There is no beginning or end, only now
stop comparing your chapter 1 – soundprise
Introduction
I know how you feel. You feel like time is passing by at a rapid pace and you haven’t achieved much in your music career. Seeing everyone else in your circle and social media make big moves makes you think, ‘damn, I feel so far away from reaching my potential, I’m being left behind’. Stop it. Never, ever, ever, compare your reality to someone else’s; or to revert to the title, stop comparing your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 33. When you start comparing yourself to others, you cripple your growth by giving your energy towards them, instead of you. You must remember that your rise as an artist/musician, is different to someone else’s. Your story is unique in itself, so why bother trying to be like everyone else and copy their method? Music is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. So let’s keep going…
What’s the catch?
When I was still studying music at age 21, there we’re a couple of students in my year that had their careers pretty much on solid grasp. Some of them had management, some we’re signed to a label or a publishing company, and some we’re doing huge tours around Europe. And for me? Not much.
I used to get jealous and angry, thinking my peers just had that ‘lucky’ break; maybe they met someone who gave them a chance, maybe they landed a deal through a paid system, or maybe they we’re just at the right time and the right place. It confused me. I thought I was giving myself every bit of chance I could get: I performed a lot, collaborated with other artists, released singles/EPs etc. But where was all this effort going? I didn’t know at the time…
Looking back, I now realise that there was something going for me that my peers didn’t have. It was the fact that I loved music; I kept going. I kept evolving. I kept on pushing through with the music and my own artistry. Even through the multiple failure and upsets I faced. I’m still here. There is no moment where I feel like I’ve ‘succeeded’. It’s an on-going process that never ends. That was the catch.
Self-awareness is everything
There is a certain solitude you need to have as an artist/musician, which is the ability to live within your own reality. Not living in someone else’s story. At the end of the day, you don’t want to be known or compared as being a similar persona to someone else do you? You want to stand out as YOU. So again, stop comparing yourself to others.
Once I started focusing on me, all of a sudden, I started to realise the things that I did have. It was the small achievements I completely overlooked that was the greatest rewards I now have. And I’ve used this new found energy to further my career and actually take consistent action towards finding what I’m truly capable of achieving. You have to define what success is to YOU. And then re-define that according to your values and story. And though it may seem like your peers are in the clouds and achieving so many things, remember, there is always the side you never see.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, the only thing that really matters is what you think of yourself. And the best way to go about it, is to actually WORK on yourself; your music, your goals, songwriting, production etc. That is something that people don’t usually see, but those are the aspects of you that matter in the long run. And in the grand scheme of things, longevity is the name of the game. And yes, at the time I felt like I was so behind all my peers, but for the first time, I know that I’m actually levelling out with them or going beyond them because I focused on ME, and how I can further my career. Not because I want to beat them or show them that I’m better; but because I know that my career is my responsibility. So its downfall is upon me. But its success, is also 100% on me too.
Thank you for reading the blog, let me know what you thought of it and if you have any feedback or comment 
Here’s to more music and success!
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