LIFE IS ART

Life is the art of living and Artists have the ability to express this.

Being an artist is being on a constant quest for discovery and knowledge and clarity and insight into perception, thought, dreams, emotion, habits, mediocrity, and brilliance.

Being an artist happens when you have the desperate need to communicate to and inform an audience, even if it’s just yourself.

Being an artist means you reinterpret your experiences, the societal pressures placed upon you, the childhood you had, the life you’re living, your successes and failures, into a reimagined form that can speak to others.

Being an artist is a constant process, not a permanent trait. It’s a transient state of being without constant reinforcement through the process of creating something.
So many people (who voluntarily label themselves as non-creatives) think about art as something abstruse, and being an artist as requiring an innate skill. I instead prefer to believe that art is a habit.

The Artist approaches music with music being the end-goal, and expression being the only objective. They create music with no particular genre in mind, but only to express a thought or a time or experience. Their music will go outside the boundaries of tradition, experimenting with cultural textures they have been exposed to.

An Artist has a distinct and recognizable sound. They create, they do not copy what is already on the market, because they know that what is on the market now is yesterday’s sound.

An Artist has the realisation that they are a brand. They put as much work into defining the brand as creating there music, they understand that they need to develop and protect there image, integrity, message and artistic journey. All plans revolve around there vision. The world is there stage an engages with that in mind. They are aware that at all times they are being watched by both there audience and industry and uses this to widen there reach.

Are you particular about the songs you sing? Do they reflect your true feelings, beliefs, emotions and convictions? Are you particular about the gigs you accept because you want to maintain a specific image?

Your sound, look, marketing, web page, music, everything associated with you must be consistent in style, colors, messaging and image. Your marketing strategy identifies how you will broaden your reach. You must work hard to get the recognition, airplay, to generate publicity so you can establish yourself as an artist. Find your niche and fill it. You might be a cross between 2 or more genres, attracting fans from both ends of the spectrum. You may reach a specific segment of the population that no one else has tapped in to. Know your niche.

When music is the end goal the question will always be. What is the music in our heads, and how do we achieve that?”

Don’t limit yourselves to what you play or a particular genre, simply express your music inside. Think of music outside of the packaged box they want to put you in, and instead of a broader concept of emotion and expression that your putting sounds too.

For me the most influential and exciting music is created by Artists who aren’t afraid to question the status quo. You have something to express, so express it. All the trappings that come with being an artist shouldn’t be the end goal. The end goal is music.

Basil Reynolds

Coaching Consultant

Finding the Music Inside