Wednesday 17th April, 2024
The intoxication of potential…
D’ya get what I mean? Have you ever just gotten so excited… just felt that rush… that something could happen… that what you’re looking at, or listening to, COULD be the NEXT BIG THING?!?!?! If you know what we’re about to get into… then you can skip ahead.
For the rest of you, let’s dive into what the ‘intoxication of potential’ actually is.
In the world of music at least, a whole lot of what we’re doing is guess work. We’re working on faith. We’re taking risks on what we think people will respond to. So the speculation is prevalent & wild! I’ve constantly got people telling me that ‘this’ is going to be the next big song, or the summer hit. I’ve got people always telling me how successful I’m ‘going’ to become, & how much people are ‘going’ to love what I do. A lot of predictions on how amazing I will be, or could be… It’s understandable that musicians & industry folk alike are prone to excitement & exaggeration. It also explains why so many of us in the industry are unimpressed by big plans & hype. Somebody will tell me that a band is ‘the next big thing’… & they 97% of the time, are completely wrong. So I always make sure to first listen to that 4 piece, all male, ‘indie’ rock band from Dublin… before I believe anything.
But as an artist… I gotta find my own hype. I need to work with people who believe that my hype is justified. An artist that isn’t yet selling out shows & streaming big needs to generate faith if anyone is gonna get on board. Usually that’s done by demonstrating how great the music is… sometimes it’s about faking big numbers, or pushing a story out in front of the artist. Whatever you need to do to build hype… I won’t judge you too harshly. (it’s cold out here with the struggling artists)
This is where EVERYONE can rejoin the conversation… cause there are some universal aspects of intoxicating potential. Let’s address the ‘potential’ first. Like I said before, a lot of us need to see the potential in a song, artist, or project. That can come from how unique the project is… (like… maybe you’re a musician, but also a circus artist!!! - much wow, I know.) or it can come from previous success, maybe they sold out a show, etc… Maybe it comes from what’s popular in the wider market, or a gap that you might see in the market. There are lots of places that people can see potential in. Unfortunately, potential is nothing until actualised, & this is where the issues begin to arise.
We’ll get to the intoxicating part soon, but first let’s talk about imagination. I want you to picture an island. Maybe there are some plants on it. Maybe it’s got some sand. Maybe it’s sunny. Maybe there’s nobody on it. Maybe it’s a floating island off the surface of Jupiter & the smell of sulfur is destroying your futuristic island vacation… I dunno. What I mean to demo is that we can do a lot with our imaginations… & our imaginations are not always our friends. Perhaps, late in the darkness of a winter night, as you sit alone, cold in your room, tucked away in bed… you hear a creak, or a crack. In the darkest corner of your room, a sliver of the moonlight trickles through the plants by your window. Did something just move? Was that a spider? Or a bird casting a shadow from outside? Maybe it’s the little girl who used to live in this room before she mysteriously disappeared & her parents were committed to an asylum. What’s that feeling on your shoulder? Who’s breath is that passing across your eyes? Your imagination can run away with you, just as easily as you can with it.
So, when you have people (both polite & honest) telling you that you’re going to be something great, & that they’re sure it’s going to work out… & you NEED to believe them… it’s only a matter of time before you begin to expect your success, or… feel entitled to it. Can you imagine what happens to a person who feels entitled to success? If they don’t feel successful, they can grow bitter or angry. If they do become successful, they can be ungrateful. Nobody is guaranteed success… that’s a lesson to always keep in mind. Always.
But you can get drunk on this hype. You can get addicted to it. It can cloud your judgement. It feels great to be full of potential… to see all of your dreams come true! It’s empowering & it’s intoxicating.
So we walk a fine line between the delusion of success, & the reality of failure. We are constantly forced to redefine success & failure. Sometimes as a way to strive for more… but most of the time to cushion the mind shattering reality of not living up to your ‘potential’. The wonderful Shane McGowan said it best… “I could have been someone… well so could anyone.”
If you’re younger than I am now… let’s say, in your early 20s, take this piece of advice. Stop doing everything. Those who do everything, almost always end up doing nothing well or worth much to anyone. You’re not Prince, you’re not Bo Burnham, you’re not the ‘triple threat’ that you wanna be. You need to focus on something you love to do & can do… then do that until you’re great. THEN you can branch out… but before you become great at anything, you will need to work with others. Your peers will fill in the gaps you have, or you’ll fill in the gaps they have. I didn’t begin to do anything I was happy with until I stopped trying to do everything I COULD have done.
Could’s amount to Should’s & Should’s amount to nothing…
I hope that made sense.
N
