Thanks for initiating such conversation, Jim. I think I’ve given up feeling like everything I do needs to “make the grade.” I still write as best I can with community in mind, but I’m more realistic and comfortable knowing this might fail, and I’m sharing anyway. “Get good.” I try to enjoy continuous trying without fear of failure and without burning out. Cheers!
I think it's those decisions that make you powerful, John. I think the act of doing it sharpens us and makes us better in and of itself. Yes, it's nice and fun and validating when there's nice feedback, but I think the writing shapes us to start with. As it does so, we improve the writing from the inside out.
I think the most important thing of everything nowadays, at least for myself, is just to rediscover the joy. It's taken me a long time to do that through this difficult writing process with the album, but actually now that I'm gradually writing a book around that album, the book is actually becoming a much gentler and unfolding thing.
Wishing you very well, brother. Thank you always for your kindness.
Brilliant article Jim. I’m newer to all of this than you, but it really resonates. I have pulled back from Instagram specifically for now for similar reasons. You articulate this all really well. I wonder also whether our instinct to spread ourselves so thin across all these opportunities and platforms actually comes from scarcity and a lack of faith?
I hear you Oliver. I think doing many things has the one good effect that you learn a lot of skills — but at the last, I do think we have to commit to a few areas of progress. I rather like the idea that strategy is what you can say “no” to. At the moment, I’m trying to say no to as much as I can, but of course, life does hunt you!!!! Appreciate your kind words, brother.
I do agree with everything, but not with this sentence:
“I loved my YouTube videos, but not one is a legacy work”. The YouTube sessions are a masterpiece. Opening up, like you did, as a know artist, is overwhelming. And while you have a grown up fanbase, there isn’t the same reaction as when your fans are younger and consuming tiktok. Most of your listeners maybe don’t or can’t write comments, it’s just a different audience. Your music audience will be there, don’t worry. Everyone who's once connected with you, stay connected. You have this “John Lennon meets Kafka effect”. And the YouTube sessions were a weekly art piece and I thank you for that.
Daniela, I cannot thank you enough. You and some others really kept me going there, and I cant tell you how much it lifted me up. I really would love to make more videos again, and I do intend to. I'm just trying to not chase too many things at the same time. With the album seeming to be trying to become a book, I feel that it's a sort of slightly contrary space to what video asks for. At the moment, I'm just allowing myself to keep deep in practise and in the writing itself. Little songs are beginning to pop out, though, which is fun as well, all step by step.
Big love and hope you had a lovely weekend. Thank you all for your support.
The book sounds really exciting. and YouTube can wait; your work there is still defying gravity. It was a hell of a ride 🫶 Big hug to you, Nick and Roly.
Jim, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. Well said.
I know that “finding a way is important” to tackle social media is indeed important. The pressure is there for sure. It really does appear to be a necessary component in reaching people and for them to know who you are and recognition. It does help to cast a wider net so to speak. Like you, it’s not in my nature to share my personal life.” The ego involved to stand out is uncomfortable for me to say the least.
I understand what you mean about finding a way to have a good experience and meeting people and having fun, but nonetheless my gut continually fights the notion.
I also know it’s counterproductive to not embrace simply diving in and taking the time to learn. I don’t know if it’s laziness, too daunting, time taken away from writing, not wanting to be successful enough or what. I do know, at my age and at this time in my life success, whatever it’s called, is not how I define it now. It’s the process. The writing, re-writing and scrubbing a song until it passes my strainer with ease.
I believe, I will, as you mentioned, “let the promotional side come downstream.” However, I’m making some baby steps on Instagram. That is with some help😊
I’ve checked out some of your YouTube videos and shorts and they are really impressive! You are a thinker and are very good at motivating creatives. I wish you the best as well, Jim. Again, thank you.
Your article hit me at a ripe time. Posting content on Instagram to become more recognized, for example, is something I do not enjoy doing and is draining. I feel this implied deadline always looming over me and steals my time and focus. I'm told I have to do it to even have a chance for my songs will be discovered, or to build a brand and that it takes time! Think I need to reframe, or otherwise re-evaluate, how important chasing Johnny down the block means to my creative being. What makes me happy while pushing ahead the best I can.
