10 reasons to give up on your art

I used the word art here as this apply as much to music as to any other form of art. We work hard and time to time it feels like it’s all for nothing. My general advice at this point is Don’t give up! But there are exceptions to this rule. Not every one is cut out for it, or their motivations might not be right. So here is 10 reasons to give up on your art:

1. You are doing it for the money
If money is all you are after, people can smell it and you will set yourself to fail. No one wants to buy a CD or painting because you want their money!

2. Your heart is not in it
If your heart is not in it, it shows. We all have good and bad days, but if it’s been years since you enjoyed what you did, it’s time to rethink what you’re at. Life is too short to waste it doing something you don’t like. And I can guarantee your work will suffer as well.

3. You are not willing to learn the business
These days no one will take you by the hand and make it all happen for you. You need to know how it all works. And you need to be willing to promote yourself. It is the only sure way to succeed.

4. You like your comforts more than your art
If financial security, holidays, expensive clothes are more important to you than making your music or art, you are in a wrong game. Every successful artist suffered somewhere along the way to success. It’s a long and a tough road. You need to be willing to suffer for your art.

5. You refuse to admit defeat
The road to success has ups and downs. Sometimes you need to admit that what you are doing does not work. And when that is the case you need to stop, learn and adjust your plan accordingly. But until you accept that what you are doing is not working, you can’t grow.

6. You are lazy
This should go without saying! If you are not willing to put the hard work into your music or art, why should I spend my hard earned cash on it? Get off the couch, throw that playstation out the window, make a plan and get to work!

7. You are not willing to wait for the success
There is no such thing as an overnight success. If you are starting today from a scratch, I would tell you to commit next ten years on your music or art. These things will take time. You might think you’re ready, but more than likely you are not! You need to go back doing those crappy pub gigs, paint a hundred paintings that never get sold, take the same picture over and over again until you get the light and framing just right. Work hard and be patient.

8. You are not really good at what you do
If you have been doing what you do for a long time and you are not getting better at it, maybe you are better off having your art as a hobby…

9. You think you need to be arrogant
You think because you are an artist you deserve better, you think people would just need to put up with your moods. The truth is no one wants to work with someone who is a pain in the ass. That’s a fact!

10. You think everyone will love your art
No matter what you do, or how good you are, you will never please everybody. And as long as you try to please everybody your art will suffer. Be true to yourself and cherish those who do love your art. Make them feel special, make them your fans for life!

J.P.

The author J.P. Kallio is a singer songwriter
To get two of his free songs go HERE and click Download