Extracting the problem from the core

So you don’t like the way you look? Or your social anxiety? Do you get bad gades? Anything bad about you that you can think of, this blog is the main tool for its removal.

As i said in the last blog, tips and tricks will only get you as far as they can reach, but what do you do when they can’t help you out? You’re on your own.

Just as a bad plant in a garden, tips and tricks are the equivalent of cutting the stem, leaving the roots alive. It’ll hide the problem for a while, but eventually it’ll grow back. Then, what do you do? You pull it from the root so that it doesn’t grow back!

You see, cutting the stem of the plant is visible, but not effective. The problem still exists, it’s just hidden. The root is invisible, but removing that part causes the whole plant to collapse.

In this case, what would the root of any problem be?

Inner self. 

Your values, moral, and mentality.

Lets say, you don’t like the way you are socially, you’d like to be cooler. Watching tips about how to talk confidently, how to walk, eye contact, etc. might help the aesthetic part of the problem but deep down you’re just feeding a lie.

Instead, what you do is check your values and your moral. What do they say? What kind of person do you want to be? Imagine your friends, your family, and your coworkers talking about you, what would you like to hear?

Once you take some time to find your inner self, to define your structure, what makes you, you, it’ll only be a matter of persistence and time until those problems die.

Stress

You feel like you’re compressed in a box with little oxygen and you don’t know what to do.

Lets talk about stress

That feeling when it’s sunday night and you realize you haven’t started that 10 page report about photosynthesis that’s due tomorrow; at the same time you remember you had to go visit a friend, go buy milk, and feed your dog.

Suddenly you enter a tunnel; it closes behind you, and there’s no light at the end.

I believe we’ve all experienced this feeling at least once in our lifetime, and it’s not pretty. That’s why i’m here to help you avoid this feeling at all costs.

I could tell you various tips on how to selectively get rid of this issue, but that would only get us half way to the finish line. You need to extract the problem from the core (more about that topic on my next blog).

Right now my biggest tip for all of you in times of stress is meditation. Take 5 minutes to get away from all your thoughts and be one with the world. Open a state of awareness in which you are fully conscious, and remove all thoughts. Once you’re in that state of emptiness, think of where you’re headed short term, mid term, and long term, and decide the best way to get there.

Becoming famous is as easy as a smartphone game

A lot of people don’t jump into the art business just because of how “hard” becoming famous is. But this analogy will completely show you otherwise.

Lets look at the smartphone app.

The goal in this app is to become famous. You start off as a normal teenager, living a regular life. Then a button that says “get singing lessons” appears. You tap it, and after waiting some minutes (or using real money to skip the wait) you’re now a level 1 singer. Now a button that says “record song” appears. You tap it, and you get a certain amount of followers and money. Now, you invest that money in your music career: better hardware,  singing classes, etc. You take another singing class and you become a level 2 singer, now your next recorded songs will get you more followers. You also get a better microphone and now your new songs get you more money.

Congratulations! You have reached your first 500 fans. You can now play live shows.

You can play one show per day, and it will pay you a bonus amount of cash. As you keep getting more followers by repeating the first moves (song lessons>record song>earnings>investments>grow as an artist) you get bigger and better venues. Playing in bigger venues mean bigger earnings and special props.

Keep going like that and become the biggest artist known to mankind!

But lets get back to reality.

What’s the difference between becoming famous in a game and in real life? 

There’s basically only 3 differences, and learning them will make your goals much easier to achieve. These are:

1. Time: while real life singing takes hour long lessons and years to master, in the game you only wait a few minutes and you’re ready to go. This way, by the end of a month you’ll already be a world famous artist.

2. Doubt: in the game, no one judges your singing or your creativity, not even you. This way, there’s no problem clicking that “record song” button, and the people who enjoy what you do, start following you.

3. Failure: There’s no failure. Every song you upload will get you followers and money (ok, maybe money might be an issue, but there’s always a way around it. Example: getting a job, singing lessons from a friend, borrowing equipment, christmas/birthday money, savings, etc.) failure is inexistent in this game, and that’s what makes it fun. 

…But is there really no failure?

Failure in this game is not inexistent, it’s just covered. 

You upload your first song and you get 10 followers, that’s all you know. The game doesn’t show you all the hate comments you get, all the dislikes, and all the rejected record label submissions. So it’s easy for you to keep going, because there’s no doubt in what you’re doing. Failure doesn’t exists.

What if we did it like that in real life?

