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So
You Want to Quit Your Day Job?
by Mara
Back to The
Academy
You’re slaving away at your day job, playing your
music at night and on the weekends, and it seems you’ll never have enough time
to write, record and tour when 40 hours of your week are cashed in for that
steady paycheck. You can’t help but think, “If only I could quit my job to work
on my music full time, I’d be able to make it.”
Last year, I had a chance to do just that, and I
learned a few things during my exciting, though sometimes heartbreaking year of
freedom. Although it certainly feels great to throw caution to the wind and dive
head first into pursuing your dream, my biggest barrier to success remained the
same. I simply did not use my time and resources wisely.
Without a day job, I felt like I had all the time in
the world, and filled a lot of it with trips to the gym, reorganizing my
apartment and lunches with friends. “I don’t have the time” is a great excuse,
but it stems from our human fear of failure, as well as our fear of success. The
truth is that most people are comfortable living their lives and dreaming their
dreams, to the point where their dream becomes their reason to live. If they
were to achieve their dream, what would they live for? Or worse, what if they
tried and failed?
For a performing artist, touring is the number one
thing you figure you don’t have time to do with a day job. In my entire year
off, I only did a handful out of town gigs because I had to be cautious with
money and I felt that my time was better spent going to music conferences like
South By Southwest and the Taxi Road Rally. Conferences are fantastic because
they give you a chance to play in new cities while networking with industry and
other artists. However, most of these conferences are scheduled for weekends, so
it would make more sense to get a Friday off from work, pack up a few demos, and
report back Monday morning with a stack of new contacts to keep in touch with.
Sure, it’s a tough schedule, but those steady paychecks sure come in handy when
you need to book airfare and order more copies of your CD for the next
conference.
I always thought that if I had more time I would sit
down every single day and write hit song after hit song. Once I had the time, I
was so wrapped up in the logistics of how to make a living with the music I had,
not to mention the pressure of the ticking clock of my dwindling savings, I
never got around to writing new music. When you’re working and your bills are
getting paid, all day you yearn to be creative, so when you feel that spark of
inspiration, you hold onto it with every fiber. I also found that by removing
myself from the daily experiences and emotions of a “normal” life, I had very
little to write about that an audience could relate to. I began to miss the
structure and security of my cubicle.
At the end of my year off I hadn’t achieved the
success I hoped for, couldn’t write a song to save my life, and I was burnt out
and exhausted from trying. I honestly felt that if I couldn’t make it in that
whole year on my own, maybe I wasn’t cut out for the life of a full-time
musician. Devastated, I took a day job and three months away from writing,
playing or generally being around my music (ironic, don’t ya think?). I needed
to gather my thoughts, rediscover my creativity, and remember why I took that
monumental risk and gave my dream a full-time shot in the first
place.
Succeeding in my new job gave me back a basic sense
of accomplishment every day, and I learned to make the most of my nights and
weekends. I started coming up with lyrics at my desk and I’m recording an EP of
new songs with my steady paycheck. As a songwriter, I generally steer away from
clichés, but it turns out there are no truer words then “Be careful what you
wish for, you just might get it.”
Oh, and “Don’t quit your day
job.”
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Mara is a singer/songwriter living in Los Angeles
and working a day job at Music Connection Magazine while still creating music at
www.marasong.com. She also writes artist bios and press releases at
www.flyingcoasterpr.com.
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