I would happily do whatever it is that I am supposed to do. I would work eighteen hour long days for long stretches at a time, uproot myself and move to the other side of the country for a while, raise up some amazing source of inner strength when faced with an extreme challenge threatening to undermine my sense of self worth, rescue some stray dog out on the street, spend my last dime recording my own album, earn more money then spend it all again promoting that album, drive all over creation hand delivering press kits… (I have done all these things). The problem is that it is not always clear what I am actually supposed to be doing.
I suppose that in any business, there are choices to make with regard to how exactly to proceed, but the music business in particular has a little devil called “downtime.” Today, I have answered the age old question of what the hell to do during it for myself.
Downtime is a lull. It is that time just after the completion of a task during which you have kept very busy – and before the start of the next specific task to be accomplished. It can be very depressing to work long hours for months on a television show to find yourself suddenly with nothing to do for a while until rehearsals start for the next project. You might think one would appreciate a break during this time – and I do (for a while). But then, I start to feel like I might be lazy, or that I am not doing all I can (or all that I am supposed to be doing) to get to that ever elusive “next level.” The possibilities are endless… I could audition for commercials, write a new song, sit in on some open mics, handle my bills or get a start on my taxes, organize my house, sell stuff on ebay, get the word out that I am available for freelance work, reconnect with old bandmates, go out and support local shows, create an advertising plan, book new shows, put my contact list in the computer, research new smartphones, finally master the art of applying false eyelashes…. I could go on for days here.
Then what if you don’t have an upcoming “next project” and you have to create one? What should it be? A live show? A new album? New single? New video for old single? What’s the strategy? Advertising campaign? Who should you talk to about creating this advertising campaign? Is it time for a photo shoot? What’s the new “look”? Now what? I could go crazy…
NOW WHAT?????
Here’s what I came up with. I can never go wrong if I am learning. When the world starts spinning and I start losing sleep agonizing over what to do next, I should educate myself about something. Anything. When I am paralyzed by the endless possibilities and end up accomplishing nothing, I should learn something. Whatever it is I learn will guide me in some way toward the next thing. I will shed that empty feeling of non-accomplishment and propel myself toward something positive if only I expand my mind a little and gain a little focus. If nothing else, I will learn what it is that I want to learn. If I get bored reading the manual for my iPad, I might try a music sight-reading app and strengthen my reading skills. If that isn’t exciting enough, I might discover it’s more inspirational to read a biography of some amazing woman, which may motivate me to do some little thing in my own life, which may grow into some big thing and then suddenly I am back on the right path again of what I am supposed to be doing.
I could learn about great organizations and volunteer for something. In fact, I just Googled “downtime” and found an organization that helps coordinate musicians experiencing downtime with non-profits looking for help! Cool!
In a nutshell, I will get back to basics when life gets confusing and learn something – educate myself in some way. I can never go wrong with that. It will start me on a trend. I will then follow that trend until I am led to the next phase. I will be moving in the right direction. I will get an idea.
What I should NOT do is… overeat, wallow, spend money, stay in bed, drink… (could go on for days here too).
I think a good idea would be to balance a healthy dose of learning with some writing and exercise and mix that with a little practical accomplishment like cleaning the car, house, or work on finances. Keep one foot marching in front of the other – hold on to my faith and good things will come.
Any thoughts?
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