Hey Jesse, I completely understand. Funnily enough, I have a much bigger audience on Instagram, but I hit the same problem. For some reason, I just can't quite relate to the app. It's not in my nature to be actually sharing my personal life, and especially as I've got older, I find this sense of what I feel like I “should” do something to be suspicious of. I know that many artists struggle with the promotional side, and I think that, on the flip side to our resistance to that, finding a way is important but not at the cost of developing the thing itself. At the moment, I'm just trying to take one promotional area that I focus on and find joy and purpose within that, rather than chasing too many, which I've been too prone to do in the past. So at the moment I've really just landed on Substack, and even though I have a little bit of a sadness about putting YouTube aside for now, it just feels like taking one area where you're having a good experience and meeting a lot of people and having a lot of fun just feels like the best bet with where you're at the moment. I would definitely listen to what the gut is saying. I know that everyone bangs on about every musician having to be on Instagram and having a presence there, but I think what really matters is finding somewhere that you really enjoy in a format that works for you.
The thing is, if you're obsessing with Instagram while not enjoying it, I think it's quite hard to find the right format, so maybe somewhere else can be a good bet. Who knows whether it is Substack or long-form writing, but I'd give yourself the grace of saying, "Right, I'm gonna have fun with this for a few months. Follow the fun, follow the feeling, follow the joy of the art, and then do the art, and then let the promotional side come downstream." I find that's always what helps me.
This is a truly beautiful article Jim!! Really reminds me of my journey with YouTube as well. Many years ago I had to give it up to refind my creative joy.
This age of social media pushes us to produce more, but this article is an invitation to go within, and uncover what truly matters to you.
Thank you for sharing, Chelsea. I definitely feel seen. Sometimes, for whatever reason, some things just don't work, and it's pretty hard to take on the chin, especially when you actually really enjoy and put a lot of passion into that thing and are convinced it's going to go well. All that said, I guess it's just not the way of life that everything should be as we expect, and in that there is some type of lesson for me. I'm trying to focus in on some other areas at the moment, knowing that I'll get back to video at some point. I really appreciate your feedback, and I'm wishing you a beautiful day.
"Like many multi-hyphenates I have made the mistakes of thinking that because I’m interested and excited by something, that I should do it." -- This hit me hard.
"What people don’t tell you about multi-hyphenism is that it comes with an expense tab — and that tab is often your ability to progress your deepest potential." -- And this even harder!
Thank you so much for all of this. There are so many nuggets in here that I will be sitting with for a while. I have been thinking and writing a lot about this very topic and I find it so fascinating that when you actually dial back, that’s when the good stuff comes. I did it by accident when I started my Substack. When I started showing up here more frequently, I stopped posting on other platforms. I can feel a tangible shift in myself and my thinking because of the reduction in noise. It blows my mind.
Also, thank you so much for the shout out. I am overwhelmed in the best way and it means so much. Thank you for being such a force of support.
Anna, thank you for your lovely words here, and it was my pleasure to shout you out. I really admire how you're going about what you're doing, how transparent you are on your journey, the fact that you juggle motherhood and making art, and just the fact that I think your work is really powerful. Keep on going; you've got a fan here! Jim.
That all means the world to me - thank you! I am excited to keep going. I'm excited to keep following along to see where all your work takes you, to keep learning, and to just keep making art. Here's to keeping on going!
I appreciate you so very much for taking the time, but yeah, a lot of love goes into these essays, and every bit of feedback is like fuel that helps me keep going for the next week's essay. I'm following along, so please do stay in touch.
Another fabulous article, soul brother Jim. I tend to think in terms of "parking things". In my case, it was Sock Monkey Jack. I stopped thinking it was just a break but I never returned. I've kept his Facebook page online, I just ignore it. But if ever I want to return to it, I can. In my last Substack article, I told the story of Sock Monkey Jack as a way to explain where I am now. It has now become a library where I go to grab something every once in awhile. And yesterday, you sent me a link to your YouTube video on the Pomodoro Technique. So for me, I say, "Not now. Maybe not ever again. But we'll see". And then I walk away. The important part of course, is the walking away. Some people can do that, and some prefer to grab the TNT. Like everything, it comes with knowing who you are. And you clearly have high self awareness because we witness it in everything you do.
Beautifully said, and a beautiful reminder that, like everything, it's a question of knowing who you are. Even today, Carolyn, I'm struggling, because even with stripping so much away, I can't keep up. I think the important thing is always to know why you're doing something. For instance, at the moment I've been working on setting up my solopreneur business, but it's taken all year, like five months, and I'm nearly on the cusp of launching. I just felt like it's a worthy investment of time. If I feel like I need to make these moves if I'm going to find a way to stay in the arts and give it as much time as I'd love to make it. Sometimes you have to give away on one hand to get back from the other, right?
