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Most musicians are stuck in go mode. Always creating, always pushing, always looking for the next move. And sure, that hustle feels productive. But if you never stop to think, you’re just running on autopilot.

Real growth doesn’t happen when you’re grinding 24/7. It happens when you step back, reflect, and adjust.

“Ever had a melody pop into your head while making coffee? That’s what happens when you give your brain space to connect the dots.”

The Trap of Constant Creation

Making more music doesn’t automatically make you better. If you’re not taking time to think about what you’re doing, you’ll keep repeating the same patterns, making the same mistakes, and wondering why you’re stuck.

Thinking time isn’t wasted time. It’s what helps you:

• Spot what’s working (and what’s not)
• Refine your sound instead of chasing trends
• Set better goals instead of throwing darts in the dark
• Let ideas breathe instead of forcing creativity

It’s the difference between making noise and making progress.

Why Thinking Time Makes You a Better Musician

1. You Make Smarter Moves
Without thinking time, you’re always reacting instead of choosing your path. Do you really need another plugin, or do you need to practice arrangement? Are you releasing tracks too soon? Taking time to reflect keeps you from making impulsive choices that slow you down.

2. You Build a Stronger Artistic Identity
If you don’t stop to think about why you make music, you’ll end up sounding like everyone else. Thinking time helps you stay connected to your vision instead of just following what’s trending.

3. You Practice With Purpose
Mindless repetition won’t make you better. If you don’t take time to analyze your weaknesses, you’ll keep practicing the wrong things. Thinking time helps you focus on what actually moves the needle.

4. You Avoid Burnout
Creativity isn’t just about doing. It’s also about being. If you never pause, you’ll run yourself into the ground. Thinking time keeps your fire lit instead of burning it out.

5. You Get More Breakthroughs
Some of your best ideas will come when you’re not forcing it. Ever had a melody pop into your head while making coffee? That’s what happens when you give your brain space to connect the dots.

How to Add Thinking Time to Your Routine

1. Schedule it. If it’s not on your calendar, it won’t happen.
2. Step away from screens. No phone, no distractions, just space to think.
3. Change your environment. A walk, a coffee shop, a different room.. Switch it up.
4. Write it down. Big ideas come and go. Capture them.
5. Ask yourself better questions. What’s working? What’s holding me back? What’s next?

The Power of Monthly Check-Ins

This is exactly why our monthly coaching sessions can be a game-changer. It forces you to take that step back, look at where you’re going, and adjust course if needed. Just like thinking time, it’s a way to break the cycle of autopilot mode and make sure you’re actually moving forward and not just staying busy.

If you don’t give yourself that space to reflect, how do you expect to grow? Taking time for yourself every month isn’t just a luxury. It’s what separates artists who stay stuck from artists who level up.

If you have been following me for a while on socials, you might know that I’ve been screaming about this message for a long time…

FINISH YOUR MUSIC! Your music is worthless when it sits on your desktop

Most of the artists struggle to finish their music because:

– At which point do you decide that it’s finished?
– Will it be ‘good enough’?
– What if I get better in the future and my tracks from now sound awful?

All of these reasons have come by over the years here at the Artist Coaching office and you know what… It doesn’t matter. All of the above doesn’t matter because as long as you decide to NOT release your music (for whatever reason) you won’t get any step closer to your goal of making a living from your music.

I know it’s hard, I know it’s complicated but it is o so important that you try to get over your fears, anxieties, or insecurities because that’s the only thing standing between you and your goals right now.

Now, I hear you thinking: what superpower do you own? 🤔

I never struggled to finish or release my music because my mindset was always: as long as it’s “good enough”.

I never chased perfection in my life and luckily still don’t.

Progress over perfection! That’s my mantra.

Talking about finishing music as a superpower, yesterday we had a talk with The Him who also seems to own this superpower… That podcast episode is live now on all platforms!

A few mindblowing statistics 🤯 about The Him:

– Over 500.000.000 streams across platforms
– Over 47.500 followers on Instagram alone
– Released on major labels
– Over 750.000 monthly listeners on Spotify alone
– Created his plugin Subninja

That plugin is available as a FREE download for a short period and we get to give away a few codes. Check out the episode description and find the code and instructions there!

I enjoyed talking to The Him together with Jay Hardway. It’s a valuable conversation with multiple valuable insights, make sure to check it out!

Regards, Joey

PS. We’ve noticed that many of you listening to this podcast haven’t ⭐ liked or rated ⭐ the podcast on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Music yet.. If you are a weekly listener, please help us by doing so. We appreciate it a lot!

As some of you might know, the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is one of my favorite weeks of the year… Why? Because it somehow feels like the perfect week to reflect on the past year and set goals for the upcoming year. 

