Do you have an ultimate musical goal? How will you know if you have arrived at it? Do you think that once you reach that goal, you will be artistically fulfilled for the rest of your life?

The concepts of artistic mastery, expertise, greatness, and virtuosity are common, but not necessarily true. Musical experience, at its freest, is a journey–not a destination. Once you “arrive” at a commitment to the process of following your vision, rather than satisfying or living up to an impossible standard of excellence, you can more fully appreciate each step of the path. From this perspective, you can enjoy the adventure of your Musical Vision Quest and lay down the burden of perfectionism. 

Join this SOS episode as the belief in expertise is questioned and the practice of cultivating a beginner’s mind is celebrated. 

 

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Do you have something to say? Are you able to say it effectively? 

If you are a songwriter or recording artist with a unique vision or message and you want to be able to get it across more reliably and deeply, you will want to get clear on your specific message and find your distinct WAY of putting it into musical form.

Understanding the variety of options available to you in crafting your musical expression and the predictable stages that your creative work must go through can help you immensely. Integrating this information can help you to follow your calling with greater ease, align with your music more fully, and become much more prolific in the process. 

Join JP as he tackles the topic of creative callings and offers some suggestions to help you clarify your unique path.

 

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Art and self-expression, whether you are a songwriter, composer, recording artist, or performer, can be full of dark, mysterious pathways and corners. How do you know when you are headed in the right direction? How do you keep yourself “on the path.”

To start with, your destination must be clear. But unless your music is purely utilitarian, there is no map, no formula, and no single road. In fact, in some ways, you make up the road along the way.

Still, it’s good to have a compass–something that tells you when you are veering off-course and guides you to make adjustments both subtle and radical.

Listen to this podcast as JP discusses three basic paths (vision, faith, and intuition) and nine artistic tools for creating and strengthening your musical compass.

 

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