By Shawn Daley

I recently finished reading an incredibly inspiring book that was given to James along with 14 other musicians by Derek Sivers. It’s called Ignore Everybody And 39 Other Keys To Creativity by Hugh MacLeod. Also, read James’ write up Thoughts On How To Ignore Everybody.

We’ve created a Studio Manifesto Ignore Everybody category and will be posting examples of indie musicians and new music business innovators who succeed by Ignoring Everybody and Doing it Themselves. If you know a creative music type who fits this definition please tell us why and where we can check them out.

All 40 keys to creativity can be applied to any and all professions or hobbies involving even a miniscule level of creative input.

Most of the keys and concepts can be applied by indie musicians, producers, recording engineers… well, just about any job in the music industry really. I’ve selected the 10 keys which I’ve found hold the most relevancy for the typical indie artist. In all honesty, I would have chosen all 40 keys to creativity as each and every one is relevant to the current music business, but pick up the book and read it for yourself.

You will be doing yourself a favor.

Put The Hours In

Doing anything worthwhile takes forever. Ninety percent of what separates successful people and failed people is time, effort and stamina

Whether writing a song, building a following on Twitter and Facebook, or collecting email addresses, you’re looking at a lengthy process. Artists need to grasp the concept that to sustain a healthy and profitable brand, that process should NEVER end. Once you accept this, it’s a matter of acquiring the stamina to do so.

Beyond spending zillions of hours developing your craft, it’s important to understand how to properly delegate time to and for yourself… especially when, like most indie artists, you have a survival job (which may pay the bills, but hell, that’s second thought to your art right?).

Mike McCready of MusicXray gives this advice:

When you’re in creative mode you need to keep the network you’ve built active, but you should allow yourself to disconnect from making it grow while you work artistically. Then, when you have good material and you’re ready to push again, spend your time networking, promoting and growing your fan base.

The time you spend creating your music and building a network is just as important as deciding how to spend it.

Don’t wait or rely on anyone but yourself

If Your Business Plan Depends On Suddenly Being “Discovered” By Some Big Shot, Your Plan Will Probably Fail

I’m shocked that some artists I work with still have this mindset. By the time our work together really starts progressing, they understand just how wrong they were. I don’t like preaching wrong versus right, but in this case it’s justified.

There’s nothing wrong with hoping your music will be discovered by the right person, but depending on such an event… that’s a different story. This is the independent music business. Initially, the only person you can rely on will be yourself. Friends and family too. But that’s about it. Luckily, you don’t HAVE to rely on anyone else.

Why would you want overnight success anyway? When the desire for fame and money absolutely exceed your desire to create, your art will suffer. Acquiring a hefty major label deal early in your career typically leads to debt, and only a few years of success.

“Keep Your Day Job”

McLeod’s “Sex and Cash” theory will certainly resonate with indie artists.

Find a balance between “sex” (any job or task considered pleasurable regardless of monteary reward) and “cash” (tedious, arbitrary and undesired tasks that pay the bills).

Accept the fact that selling your music and merch won’t immediately fill your wallet. Even if it does, the following roads are paved with harsh realities that you’re going to have to deal with.

This tense duality will always play center stage. It will never be transcended.

“Nobody Cares, Do It Yourself”

Aside from being easily one of the most entertaining chapters in the book, the title is actually two great points rolled into one.

Nobody Cares – The reason nobody cares has nothing to do with you as an artist, but simply because the world is full of busy, busy people and thus, can not be avoided. This doesn’t mean you can’t make them care though. Advertisements can be created to instill a sense of emotion, and while not all are done so in creative and new ways, plenty are. Become a spokesman for your music through any creative outlet available. The key is “ignoring everybody” and gearing away from the methods used by the millions of artists populating the world. They’ve been done; they are irrelevant.

Do It Yourself – Studio Manifesto, Euphonic Sound, and Broken Window Records stands behind a structured DIY philosophy. It’s never been a better time to do it yourself.

Book your own shows, or network with independent bookers/promoters. Create your own artwork, or network with indie designers. Create your own videos, or network with indie videographers. Don’t know how to use the tools to accomplish those tasks? Hop online and learn them yourself. It’s all out there, and it’s virtually free. You can find 100 Resources For DIY Musicians right here.

Don’t Worry About Inspiration. Follow Your Heart

Inspiration proceeds the desire to create, not the other way around

Most artists understand that ideas can’t be forced into, or even out of, your brain. You can always be prepared for inspiration though. As musicians responsible for all aspects of your “business,” you should be thinking about more than just the music.

Carry around pencils and paper, should the urge to sketch a potential album cover or write lyrics arise. Hand held recording devices are cheap and effective for laying down rough rhythm and melody.

Forcing creativity usually leads to fatigue and poor creative decisions. (is there such a thing as a poor creative decision? Suppose it depends on who you’re talking to)

Although, when stuck in a rut, you can always Maximize Your Creative Flow though.

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This entry was posted on Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 12:57 pm and is filed under Music Business, Wisdom, ignore everybody. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.