After doing this for several years now, I’ve noticed that there’s a lot to gain from that week. It offers you a chance to zoom out on the past year and see what went well or maybe didn’t go that well and it allows you to be grateful for what you’ve achieved that year.

Every time I start talking about this with other artists, I notice that some artists struggle to set achievable goals for themselves. It’s hard to determine a goal and make it measurable, and achievable yet still challenging…

That’s why I’ve created a few tips for you to set goals for yourself in the upcoming week, right before the start of 2024.

Here are some questions to help guide you:

• What do I truly want to achieve?
  • Clarify your desires and aspirations. Make sure the goal resonates with your values and passions.
• Why is this goal important to me?
  • Understanding the significance of the goal can motivate you during challenging times.
• Is this goal specific and measurable?
  • Ensure your goal is well-defined and quantifiable. This makes it easier to track progress.
• Is it realistic given my resources and constraints?
  • Consider the time, effort, and resources needed to accomplish the goal. Be realistic about what you can feasibly achieve.
• How will I stay motivated throughout the process?
  • Identify potential obstacles and create a plan to overcome them. Find ways to keep yourself motivated and focused.
• What steps can I take to achieve this goal?
  • Break down the goal into smaller, manageable tasks. This makes it less overwhelming and helps track progress more effectively.
• What support or resources might I need?
  • Determine if you require any additional knowledge, skills, or support from others to accomplish the goal.
• How will I measure progress?
  • Define milestones or checkpoints to track your progress along the way. Celebrate small victories to stay encouraged.
• What’s my deadline or timeline?
  • Set a realistic timeframe for achieving the goal. Having a deadline helps create a sense of urgency and keeps you accountable.
• Am I open to adjusting the goal if needed?
  • Remain flexible and open-minded. Sometimes circumstances change, and adjusting goals might be necessary for success.

These are some of the questions I ask myself every year to create achievable, challenging, and measurable goals. I hope it helps you too.

For now, I want to wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thank you for reading my blogs, it means a lot to me.

Regards, Joey

Let’s dive into the real world of music. It’s not all glitter and glamour as many of you might think.. There are some nasty truths we need to talk about. We’re here to shine a light on the stuff nobody tells you about when you’re starting to chase your dreams.

We’ll bust some myths about talent being the only ticket to stardom. (Spoiler alert: it’s about more than just natural talent.) We’ll also talk about balancing the cash flow while chasing your music dreams and how rejection’s just a part of the gig..

Let’s get into it.

These are the five harsh truths that every artist should embrace:

• 1. Talent isn’t enough: While natural talent is a great advantage, success in the music industry often requires more than just innate abilities. Hard work, dedication, networking, and business acumen are equally crucial. Many immensely talented artists struggle because they underestimate the importance of these other aspects. They completely lose themselves in the focus of music production. They aim to make the best music on the planet but forget about how it should reach the crowd. Having talent is great but it’s worthless if you don’t act upon it. Messi wouldn’t become such a world-known soccer player if he hadn’t practiced football every single day for a long period. Hard work is essential for a successful artistic career.
  
• 2. Financial instability is common: Making a stable living solely from music can be extremely challenging. Building an artist career often involves financial uncertainty, especially in the early stages of someone’s career. Many artists need to balance a day job or other income sources to support their artistic endeavors and that’s OK. I can highly recommend an aspiring artist to get a side job to pay for the bills. This will take care of the fact that you won’t get any financial stress. Financial stress can kill your creativity so you don’t want that. Try to keep some sort of stability by having a side job for as long as it is possible to combine your artist career with. It will keep things in a much healthier balance.
  
• 3. Rejection is inevitable: In the music industry, rejection is a constant companion. Whether it’s rejection from labels, publishers, or a fan, it’s a part of the journey. Even successful artists faced numerous rejections before making it big. Learning to handle rejection and using it as fuel for growth is crucial. 
  
• 4. Comparison leads to self-doubt: In the creative realm, it’s nearly impossible to avoid comparing yourself to others in their success, their talent, their recognition. This constant comparison game can be stifling and emotionally draining. Artists often find themselves measuring their worth against the perceived achievements of their peers, leading to self-doubt and a sense of inadequacy.
  
  The truth is, there will always be someone seemingly more talented, more successful, or more recognized. Dwelling on these comparisons can hinder creativity and cloud your artistic journey. Embracing the truth that everyone’s artistic path is unique, and success is subjective, allows artists to focus on their own growth and creative expression rather than constantly measuring up to external standards.
  
• 5. Criticism is part of the package: Not everyone will appreciate or understand your music, and that’s okay. Learning to handle criticism, both constructive and negative, is an essential skill for artists. It’s important to stay true to your vision while also being open to feedback that can help you improve.

