The Struggles of Being an Artist

It's been 5 days since I released my newest song, 'An Artist's Life'.

This song means a lot to me as an indie musician who experiences, first hand, the struggles of being a lesser-known indie artist.

I originally wrote it in the context of watching others, possibly those who have been in it for less time than some, take opportunities from people who've been working on their art for years. Unfortunately, when this happens, most creators are scared to speak out about it, because you get seen as jealous, when in reality, you just want the playing field to be fair.

It's hard for the playing field to be fair when the golden ticket to fame and success is endless cash and just knowing the right people. I thought I had a path paved for me when I was starring in movies as a young child, but my connections to any industry have mostly went silent. This is extra because, when I was a child starring in movies, we were living near a big city. 

It can just be plain difficult. You can use all the hashtags and social media platforms you want, but at the end of the day, if people aren't interested in listening to a song, they just won't. It's equally hard for authors, as well, since my mom, who has over 11k followers combined on all her platforms couldn't get more than 100 people to vote for a free story in a contest. 

As indie creators, we depend on interaction. This doesn't mean you have to even listen to the full song or read the entire story, it just means, a like and a share go a long way, but sadly, if people don't want to, they won't.

This is why I wrote 'An Artist's Life'. It's an anthem for those creators who feel like trying to get noticed is an uphill battle. 

Now, why am I writing a blog post about my own song? First off, promotion purposes, duh.

But.. I was thinking tonight. My song has another context that I didn't even know until now.

The art of 'blaming the victim' in the entertainment industry.

I recently had a situation where I received a hate comment on one of my covers I did years ago. This was noted in another song, 'Unique is Extinct'.

Not my first hate comment, for sure. Just odd to see it on a video that is two years old. 

I, then, had a situation where unsolicited advice was given to me about my singing and sound. 

Now, being an artist means receiving unsolicited advice. Unfortunately, that is just a part of being an artist. The part about it that is difficult is that, as an artist, you are expected to take it, and not even speak of it.

You get told to toughen up because 'that's gonna happen a lot' as a musician. Of course, it is. 

However.. That, to me, seemed like victim blaming. We could all use a thick skin, of course, but unsolicited advice, especially advice that can come off as rude, shouldn't be treated as something normal. 

It's completely natural to be upset if someone says your singing sounds like you're struggling, or if they dislike your sound. This is a part of you, your soul, and you don't want it to be rejected. It's even more upsetting when you post what you believe is your best work, it gets buried by social media algorithms, and then when someone does see it.. They have something to say about it, and it comes off as unkind.

(It's also not cool to sugarcoat possibly insulting comments with nicer ones. Sure, the nice ones count, but do you really mean it if you're also adding in negatives, as well?)

Let's talk about something that isn't talked about much- RSD, also known as, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria.

This is, basically, emotional sensitivity to feeling rejected. This is another reason why unsolicited advice isn't really awesome to just randomly pop in and give to somebody, because some of us struggle with feeling even the slightest bit of rejection.

And, yes, it is part of being an artist. But why? Are artists just supposed to lie down and take every last bit of negativity that the world can throw at them and just be okay with it? Because if we say something, we get told we need to toughen up?

We can always use toughness, but it's also not hard to just be thoughtful. Ask yourself, if the situation was reversed, would you want to hear negative comments on your song, especially if it is one you are extremely proud of?

(Cue the contradictory folk saying 'Yes! I would.' You do you, then.)

The moral of the story is, be thoughtful. It takes nothing to keep your opinions to yourself, especially if they are, well, kinda rude. Some people ask for advice, and if they give the go-ahead to receiving it, by all means, let them know (nicely) what they could change.

But if they're not looking to receive advice.. Keep it to yourself. It's easier than being known as the person who might've messed up someone's general vibe because of an unexpected comment. :) :)

P.S: I'm an alto.. If you know, you know. ;) ;)