tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149734872024-02-18T19:36:02.191-08:00For the Creative SoulEncouragement, Inspiration, and Ideas for Creative Souls.Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-50923126030697320022022-01-10T04:00:00.035-08:002022-01-10T04:00:00.184-08:00The Next Best Step<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheDoSEdvfEEOOKWE2X4nH8slG0UQTuVaSrizXyMUls_jn6b_p2HEKCWv1qFdG0ZkrKmxKkIBqxGRPnN4cWnHEkX33HL61_vVpk03xSq3SGO9rIwJAyWwJ7vyTsXxPdldWmgJjlQh5lAUi1OJOtrDFd_X1Rj61-tLSpZEOKAw-1YKMyPGfdak0=s1000" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1000" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheDoSEdvfEEOOKWE2X4nH8slG0UQTuVaSrizXyMUls_jn6b_p2HEKCWv1qFdG0ZkrKmxKkIBqxGRPnN4cWnHEkX33HL61_vVpk03xSq3SGO9rIwJAyWwJ7vyTsXxPdldWmgJjlQh5lAUi1OJOtrDFd_X1Rj61-tLSpZEOKAw-1YKMyPGfdak0=w678-h434" width="678" /></a></div><i> “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”</i> - Isaiah 43:19 </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br />So, have New Year's resolutions come and gone already? Or are you still focused on what 2022 can bring? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It's a scary world out there for sure, and every possible venture seems filled with question marks. But is it really? (I did that on purpose.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The next best step for you is the one that makes sense RIGHT NOW. Not the million possibilities but the obvious answer in front of your face right now. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The crossroads you are facing has a logical and sensible direction. You can feel it in your gut. Whenever I have a difficult choice to make and can see reasons to do each one, my wife always says the same thing: “What does your guy say?”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And that has usually been the right answer for the direction of my life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In a recent podcast we were talking about “The Unfair Advantage” that certain people seem to have over others. But to me, everyone has a “Unique” advantage. A series of life choices that add up to where they are now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Obviously, some decisions turn out to be questionable. But the best you can do is to take the next best step you can towards our life and creative goals. Choose as wisely as you can. Get advice. Read about it. Talk to your guru! Then check your heart and check your gut. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Heart versus Brain versus Gut</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Your heart, brain, and your gut may be fighting over this. Your heart might be saying either “This would be so fun to do!” Your brain might be saying, “This way seems too scary! You can’t do this.” But your gut looks plainly at the situation and already knows. “It’s pretty obvious when you look at it. I have the opportunity to do this thing. It’s been given to me. I need to go for it.” Or your gut says, “This isn’t right and I just know it.”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The heart does indeed NOT always get what the heart wants. The brain will usually overthink everything. But your gut usually knows the next best step.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>The Right Step Now</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i>“Whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we've got.”</i> - Art Buchwald</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">There are always steps in front of us we can take. But sometimes the decision to do a thing, has nothing to do with the thing itself. Sometimes what holds up back from doing is the timing of the thing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So, it may just be that NOW is not the right time. Or it may be that right now IS the time. The new year is a great time to reconsider that step you’ve been waiting to take for years. Yes, as of the timing of this writing, COVID is still out there. But so are all the other risks that have always been there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The things that held you back from taking the next best step were the things that stopped you years or decades ago. <i>You’re still standing in the same place. </i>Will COVID just be another reason not to do something? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>The Decision is Yours</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Only you can take the next best step for you. Maybe these words may get you moving to the right place in your creative career. For the COVID wary, almost everything you want to do, every next best step is online. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I finished a Master’s degree in the craziest and most dangerous time of the COVID virus. I did it online. I started a new thriving YouTube channel and business in the middle of 2021, while the virus raged and took loved ones from us.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">COVID can’t be what stops you. Money can’t be what stops you. Fear can’t be what stops you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Look at the next best steps in front of you and find a way to take the one you feel is right in your gut.