Artists
How to Not Sell Your Soul to the Music Industry
8 Tips for Rising Artists to Stay on a Healthy Path in a Toxic Industry
We’ve all heard the stories about the musicians and actors who achieve their wildest dreams, only to in turn experience their worst nightmares.
The child stars especially, who are catapulted into the spotlight, only to die an early death to overdose or suicide.
Time and time again, stars have warned the world about the “demonic” energy of the entertainment industry. The exploitation, the narcissism, the abuse, the evil.
And yet, everyone wants fame. It is one of the most common human desires.
Potential consequences are only an afterthought, if at all. We like to believe that we could handle the power, the glory, the attention, the wealth. That we would never sell out or let the industry get to us.
And yet, the odds are against us.
So, how can you achieve recognition and financial success for your art without getting the life, energy, and integrity sucked out of you?
Here are some guidelines that I hope will be of help to you:
[This article focuses on the music industry specifically, but also applies to the larger entertainment industry, as well as every other avenue to fame.]
1. Set an Intention
The laws of the universe are all about intention. Set an intention for what you want to do with your art. For example, my intention with my music is to heal, empower, uplift, inspire, and provide healthy catharsis for my listeners.
Yours can be completely different. But ultimately the point is to set a positive intention that is more than just: “I want to make music to get rich and famous and attractive and boost my ego.”
If you ever start to feel lost in your process, take a pause and remember your intention.
If a song you’re working on, a collaboration, a gig, a venue, a person, a festival, etc, etc, isn’t resonating and aligning with your intention?
Say peace and love, but no thank you. Trust that better-aligned opportunities are coming your way.
Don’t say yes to opportunities out of fear that this will be your only chance. If it’s not aligned, it’s not in your highest interest.
2. Commit to a path of self-love
This means committing to learning about yourself, and what brings you energy, joy, and harmony. And what drains your energy.
It is making a commitment to take the best care of yourself that you can; to put your emotional and physical health above all.
This can take many forms. But it is important to create a daily practice to stay on track. This could include yoga/stretching, meditation, and or journaling.
Strive to develop a deep-rooted sense of stability and self-love that transcends “success” as defined by society.
If you don’t have any sense of stability within your own soul, you will be desperate for external validation and vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation.
Separate yourself from your art. You are not your art’s success. You are already good enough without it.
The importance of this step cannot be overstated. This is the foundation for all that is to come. You do not need to be fully healed, just on a committed path to becoming the best version of yourself.
3. Make your art for YOU first
Make music because you love making music. And make the kind of music that you love!
Check in with yourself every time before you produce or perform. Ask yourself: Am I doing this only because I want others to think I’m cool? Only to gain more followers, money, etc? Or is there a deeper purpose here?
Of course it’s cool to be a musician. And it’s wonderful to receive validation for something you worked hard on. But that comes SECOND.
FIRST, you validate YOURSELF. And you do it because you LOVE doing it.
4. Chase connection, not clout
This relates to the last point. In the age of social media, it can be hard for an artist not to obsess about numbers. And in a world where connections are everything, it can sometimes feel like a popularity contest.
But this is where the toxic energy of artistry first starts to seep in.
It is absolutely okay and even necessary to make a concerted effort to grow your following and promote yourself as an artist. And it is only natural to be affected when you don’t receive the validation you were looking for.
But you must create an energetic boundary. There must be a deep knowing that these external things are absolutely NOT what determine your talent as an artist or your worth as a human. This goes back to point #2.
Rather than chasing followers and seeking attention from “powerful” people, instead, seek genuine meaningful human connection.
Maybe you release a song and a fan tells you it helped them love themselves. Or maybe you collaborate with another artist and they end up becoming one of your best friends.
These are the connections that come out of your art that actually matter. This is what is going to fulfill you at the soul level, not the ego level.
5. Take a look at your content
Does your art include a heavy focus on anything related to opiates, “bitches”, gun violence, designer brands, or stacking bands?
You might want to go back to point #1 and make sure this aligns with your intention.
There is nothing wrong with darkness in art. In fact, art is one of the healthiest ways to express pain. But there is a fine line that you must identify for yourself.
Is your art providing a healthy catharsis, or is it glamourizing mental illness or toxic mentalities?
But even further, infuse your recordings and sets with love! The energy you are feeling when producing goes into the track and emits that vibration to listeners. Do it with intention.
6. Have a financial backup plan
I don’t want to sound like anyone’s mom here, but this is a big part of staying out of the toxic mess in the music industry. The more you rely on your art for your survival, the easier it can become to sacrifice your integrity.
More can be said here, but ultimately it comes down to having sources of income that are not connected to your art.
7. Strive to achieve recognition and financial stability, NOT fame and riches (preferably after age 25 — minimum)
There can be too much of a good thing. Excessive fame and wealth often lead to destruction.
Do you really want to become a world-famous billionaire? Why?
Do you want to become a philanthropist and use your wealth to help others? Or is it because that’s what society tricked you into thinking will bring you happiness?
I would suggest instead to strive to achieve a level of success where you are well known and respected for your art, and live a comfortable life doing what you love, with some extra to give back to the world.
I suggest aiming to achieve this level of success after at least age 25, preferably 30. This gives your brain a chance to fully develop your sense of self as an average, non-famous person. It gives you a chance to struggle and work hard to achieve your goals. It is often the journey that is the most valuable part.
Of course, this can be tricky as a lot of factors are out of our hands. But the point is, be patient and give it time.
Strive for steady growth instead of a quick spike. Seek to build something that is truly a quality reflection of your values.
I am not promoting a lack of ambition. By all means, set your goals high and go out and achieve them. But check-in and ask yourself what you really want and why.
And be careful what you wish for. You are capable of achieving anything, yes, ANYTHING you set your mind to. So make sure you really know what you want.
8. Don’t sell your soul to the Illuminati.
I’m only half-joking.
But in all seriousness, there will probably come a point in your career where you have to make a serious choice between your integrity and some form of promised success.
Please choose the former. Refer back to points #1 and 2.
If you follow these guidelines, I must admit you might not become the most successful artist in the world. But you will be happier, healthier, and more content with your life and your creative path.
Outside of the entertainment industry, this is true as well. Achieving a certain level of wealth and power is linked to a decrease in empathy.
It is magnified in the entertainment industry because of the powerful effects of music and storytelling on emotions and the subconscious, but that’s another article.
Bottom line is, money and fame do not equate to happiness. This is proved over and over and over again. Spiritual fulfillment through living your life’s purpose, connecting to and being of service to others, and making a positive difference in the world leads to happiness.
Can you have both? Sure! But it is best to commit to a path of love and healing BEFORE you achieve any level of fame, to ensure that you don’t get lost in the darkness of this powerful industry.
