Balanced Artist

I heard something recently called “praise addiction”. We've been trained to seek out incentives like good grades, stickers, trophies. Impressing people with our achievements gives us a temporary feeling of happiness.

However, the more we try to impress, the more frustrated we feel. Or can we use it as fuel?

When people ask “what do you do”? Do you feel ashamed for not pursuing work that is intrinsically motivating?

Let's discuss...
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I read a great book recently by @jameslstucher called “skip the line”.  

When I read it, it was like he was narrating the way I operate my creative life. It isn’t about hacks and shortcuts, but transforming the way you think, work, and live, letting go of the notion that you need 10,000 hours to master something.

I’ve been skipping the line for years, but nobody has put it into words quite like this before.
Let's discuss...
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https://www.instagram.com/rorygardinermusic
https://www.instagram.com/balancedartist       

Steve Martin has a quote “be so good they can’t ignore you”. Having a product that is undeniable and creates the type of attention that cannot be ignored.

I heard a money quote “It’s not about becoming a millionaire. It’s becoming the person that you must become to be a millionaire”. So true. This is why so many lottery winners with no financial intelligence squander their winnings away in the first few years. 

What if instead of looking for the artistic lottery ticket, we became the creator that we know we’re capable of becoming?

Let's discuss...
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https://www.balancedartist.com
https://www.facebook.com/BalancedArtist
https://www.instagram.com/rorygardinermusic
https://www.instagram.com/balancedartist       

They say success is like being pregnant. Everyone congratulates you, but they don’t know how many times you’ve been f**ked..

It takes a lot of pounding to get to the top. But what if you changed your perception of these hard times? You’ve heard people say “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey”. How many times have you been on your back, “practicing making baby’s” and thought, “wow this is terrible”.  Not many...

We may have to kiss a few frogs along the way to be truly successful. But once you reach the destination, a new set of problems are uncovered. Let's discuss....
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https://www.balancedartist.com
https://www.facebook.com/BalancedArtist
https://www.instagram.com/rorygardinermusic
https://www.instagram.com/balancedartist       

One of the biggest issues with the traditional marriage model right now is that it measures success by longevity, rather than growth. A relationship that has ended after 5 years of romance, growth, connection & intimacy isn’t considered as successful as a 20 year commitment to bickering over which parking spot is the best at Walmart. 

A lot of the time we treat our careers the same way. No growth or passion, but it’s comfortable. Song writers trying to pedal their original music is a much longer journey than the pub down the street, singing cover songs for a quick buck.

Let's not wait for the kids to leave for college before getting back to fulfilling your own creative & marital dreams. Let's discuss....
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https://www.balancedartist.com
https://www.facebook.com/BalancedArtist
https://www.instagram.com/rorygardinermusic
https://www.instagram.com/balancedartist       

When you’re not the rock star you want to be, there can only be 2 main reasons. You’re not good enough, or you’re not exposed enough.

You may be sitting on a gold mine of music, but not enough people have heard it.  You may have all the opportunities in the world, but when you get your chance at bat, you strike out. It doesn’t mean “give up”, it just means recalibrate.

Let's discuss...
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https://www.balancedartist.com
https://www.facebook.com/BalancedArtist
https://www.instagram.com/rorygardinermusic
https://www.instagram.com/balancedartist       

Most people become rich because of the actions they’ve taken to build their wealth, and not from putting all their hope into a lotto ticket. 

A lot of us treat our artistic career the same way. Going through the motions, hoping that we get discovered by a record label, agent or management company that is going to introduce us to a fairy tale world where everything is done for us, and we sip champagne with Leo on a yacht in Cabo.

But instead of waiting to win the creative lottery, what if we approached our creative careers like savvy investors?  Let's discuss...
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https://www.balancedartist.com
https://www.facebook.com/BalancedArtist
https://www.instagram.com/rorygardinermusic
https://www.instagram.com/balancedartist       

Is there a reason that Oscar winners gravitate from shooting movies in remote locations for 6-8 months, to a series regular on a TV show filmed 20 minutes from home?

Or why Celine, Brittany, Garth, Aerosmith, Shania, etc had a residency in Vegas, playing the  same venue 5 days a week, every week. "Oh, you mean “a JOB”!?

Even the people we look up to in our industries crave that comfortable feeling of routine & security. Let's discuss....

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https://www.balancedartist.com
https://www.facebook.com/BalancedArtist
https://www.instagram.com/rorygardinermusic
https://www.instagram.com/balancedartist       

It's hard to find total equilibrium. You put energy into your family, and your work suffers. You put energy into your art, and everything else feels neglected, to a point where you feel guilty for doing something creative. When you finally have time to create something, you're rushing through it. Squeezing it in, instead of being present and finding a flow.

Isn’t this true for parents. Mom guilt and dad guilt. You have this thing burning inside of you that you need to get down on paper or recording, but it’s also "witching hour", bath time, then bedtime routine. You’re so mentally exhausted once it’s done, you forgot what that spark of genius was. 

Let's discuss...
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https://www.balancedartist.com
https://www.facebook.com/BalancedArtist
https://www.instagram.com/rorygardinermusic
https://www.instagram.com/balancedartist       

I hate it when people say “you’ve sold out”. Followed by “I’d never sell out”. Really? Have you ever had the opportunity to sell out?

What even is a “sell out”? The betrayal of one’s artistic principals, in exchange for monetary compensation? Who defines one’s artistic principals? 

I wanted to be a country star, but instead I’ve made most of my music income though song licensing. Does that make me a sell out because I’ve lost focus on the original goal, or did I make a pivot to capitalize on an opportunity that gave me the same reward I’d be seeking the whole time – a career in music. Let's discuss...
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https://www.balancedartist.com
https://www.facebook.com/BalancedArtist
https://www.instagram.com/rorygardinermusic
https://www.instagram.com/balancedartist