What if instead of focusing in all the bad things, we kept going? Motivaded, confident. 

What if instead of doubting our creativity, we instantly press that “record song” button, and listen to what the world has to say? Instead of giving up because of hate comments, we can look at them as free feedback. Use them for your advantage

And now… time. 

It will take time, to practice, to find your creative path, and to master the craft based on your decisions, but you’ll eventually get there.

But lets just sum it all up, these games are basically the fun part of becoming famous. But this doesn’t mean they’re fantasy, they’re just sped-up, blindsided versions of a real career path. 

If you can get enough strength to walk through failure, through shame and doubt, and to be persistent, i assure you, only death can stop you from achieving your ultimate goal.

Procrastination

I believe most people in the art industry procrastinate (procrastination is basically leaving important tasks for later), and it’s a habit that can ultimately destroy your carrer. That’s why today i bring you my most effective ways of avoiding it.

1. Find motivation: why are you doing that anyway? What’s your main goal? Procrastination happens when you don’t have in presence your finish line. For example, me as a musician, i find motivation watching videos about the lifestyle of already famous musicians .

2. Get enough sleep: it all comes from the core. If you don’t get enough sleep each night, your body won’t have enough energy to be 100% efficient throughout the day, making it harder for you to keep focus on work and important tasks.

3. Win the race against time: think about what will happen if time wins, short, mid,or long term. In case of homework this is what happens: short term, you get 1 pont less the next day. Mid term, the lack of delivered works results in a low grade, reducing your chances of accessing a good college. Long term, you grow old punishing yourself for not working hard enough in your younger years, and you realize that your dream job is almost impossible to get now.

If you follow this tips regularly, the struggle will turn into a habit and you’ll become a productive person automatically.

Being a leader

Everyone aspires to be a leader. I don’t think any normal human being wishes to be controlled by someone of a higher position, being told what to do every day.

When we look at great leaders, we feel the power in them, we see the traits they carry so that everything works out for them.

 Now, who becomes a leader and why?

If you want to become a leader, and have no experience as one, your first move will probably be going to the computer, watching some leadership videos and trying to copy their stance, their way of talking, their ideas, etc. but that’s not the way of doing it. A real leader copies no one. And i know some people say “great leaders are born that way”… No! That’s completely wrong! People are all born the same, like a little ball of clay. Then as we grow and experience some stuff, that ball is transformed into something else. 

So, if the ball is molded with love, respect, and discipline, the result will be a clay model that other balls of clay will want to follow. In the other hand, if the ball is molded with hate, disrespect ,and ignorance, no one will try to replicate that.

Now i’m not saying that if you had a rough childhood, transforming yourself is impossible, in fact, that’s the excuse most people use, but it’s almost impossible for anyone not to encounter some tough spots on the road. 

If you have an ugly clay model, making a few cosmetic changes will not make it better. In this case, you need to squish the model, and start from 0.

To compare this to real life: you can’t just look at videos of leaders, copy their physical traits and become one yourself. It all has to come from the nucleus of conduct, a center fueled by valors and moral. Once a gravitacional center like that is created, every aspect of a leader will appear on you.

Art in the life of a student

The biggest struggle a student deals with while trying to succed in art, is giving enough time and attention to both, your school work and your artistic passion. If you find yourself in this situation, you might relate to this blog, and find some helpful tips for your journey.

We’re in school because of different reasons: maybe your parents won’t let you drop out, maybe you actually like school, or maybe you’re studying something art-related. Whatever the case is, we share the pain and stress, but just know that if you’re still in school, it’s worth the hard work and effort. I’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks to help you get through this hard times.

1. Get enough sleep. This means aproximately 9 hours, which is the teen average for a healthy rest. Restlessness leads to lazyness, even if you’re not sleepy, your body will lack the energy and motovation to work at its full potential.

2. Time administration. Divide tasks throughout the day, week, or month, depending on the size. There’s nothing worse than leaving everything until the end. that also means you should work on reducing your procrastination habits. This will lead to a more confortable lifestyle overall and stress won’t get on the way of working on your passion.

3. Exercise. Go get some fresh air. A healthy body will be more energetic and comfortable overall. This also includes eating healthier, cut off a little on the junk food. 

4 Maintain focus. Every day remind yourself why you’re doing this, why you work so hard, and remember that it will all eventually pay off. 

Because living in a beautiful mansion on the top of a hill with an amazing view, won’t come from laying down watching Netflix all day.