Once you manage to embrace these harsh truths instead of fighting them, you’ll notice that your life and career will become much more comfortable. 

I’m also a big fan of the quote: 

“You need to become comfortable with being uncomfortable”

Because being uncomfortable means that you are growing. 

All the best,

Joey.

Last week, during a talk that I was having with one of my friends, we came across a topic that all artists will recognize… Procrastination.

And it’s not just artists.. All human beings are dealing with this behavioral pattern, including me.

We want to become fit but struggle to go to the gym.
We want to live a long life and be healthy but struggle to eat healthy every day.

I also struggle with doing a task NOW and it’s easy for me to postpone the task to ‘a better time’ (a.k.a. I’m procrastinating) but there’s a big risk of procrastinating too often in your life: you waste time.

I believe that time is the most valuable asset you have as a person so you need to do everything within your power to make the most of it.

And no, that doesn’t mean that you should make your life hyper-efficient and time-track every minute. The goal here is to enjoy life. Have a healthy balance between achieving your goals and living your optimal life at the same time.

In this blog, I’d like to give you my five cents on why I believe artists are professional procrastinators and lastly, I’d like to give you a few tips to overcome it and create more balance in your life.

Here’s why artists are professional procrastinators

The easy answer: Artists are humans and humans need to deal with all the imperfections that our minds and bodies have.

The hard answer:

1. Creative Block: Artists may feel stuck or uninspired, making it difficult to start or continue a project.
2. Perfectionism: Artists often have a strong desire to create something perfect or exceptional. This perfectionism can lead to procrastination as they may delay starting a project until they believe they have the perfect idea or skill level. (Spoiler alert: It will never be perfect)
3. Fear of Failure or Rejection: The fear of not meeting their own standards or receiving criticism from others can cause artists to procrastinate. They may delay sharing their music out of fear of rejection or negative feedback.
4. Overwhelm: Artistic projects can be complex and time-consuming. Artists may become overwhelmed by the scope of a project, leading to procrastination as a way to avoid dealing with the stress.
5. Lack of Focus: Artists often have multiple ideas and projects in mind simultaneously. This abundance of creative ideas can make it challenging to choose one and stick with it, resulting in procrastination.
6. External Distractions: Like anyone else, artists can be distracted by external factors such as social media, personal issues, or other responsibilities, leading to procrastination.
7. Lack of Structure: Some artists thrive in structured environments with deadlines and external accountability. Without these constraints, they may struggle to manage their time effectively.
8. Self-Doubt: Artists may doubt their abilities or question whether their work is valuable or meaningful, leading to procrastination as a way to avoid confronting these feelings.
9. Lack of Motivation: If an artist’s creative work is not aligned with their personal goals or values, they may lack the motivation to start or complete projects.
10. Burnout: Overworking or pushing themselves too hard can lead to burnout, causing artists to procrastinate due to mental and physical exhaustion.

I’m not sure if there’s anything that you’ve noticed within these bullet points but what I’ve noticed is that procrastination is the result of fear, insecurity, and self-doubt.

When you’re insecure about your own music, it becomes very appealing to procrastinate because once you decide to release your music, people might give you their opinion and say that it’s sh*t (that’s what you are afraid of). You are able to avoid these negative comments by simply not releasing your music and so that’s the decision most artists subconsciously take. The path of least resistance.

The same goes for your social content. If you’re insecure about how you look in a picture, chances are pretty big that you won’t post it because you want to avoid getting wrecked by negative comments from other people.

To me, it comes down to self-confidence.

How to overcome procrastinating

First, you need to love yourself and embrace your imperfections before you are able to put yourself out in the world. That is the fundamental part of the game. It all starts with self-confidence. You need to know who you are and what you stand for. You also need to know that you nor your work is not perfect (and it will never be perfect).

It’s OK to be imperfect.

Second, become self-aware.

Every time you procrastinate, you are postponing a task or decision that has to happen NOW. Next time this happens, try to be aware of your own thoughts. Try to catch yourself coming up with excuses and try to be hard on yourself. Do the task now. Make the decision now. You’re wasting time, trying to avoid short-term pain or conflict. Most of the time, the excuses that you come up with aren’t even realistic. Your brain is trying to answer a question that is impossible to answer and so it comes up with bullsh*t to stop you from doing it.

Will people like my song? You’ll never find out if you don’t release the song.

I know this is hard… It’s like a muscle, the more you train it, the stronger it gets and the easier it gets to recognize those moments when you are trying to self-sabotage.

These are just two relatively easy things you can do to overcome procrastination in your life. It will help you to achieve your goals, live a happier life, and stop wasting time.

If you struggle with procrastination and you feel that you aren’t able to deal with this yourself, feel free to reach out to me!