Really appreciate your thoughts as ever. Keep on, sister.
You, more than anyone, will know when -and if - it’s time to just stop everything. Get off the hamster wheel completely and then slowly add things back in the priority that you feel once you stop. If subtracting doesn’t work, then staying at ground zero and adding back in might. I always marvel at the ways our minds and hearts work. I hope all of the doctor’s appointments you had today went well. ❤️🩹
I'm so overwhelmed by information. I've backed way off of social media which has felt like relief. My body is tired. I'm so done over-achieving. More walks. More nature. Curious about finances and how it'll show up. Enjoying the present as much as I can. Love. Beauty.
For me, I find the paradox, Dana, is that when I give myself more to nature, love, and rest, I feel so much more energised for the other aspects of my life and actually work on the areas that I want to level up. It's all a package. The problem is the grind bros just try to deprive everyone of the keys.
Feel this deeply. Coming from a very similar place (musician, writer, freelancer), I’ve been running these thoughts around for a while now. Glad I’m not alone!
Sometimes giving up is not failure, it is discernment. There is wisdom in knowing when something no longer comes from the true self, but from noise, pressure, or the need to be seen a certain way. Every honest “no” can become a return to what actually matters. That kind of surrender feels less like quitting and more like reclaiming your life. 🌹🦉🪶🌹
Thank you once again for your kind feedback — I’m reading it as I gear up for another essay, and it gives me a lot of heart and energy. Much appreciated. I hope you're having a beautiful week. Jim
Thanks for initiating such conversation, Jim. I think I’ve given up feeling like everything I do needs to “make the grade.” I still write as best I can with community in mind, but I’m more realistic and comfortable knowing this might fail, and I’m sharing anyway. “Get good.” I try to enjoy continuous trying without fear of failure and without burning out. Cheers!
I think it's those decisions that make you powerful, John. I think the act of doing it sharpens us and makes us better in and of itself. Yes, it's nice and fun and validating when there's nice feedback, but I think the writing shapes us to start with. As it does so, we improve the writing from the inside out.
I think the most important thing of everything nowadays, at least for myself, is just to rediscover the joy. It's taken me a long time to do that through this difficult writing process with the album, but actually now that I'm gradually writing a book around that album, the book is actually becoming a much gentler and unfolding thing.
Wishing you very well, brother. Thank you always for your kindness.
Thank you, Jim. So glad to hear of your book around your music. All my best to you!
Brilliant article Jim. I’m newer to all of this than you, but it really resonates. I have pulled back from Instagram specifically for now for similar reasons. You articulate this all really well. I wonder also whether our instinct to spread ourselves so thin across all these opportunities and platforms actually comes from scarcity and a lack of faith?
I hear you Oliver. I think doing many things has the one good effect that you learn a lot of skills — but at the last, I do think we have to commit to a few areas of progress. I rather like the idea that strategy is what you can say “no” to. At the moment, I’m trying to say no to as much as I can, but of course, life does hunt you!!!! Appreciate your kind words, brother.
I do agree with everything, but not with this sentence:
“I loved my YouTube videos, but not one is a legacy work”. The YouTube sessions are a masterpiece. Opening up, like you did, as a know artist, is overwhelming. And while you have a grown up fanbase, there isn’t the same reaction as when your fans are younger and consuming tiktok. Most of your listeners maybe don’t or can’t write comments, it’s just a different audience. Your music audience will be there, don’t worry. Everyone who's once connected with you, stay connected. You have this “John Lennon meets Kafka effect”. And the YouTube sessions were a weekly art piece and I thank you for that.
Daniela, I cannot thank you enough. You and some others really kept me going there, and I cant tell you how much it lifted me up. I really would love to make more videos again, and I do intend to. I'm just trying to not chase too many things at the same time. With the album seeming to be trying to become a book, I feel that it's a sort of slightly contrary space to what video asks for. At the moment, I'm just allowing myself to keep deep in practise and in the writing itself. Little songs are beginning to pop out, though, which is fun as well, all step by step.
Big love and hope you had a lovely weekend. Thank you all for your support.
The book sounds really exciting. and YouTube can wait; your work there is still defying gravity. It was a hell of a ride 🫶 Big hug to you, Nick and Roly.
Jim, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. Well said.