Cold smoke

Today I make the first blog regarding my music, and I also announce my first studio album release!

There’s still no specific date for release, not even a specific month, but it’ll be out this cold season for sure. 

Why this cold season? Well…

The album is winter/cold centered (hence the title). I just feel like all the adventures and experiences lived in cold times are a thousand times better than any other time of the year.

Starting off by the smell. Have you ever noticed the smokey scent of winter? It’s the number 1 nostalgia generator you’ll ever find. And the cold temperatures, just call out for cozy times and warm behaviour.

So stay tuned for the release date. The name of the album is still not established, so feel free to leave any suggestions in the comment section. 

Is being creative a bad thing?

Something a lot of artists struggle with is the whole spectrum of conflicts and directions created by creativity. From figuring out if your creation actually sounds good, to having a mental breakdown on deciding who you really are as an artist. Some people end up directing themselves to the “mainstream” because they think it’ll get them to the top quicker, and just because… They’re afraid.

Don’t get me wrong, i’m no professional in the music industry, and I wouldn’t be able to tell you the most efficient way to reach succes in art, but i know that in society, people are afraid to express their true selves. Not a lot of sience into this; People on the higher spots of society are able to express who they are, freely, and others will accept it. On the other hand, people on the lower spots will try to imitate those above them, hoping to move upwards on society’s scale.

Now, to relate this to art:

This doesn’t mean we’re dumb, it’s human instinct. We see something that works, and we do it as well. For example: a singer composes an incredible song, nothing like any other! and it tops all music charts around the world. What comes next is a wave of new tracks sounding almost exactly the same. Some of those might also make it big, but the majority will not.

And as you know, in the art constitution we’re not about the “copy-then-probably-make-it-big algorithm” we strive to be succesful by sending a message that transmits emotions, and changes patterns. Because “artists” nowadays don’t care for the emotional part of art, it’s now just another type of business with huge money earnings and a dream-like lifestyle, but… That’s not art.

And that’s the problem, we struggle with creative blocks because we’re not sure people will like what we make. We have such a fixed paradigm that directs us to make what we’re sure works, trapping in the beauty of one’s true self.

So:

Create diferent, be yourself, do what you love because art shouldn’t be a job, it should be a passion. Of course creativity is important! It’s the combination of ideas created by outside factors that only you can perceive. 

Do you want to be an artist? Go on and share with the world how everything seems like to you!

  

The logarithmic ladder of success

I’m pretty sure achieving your dreams is 100% possible. Now, i know the percentage of people who actually become famous is really low, but that doesn’t  mean it’s difficult. What’s difficult is believing that at some point, you’ll get to where you want to be.

What i’m trying to say is:

People think fame is impossible to achieve since almost nobody gets to that point. Which by itself discourages aspiring artists to keep going. But lets focus on the ones that move past that point, and the mental processes they experience.

Group #1 (the whole pack)

This group is the biggest one, everyone starts learning the craft. And the first ones to leave are the ones who don’t find the process interesting. 

Group #2 (love for the craft)

Now, in this group almost half of initial total already left, and only the ones that really love the craft stay. Those who leave this group go out slowly and mostly in denial, since they’ve already put work and effort to the art. Most of them will say stuff like “i haven’t had time to work” or “i’m just waiting for the right time”.

Group #3 (passion)

Here’s where the real artists start to come out. Years of work have been applied , and becoming famous is the main dream. But the biggest difficulties begin in this group. Those who leave, still can’t see their goal as something possible and discouragement consumes their mind. “All the hard work for something so vaguely possible? Meh, i’d much rather go out and enjoy my youth while it lasts”

And i’m actually stuck in group 3 right now. If you’re an aspiring artist, take a moment to think where you stand in the ladder of success, and visualize what the best way to keep going is.

Part 2 will be out next week.

Introduction to the Art Constitution

What is it? I mean, it sounds like some kind of book from the times of Leonardo Davinci, doesn’t it? 

Well, to be honest, Art constitution is my real name…

Not!

Like almost every other teenager nowadays, i’m aspiring to become a world famous DJ, well sort of. With this project, i’m trying to get electronic music back on track, and in a bigger scale, give it the same respect rock and jazz have as a genre.

But this is only the begining, today I present to the world this project, so you can join me in this journey that might one day change the whole art industry.

Next writings will be descriptions of my actions towards this project (some might call it a diary, I prefer to say otherwise), and my experiences in the path to success.