you last week, good or bad, today is a new day and it's time to learn from those experiences and get back to life!
 |
| courtesy of http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/ |
Last week was a busy week for me! I was so excited to release my debut single and title track from my EP, Shot of Bourbon. I made sure to research the best time of day to release the song & video. I even consulted with people whom I consider to be my inner circle and chose 11 AM on October 1. Well, so much for that! I was so excited in my preparation that I accidentally released the video 15 minutes early via twitter and Facebook. I was alerted by my friend and producer J-Ideas and I quickly deleted the posts only to re-release a few minutes after 11 AM EST. I had a good sniggle (snicker and giggle) and continued to be blown away by the response to the song and video. In less than a week, the video had over 250 views on YouTube (if you have yet to see it, check it out below).
The song was being downloaded and shared left and right (and probably forward and backwards but people don't usually say that so I'm not sure) to the point that I went from #150 to now #13 on the Singer/Songwriter charts on the music website Reverbnation. I found myself nearly obsessed with the statistics of the song and video, checking my phone constantly while not really doing much else for about 4 days. Having your music on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Myspace Music, CD Baby, Last.fm, Rdio, Google Music and other online retailers can really drive you crazy... if you let it. October 4, 2013 I played at the Brooklyn Conservatory Concert Hall and as soon as the show was over I beat myself up because I felt that I didn't play as well as I could have (see footage of St. James Infirmary below).
Clip of St. James Infirmary
I know, I know, some of you might be saying, "Aww, that's cute" or "Dude, get a life!". I agree with both sentiments. After building up the courage to finally share this music with the world and finding out that the world didn't hate it, I realized it is okay to enjoy this taste of success and also time to move on and get back to living life.
I have to get back to work as bills don't pay themselves. I have to keep exercising and eating healthy foods. I have to leave the house more than once or twice a day for something other than going to the store or checking the mail. No matter how good or bad LAST week was, this week has just begun and I have to keep living and moving forward through life. It's a little difficult, I'll admit. As an artist you want success and you want people to appreciate your efforts and for them to want more of your work. I'd be lying if I said I don't want to keep basking in the glow of last week's success. However, looking back will cause me to miss what's coming my way and basking in that glow for too long could blind me from my responsibilities as a man.
So, how do I balance the two? How do I enjoy my modest success and keep living and working hard. Easy, I was raised and surrounded by people who instilled in me to be humble and maintain a good work ethic. Psh, c'mon, ask me a tough one, right?! Right?! (crickets)
 |
| courtesy of newnownext.mtvnimages.com |
Okay, bad joke, but seriously, how do we not let good or bad things get to our head? We have to stay in the present, the now, and do whatever we have to do (legally) to get more of that good feeling or make sure we don't experience more of that bad feeling. Yes, that's vague, but for me, I know I have to keep working hard. I have to make sure I practice playing guitar and singing every day. I have to keep reading plays and working on my craft during my down time. I have to make sure I stay in shape and also keep in touch with directors, producers, and other artists with whom I've had the pleasure of working. I have to keep myself surrounded by honest, grounded, like-minded people who have my best interest at heart. It sounds pretty simple but you don't go from Hannah Montana to twerking without being blinded by the limelight and having one or two people on your team that steer you into a crash and burn.
 |
| courtesy of starwallpict.com |
 |
| courtesy of Lucy Buckland |
I'm not hating on Miley. Let's face it, we're all buying what she's selling in some way. You may disagree with her performance or her popularity, but you talk about her and try to keep her from your children, right? That's what she's selling! She wants people to talk about her and when that happens she's relevant and when you're relevant people are caring about what you're doing regardless of if they want to admit it or not. Yet, she too, must move on and live life and keep evolving as a person and an artist... at some point.
Don't worry, I won't be twerking or pulling any Miley stunts to get your attention. This week will be spent updating my 9-5 resume so that I can keep cash flowing into my bank account between acting gigs and music projects. I will be emailing my temp agency to let them know my availability so that I can get back to reality. As you see, my life has yet to reach the glamourous state.
I still have concerns of paying bills on time and having enough food in my cabinets and fridge. When in the comfort of my own home, I wear a pair of broken glasses to let my eyes rest from wearing contacts. The glasses are so broken that they only have one arm and the right lens only stays attached to the frame if I wear them on the tip of my nose. It could just fall out at any moment. There is STILL a bag full of laundry that needs to be done, even though that chore was completed last week. My bedroom needs to be repainted and so does my kitchen. Did I mention I have a slow drip from the faucet in the kitchen sink? I have at least 99 problems. Thank God a bitch ain't one. HIT ME!
With that said, it's back to life for me and back to work I go... after all, I am a working artist whose life is his art. Thank you for finding it interesting enough to keep tuning in- damn my right lens just fell out...
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