Being Motivated and Resilient in the Arts
There’s an old saying, “comfort is the enemy of progress.” That statement is true in everyday life, but especially true when it comes to an artist who needs to be in constant creative mode. We’re speaking of those who obtain a certain comfort level and stop trying to push the creative envelope. We’re also looking at students who completed their undergraduate studies and decided to attend graduate school because staying in school is “comfortable.” We’re not referring to those who have crafted a career plan to attend graduate to further hone their skills. We’re referring to those who attend graduate school because they don’t feel prepared to leave the comforts and day-to-day routine of college life.
Sometimes you can lose your momentum because your career is not going in the direction you envisioned. It’s easy to sometimes give up to pursue the path of least resistance. Also, sometimes life gets in the way, meaning you’ve got bills to pay, a family to support and you need to find a “real” job that will allow you to live a comfortable life.
Being Motivated and Resilient
As an artist or almost any other endeavor in life (but especially an artist), you will be told “no” far more times than you will be told “yes.” This can become extraordinarily frustrating because you’ve invested practically your entire life honing your craft, yet the world has failed to acknowledge your brilliance. Doubts creep into your thinking and you begin to question whether or not you have what it takes to “make it.”
Parents are sometimes a bit concerned when their child announces they desire to major in the arts in college. They often ask, “will my child move back home at the end of these four years?” Our response is, “it depends on how much drive and determination your child has.” Notice we didn’t say talent. There’s a book that we highly recommend by Angela Beeching titled, Beyond Talent. That is such an appropriate title given the artistic landscape. Talent alone will not be enough! In the art world, we have a supply and demand problem. We have more supplies than demand! Therefore, the question becomes how do you as an artist stand out in the midst of all the talent worldwide?
The artist must understand that “no” simply means not right now. That has to be the mindset otherwise the constant “no’s” will dampen your spirit which may cause you to give up. We’ve previously cited the 2004 longitudinal study by Daniel J. Wakin titled, The Juilliard Effect: Ten Years Later. Wakin cites how more than half of the graduating music class at Juilliard were no longer pursuing careers in the arts.
There had to be several reasons for this high rate of very talented and gifted artists to simply throw in the towel. One of the reasons that captured our attention was the fact that graduates became disillusioned about the music profession. They auditioned repeatedly to no avail. They couldn’t win an audition or could not get the teaching position. These were just a few of the obstacles that caused 50% of the graduates to switch careers.
There are two separate items that sometimes contribute to artists giving up on their dreams. The first obstacle might be a lack of knowledge on how to navigate the artistic landscape, and the inability to reinvent themselves as artists. Ensembles such as the Turtle Island String Quartet, Canadian Brass, or the Imani Winds were all classically trained musicians who went in a different route while carving their own niche.
The other barrier is the inability to “stick and stay.” Choosing the arts as a career is one that offers no guarantees. Some of the reality television shows such as the American Idol, The Voice, Sing-Off, So You Think You Can Dance sometimes offer an unrealistic depiction of what might be characterized as an overnight success. Some would-be artists seem to think that one day you’re working at Pizza Hut and the next day you have signed a lucrative recording contract with a major record label.
Unfortunately, that scenario is one that seldom occurs for most artists. For example, we are aware of the Beatles performing for years before near empty venues for little to no money. The Jackson 5 were initially rejected by Motown’s founder, Barry Gordy. J.K. Rowlings’ Harry Potter books were rejected twelve times by publishers. Michael Jordan did not make his high school basketball team. The funk-fusion band Snarky Puppy maxed out credit cards to keep the group together.
There are countless artists and others who have toiled for years performing in near-empty rooms without compensation, or those who were told that they were not good enough before their big break occurred. Others took related jobs while they waited for their “break” such as backstage work, working at a gallery, or in administration.
The one universal theme for all of these groups or individuals is that they refused to quit or take “no” for an answer. The word “no” meant, “not right now.” This has to be the mentality of every artist. Quitting is not an option!
In the 1940s and 50s, it was common for most jazz musicians to have a “day” job to support their musical habits until their big break occurred. Oftentimes, parents will say, “shouldn’t “Johnny” have another degree in education to fall back on just in case…? Our response is resolute. If “Johnny” is serious about having a career as an artist, there can be no Plan B.
If you have something to fall back on, more than likely you will take it the moment things become a little rough. Initially, the artist is not thinking about how my art is going to make him rich and famous. If you have gone into the arts solely to become rich and famous, you might reconsider your calling.
As a developing artist, you do what you love, love what you do, and share it with the world. If you are lucky (when preparation and opportunity collide), fame and fortune will follow! In the words of the late North Carolina State basketball coach Jimmy Valvano, “Don’t give up, never give up!