STAYING TRUE TO YOURSELF!

For about 5 years now, I've worked with several artistes and they all had an idea of what they wanted to do with their music. Some were quite passionate about it. Some just wanted to make money. Some wanted to change the world. And some just wanted to be famous. Over that time I've noticed a number of them start with an ideal and either get carried by the paparazzi or get sidetracked or discouraged by the harsh realities of the industry and end up with something else altogether!

Over time I have learnt these five basic steps to staying true to yourself in spite of all the hullabaloo and distractions of this industry. Check them out:

#1 – FACE THE FEAR

You need to push through the fear. You'll need to put fear aside and dive in to stay true to yourself and spread your message.

Artistes who stayed true to themselves always did better than those that sold out. You can explore different artistic styles and try out new ideas, but the essence of who you really are must always be felt in whatever material you put out!

#2 – BE PASSIONATE

One thing I do know, is that NOTHING beats true passion! Some ideas I thought were really lame have ended up being a success because of a crazy amount of passion on my part and on the part of everyone involved. Conversely, I've seen great ideas flop because the creator didn't have enough passion behind the project. Check your passion level; if you're not crazy about your art, perhaps an adjustment is needed.

#3 – KEEP IT REAL

It's one thing to be true to yourself but what about keeping it real to the outside world? You'll need to look deep and face that fear again then be willing to keep it real. In today's world we long to connect with authenticity, which usually means the non-perfect approach. No one's life is all dandy and sugar perfect with roses on top! So whatever you do, make it REAL, RAW & RELEVANT

#4 – PREPARE FOR A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT

Ivan Misner said once, "I'm a 20 year overnight success". While it may appear that success is sped up in the information age of speed... guess what? It's not. If you want to stay true to yourself an create good music, you'll need to realize that it's going to take time, dedication and commitment. You'll have some bumps along the way and you can navigate them, you just need to stick with it.

#5 – ENJOY THE JOURNEY!

Lastly, keeping your eye on the goal is great. But what about today? What about the journey? Remember that all you have is today and while it's great to have a goal, be sure to celebrate every time you take a step closer to your destination. Smile through the grind and bear in mind that it's all a process. The journey to greatness itself is a great lesson. And believe me, if you don't make that journey, you can't learn those lessons anywhere else! Cheers!

Written by @4lah ( Kindly follow her on Twitter)