I know that “finding a way is important” to tackle social media is indeed important. The pressure is there for sure. It really does appear to be a necessary component in reaching people and for them to know who you are and recognition. It does help to cast a wider net so to speak. Like you, it’s not in my nature to share my personal life.” The ego involved to stand out is uncomfortable for me to say the least.
I understand what you mean about finding a way to have a good experience and meeting people and having fun, but nonetheless my gut continually fights the notion.
I also know it’s counterproductive to not embrace simply diving in and taking the time to learn. I don’t know if it’s laziness, too daunting, time taken away from writing, not wanting to be successful enough or what. I do know, at my age and at this time in my life success, whatever it’s called, is not how I define it now. It’s the process. The writing, re-writing and scrubbing a song until it passes my strainer with ease.
I believe, I will, as you mentioned, “let the promotional side come downstream.” However, I’m making some baby steps on Instagram. That is with some help😊
I’ve checked out some of your YouTube videos and shorts and they are really impressive! You are a thinker and are very good at motivating creatives. I wish you the best as well, Jim. Again, thank you.
It’s a wonderful day at sea, sir!
Your article hit me at a ripe time. Posting content on Instagram to become more recognized, for example, is something I do not enjoy doing and is draining. I feel this implied deadline always looming over me and steals my time and focus. I'm told I have to do it to even have a chance for my songs will be discovered, or to build a brand and that it takes time! Think I need to reframe, or otherwise re-evaluate, how important chasing Johnny down the block means to my creative being. What makes me happy while pushing ahead the best I can.
Thank you for sharing your process.
It's a wonderful day at sea, sir:)
Hey Jesse, I completely understand. Funnily enough, I have a much bigger audience on Instagram, but I hit the same problem. For some reason, I just can't quite relate to the app. It's not in my nature to be actually sharing my personal life, and especially as I've got older, I find this sense of what I feel like I “should” do something to be suspicious of. I know that many artists struggle with the promotional side, and I think that, on the flip side to our resistance to that, finding a way is important but not at the cost of developing the thing itself. At the moment, I'm just trying to take one promotional area that I focus on and find joy and purpose within that, rather than chasing too many, which I've been too prone to do in the past. So at the moment I've really just landed on Substack, and even though I have a little bit of a sadness about putting YouTube aside for now, it just feels like taking one area where you're having a good experience and meeting a lot of people and having a lot of fun just feels like the best bet with where you're at the moment. I would definitely listen to what the gut is saying. I know that everyone bangs on about every musician having to be on Instagram and having a presence there, but I think what really matters is finding somewhere that you really enjoy in a format that works for you.
The thing is, if you're obsessing with Instagram while not enjoying it, I think it's quite hard to find the right format, so maybe somewhere else can be a good bet. Who knows whether it is Substack or long-form writing, but I'd give yourself the grace of saying, "Right, I'm gonna have fun with this for a few months. Follow the fun, follow the feeling, follow the joy of the art, and then do the art, and then let the promotional side come downstream." I find that's always what helps me.
Sending all the best, and please stay in touch.
Jim
Absolutely loved this - thanks for the depth here. I relate to every line!
Dear Becs, really humbled to read this. Did so just as I was hitting my daily slump - you lifted my spirits — thank you!
fuck yea! love to hear that! we see you slump and we will defeat yooooou
System
sending pal!
This is a truly beautiful article Jim!! Really reminds me of my journey with YouTube as well. Many years ago I had to give it up to refind my creative joy.
This age of social media pushes us to produce more, but this article is an invitation to go within, and uncover what truly matters to you.
Thank you for sharing, Chelsea. I definitely feel seen. Sometimes, for whatever reason, some things just don't work, and it's pretty hard to take on the chin, especially when you actually really enjoy and put a lot of passion into that thing and are convinced it's going to go well. All that said, I guess it's just not the way of life that everything should be as we expect, and in that there is some type of lesson for me. I'm trying to focus in on some other areas at the moment, knowing that I'll get back to video at some point. I really appreciate your feedback, and I'm wishing you a beautiful day.
Jim
"Like many multi-hyphenates I have made the mistakes of thinking that because I’m interested and excited by something, that I should do it." -- This hit me hard.
"What people don’t tell you about multi-hyphenism is that it comes with an expense tab — and that tab is often your ability to progress your deepest potential." -- And this even harder!
Very good!
I appreciate your words (and eyes!) so very much dear Andrea — bit of a tough day, and this has lifted me. Thank you.