Regards, Joey

The music industry is a highly competitive and challenging field that demands a lot from its artists. While it’s crucial to focus on the creative and business aspects of the industry, it’s equally important to prioritize your mental health.

Here are five common mistakes that artists make regarding mental health, and ways to avoid them:

Ignoring the Signs of Burnout
Burnout is a common experience for many people in high-stress professions like music. As an artist, you may feel the need to keep creating, performing, and promoting your work constantly, which can lead to exhaustion and burnout. Ignoring the signs of burnout, such as fatigue, irritability, and lack of motivation, can exacerbate the situation. To avoid burnout, ensure that you take regular breaks, prioritize rest and relaxation, and set realistic goals for yourself.

Neglecting Self-Care
Self-care is crucial for maintaining good mental health, but artists often overlook it due to their focus on their work. Neglecting self-care can result in physical and mental health issues, as well as decreased creativity and productivity. Make time for activities that help you relax and recharge, such as exercise, meditation, or spending time with friends and family.

Isolating Yourself
The music industry can be a lonely place, and many artists feel like they need to isolate themselves to concentrate on their work. However, isolation can negatively impact mental health, leading to feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety. To avoid isolation, seek out social connections with other artists, friends, and family. Join a support group or online community, or attend music events to meet new people.

Comparing Yourself to Others
The music industry is a highly competitive and ruthless environment, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others. Comparing yourself to others can lead to feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and depression. Remember that everyone’s journey is different, and concentrate on your own growth and development. Celebrate your successes, no matter how small, and avoid getting caught up in comparing yourself to others.

Neglecting Professional Help
Finally, one of the biggest mistakes that artists make regarding mental health is neglecting professional help. Mental health issues can be complex and challenging to deal with, and it’s important to seek out professional help if you need it. Talk to your doctor or a mental health professional if you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues. There’s no shame in seeking help, and it can make a significant difference in your mental health and overall well-being.

By avoiding these common mistakes, you can prioritize your mental health and well-being as an artist, allowing you to thrive in the music industry while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Remember to take care of yourself, seek out social connections, and don’t hesitate to seek professional help when necessary.

The world of music is full of creativity, passion, and expression, but it is also a competitive field. There are many mistakes that artists make that can prevent them from reaching their full potential and achieving success. In this blog, we will outline the ten most made mistakes by artists, and how to avoid them.

1. Not Defining Your Style: One of the biggest mistakes artists make is not having a clear and consistent style. Having a unique style that sets you apart from others is crucial for building a fanbase and getting recognized in the music industry. When you have a defined style, it’s easier for others to recognize your work and connect with it on an emotional level.
2. Not Promoting Your Music: No matter how amazing your music is, if no one knows about it, it won’t be seen or sold. Artists must make an effort to promote their work through social media, websites, and other marketing channels. Create a website that showcases your music, keep an active social media presence, and participate in local events to get your name out there.
3. Not Networking: Networking is a critical component of success in the music industry. Building connections with other artists is essential for creating opportunities. Attend music events, join artist groups and forums, and reach out to other artists to build relationships.
4. Not Protecting Your Music: Copyright and trademark laws are important for protecting your music from theft and unauthorized use. Register your copyright and trademark your brand to ensure that your work is protected. Keep records of when and where you created each piece, and who owns the rights to it.
5. Not Keeping Good Records: Proper record-keeping of sales, expenses, and taxes is essential for running a successful music business. Keep track of all sales, expenses, and tax information to make sure you have a clear picture of your financial situation. Hire an accountant if necessary, to help you with your taxes and to ensure that you are staying compliant with all laws and regulations.
6. Not Staying Current: Staying informed about the latest trends and developments in the music industry helps you stay relevant and competitive. Read music blogs and magazines, attend events and conferences, and participate in online forums and groups to stay up-to-date with the latest news and trends in the industry.
7. Not Seeking Feedback: Asking for constructive criticism from others is an important part of the creative process. Seek feedback from other artists to gain insights into what works and what doesn’t. Use this feedback to improve your music and grow as an artist.
8. Not Investing in Your Music: Investing in equipment and education is essential for improving your music and advancing your career. Invest in high-quality gear, attend workshops and classes to learn new techniques, and take advantage of any opportunities for growth and development.
9. Not Taking Risks: Taking calculated risks can help you explore new styles and techniques, and open new doors for your music career. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new mediums or techniques, or to try something that’s outside of your comfort zone.

Avoiding these common mistakes can help you become a successful artist. Stay focused, work hard, and never stop learning! Remember that success in the music industry takes time and dedication.

Keep creating, promoting, and networking, and don’t be afraid to seek feedback and take risks.

With perseverance and a little bit of luck, you can turn your passion for music into a successful and fulfilling career. So keep pushing forward, stay positive, and keep creating music that inspires and touches the hearts of others.