People always say “you can do anything you put your mind to” or “you just need to believe in yourself” but what does that mean? Can you really achieve anything you want to by believing you can? Or, does a lot of success come down to your circumstances?
As a music artist, one of the greatest thing you could achieve is success. It’s what all artists strive for. After all, it’s your life. Your hobby, your career, everything is consumed by music. They say if you want it badly enough, you’ll be able to reach for it. However, is there more to it than that? Your surroundings, who you know, what resources you have access to all play a part surely?
If you want to be a guitarist but don’t have the funds, or access to a guitar, you can’t just “make it happen”. Of course, you could go out and work hard, save up and then put these dreams into action. But, what if you have other commitments, other priorities to pay for? You can’t claim these individuals just don’t want it badly enough. That’s not always the case.
Surely, much of it comes down to a happy medium. Wanting something enough, putting your mind to it, and also what you have access to. Someone who’s had everything given to them may not have the drive they need to reach success because they’re not used to having to work for things. So, it’s swings and roundabouts. It seems it’s a case of you need to work for it, and want it, but you also need to have the right platform to begin.
Take a look at Brad Rushing’s view on this
Brad Rushing is a Cinematographer, based in LA. He began working with Roger Corman’s Concorde/New Horizons film studio. This allowed him to access opportunities he otherwise wouldn’t have. He was able to work as the Director of Photography and learn valuable skills. From here he then went on to working on films which turned into his career.
He now films high-end music videos. Some artists he’s shot for are; Eminem, Lionel Richie, and Britney Spears. Within this YouTube video he is discussing success for artists. How is success achieved? Can you be successful without a head start? He says how he has a lot of help and support around him now. It’s possible without that he perhaps wouldn’t get to be involved with some of the projects he is.
For example, without agents or an individual looking for opportunities, it’s possible he wouldn’t be sourcing the jobs he has presented to him. Does that mean more people in his field could be successful if they had a great team in their corner? While he says a lot of success does come from applying yourself, he does also admit much of it too comes from who you know.
Perhaps this is an interesting take for all music artists. It’s certainly an insightful watch. After all, he has been at the beginning of his career not knowing where to begin. Now, he is at the highest level he could possibly be. This didn’t all happen overnight. It’s important for artists to realise they will have to work their way up quite often. However, hopefully this video will offer some useful advice.