Thank you so much for all of this. There are so many nuggets in here that I will be sitting with for a while. I have been thinking and writing a lot about this very topic and I find it so fascinating that when you actually dial back, that’s when the good stuff comes. I did it by accident when I started my Substack. When I started showing up here more frequently, I stopped posting on other platforms. I can feel a tangible shift in myself and my thinking because of the reduction in noise. It blows my mind.
Also, thank you so much for the shout out. I am overwhelmed in the best way and it means so much. Thank you for being such a force of support.
Anna, thank you for your lovely words here, and it was my pleasure to shout you out. I really admire how you're going about what you're doing, how transparent you are on your journey, the fact that you juggle motherhood and making art, and just the fact that I think your work is really powerful. Keep on going; you've got a fan here! Jim.
That all means the world to me - thank you! I am excited to keep going. I'm excited to keep following along to see where all your work takes you, to keep learning, and to just keep making art. Here's to keeping on going!
Thanks for this honest analysis of how creative energy is spent and split, and the elusive, personal search for the right balance.
And thank you in turn for your kindness and feedback. It really helps to keep me going with this odyssey of essay writing!
Very much Resonate, thanks Jim!
I appreciate you so very much for taking the time, but yeah, a lot of love goes into these essays, and every bit of feedback is like fuel that helps me keep going for the next week's essay. I'm following along, so please do stay in touch.
All the best,
Jim
Another fabulous article, soul brother Jim. I tend to think in terms of "parking things". In my case, it was Sock Monkey Jack. I stopped thinking it was just a break but I never returned. I've kept his Facebook page online, I just ignore it. But if ever I want to return to it, I can. In my last Substack article, I told the story of Sock Monkey Jack as a way to explain where I am now. It has now become a library where I go to grab something every once in awhile. And yesterday, you sent me a link to your YouTube video on the Pomodoro Technique. So for me, I say, "Not now. Maybe not ever again. But we'll see". And then I walk away. The important part of course, is the walking away. Some people can do that, and some prefer to grab the TNT. Like everything, it comes with knowing who you are. And you clearly have high self awareness because we witness it in everything you do.
Beautifully said, and a beautiful reminder that, like everything, it's a question of knowing who you are. Even today, Carolyn, I'm struggling, because even with stripping so much away, I can't keep up. I think the important thing is always to know why you're doing something. For instance, at the moment I've been working on setting up my solopreneur business, but it's taken all year, like five months, and I'm nearly on the cusp of launching. I just felt like it's a worthy investment of time. If I feel like I need to make these moves if I'm going to find a way to stay in the arts and give it as much time as I'd love to make it. Sometimes you have to give away on one hand to get back from the other, right?
Really appreciate your thoughts as ever. Keep on, sister.
You, more than anyone, will know when -and if - it’s time to just stop everything. Get off the hamster wheel completely and then slowly add things back in the priority that you feel once you stop. If subtracting doesn’t work, then staying at ground zero and adding back in might. I always marvel at the ways our minds and hearts work. I hope all of the doctor’s appointments you had today went well. ❤️🩹
I find it really hard to extract, especially things you are working on which you were passionate about but were just not working.
A psychological shift for me, but getting there!
I'm so overwhelmed by information. I've backed way off of social media which has felt like relief. My body is tired. I'm so done over-achieving. More walks. More nature. Curious about finances and how it'll show up. Enjoying the present as much as I can. Love. Beauty.
For me, I find the paradox, Dana, is that when I give myself more to nature, love, and rest, I feel so much more energised for the other aspects of my life and actually work on the areas that I want to level up. It's all a package. The problem is the grind bros just try to deprive everyone of the keys.
Tracker!
Feel this deeply. Coming from a very similar place (musician, writer, freelancer), I’ve been running these thoughts around for a while now. Glad I’m not alone!
Sent!"
Sometimes giving up is not failure, it is discernment. There is wisdom in knowing when something no longer comes from the true self, but from noise, pressure, or the need to be seen a certain way. Every honest “no” can become a return to what actually matters. That kind of surrender feels less like quitting and more like reclaiming your life. 🌹🦉🪶🌹
Beautifully put Salina!
Thank you once again for your kind feedback — I’m reading it as I gear up for another essay, and it gives me a lot of heart and energy. Much appreciated. I hope you're having a beautiful week. Jim
Same to you Jim. Have an awesome week. You always inspire me too. 🌹🦉