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” </i> - Theodore Roosevelt</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Have a great week!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">EC</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">__</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Eric Copeland is a composer, producer, and creative business owner still looking at each next best step and trying to take it. If you need help with how to make your music, or make income from your music, no matter what the barriers that exist out there right now, check out his sites below.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">CreativeSoulOnline.com - Music Career Coaching, Production, and Marketing for Music Artists</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">MakeMusicIncome.com - Helping Composers, Producers, and Artists Make Music Income</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-13278678443495705402021-09-20T07:43:00.008-07:002021-09-20T07:43:52.940-07:00Getting Creative Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-NPBQUPhUDEKvhgqCrnFPwk8p0JhrYPhXEXy89XAMMp6QvmgyS2HBh5Gof0cXoBTG7O_yeTRyHCf5CNI9Slil9w94RXeRurq7m8x0gDdVaR2SYVyt3sCsfMjcn7wrLdDxvne4g/s2048/getingcreativeagain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1442" data-original-width="2048" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-NPBQUPhUDEKvhgqCrnFPwk8p0JhrYPhXEXy89XAMMp6QvmgyS2HBh5Gof0cXoBTG7O_yeTRyHCf5CNI9Slil9w94RXeRurq7m8x0gDdVaR2SYVyt3sCsfMjcn7wrLdDxvne4g/w400-h281/getingcreativeagain.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>So many things can derail you from your music, your art, or whatever creative thing you do. Jobs, marriage, kids, divorce, or worst of all, the loss of a loved one.<div><br />As someone who has lost two dear and important people to me in the last month, I am struggling to find my creative spark. <br /><br />Maybe this has happened to you. </div><div><br /></div><div>Your job is important to supporting your family, but your time and energy there have left you depleted at the end of the day.<br /><br />Being a full-time (or part-time) parent can be all-consuming, but it is important work. <br /><br />Any number of things can stop your creative work in its tracks and leave you wondering how to pick up the pieces and get back to it.<br /><br /><b>Back to Work</b><br /><br />As I talked about in <a href="https://www.forthecreativesoul.com/2021/08/plan-to-be-creative-and-work-plan.html" target="_blank">my last post</a>, creative success is just about working at it. Sometimes to get going again it’s just about getting back on the horse and trying. <br /><br />Sometimes work can be cathartic. If like me you write down lists and steps to get things done, you can find solace in the list. Take a step. Get something done. Use it as a guide even when you don’t feel like it. You will feel worse if you do nothing and possibly add to your depression.<br /><br />Take an action step you have outlined and just…try. Make that call. Email that person. Work on that song. Pick up the brush or guitar or pen and add something to a work you started.<br /><br />For me in my grief right now that’s the only thing I know to do. It’s who I am and only by doing what I do can I honor those I have lost. <br /><br />For you, maybe it’s been a long time since you seriously pursued your art. It’s NEVER too late. Focus on your goals. Maybe they have changed or maybe they are the same as always. Whatever they are, make an action plan to get there. Make a list. Do a thing. Rinse and repeat.<br /><br />Most people will tell you take some time after a loss, or that art isn’t important and there’s no way you can do it and your job, your marriage, your parenting, or any life-altering thing that may stop you from creating. </div><div><br /></div><div>I call “fiddlesticks” (sorry for the language. But there's a reason why.)<br /><br /><b>Time is Finite</b><br /><br />I can tell you from recent experience, you just never know how much time you have left on this earth. God may have given you something important to do, and life has just gotten in the way. While it’s never too late to do your life’s work, our time here on this earth is limited. We have to get to work <i>now </i>on what we were put here to do. That’s never been as apparent and obvious as it is to me right now.<br /><br />This reminder of how little time is left may even lead me to change the way I structure not just my life, but my business as well. Time will tell, and time will keep on ticking (into the future…)<br /><br />Maybe you also see the limited amount of time you have to finish what you feel is your life’s work. If so, then like me, perhaps you need to reevaluate your priorities and processes, and make a change to do your creative work better, smarter, and more effectively.<br /><br /><b>Finish Strong</b><br /><br />No matter were you are in the race we are all running, trying to get everything done in our lives, we can still try and finish strong. No matter what terrible things, lovely things, or just mundane things that derail us from time to time in our creative journey, we can get back to it. Get back to creating, and find the success we felt was just around the corner.<br /><br />“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” - Philippians 3:13 (NIV)<br /><br />Have a great week!<div><br /></div><div>--<br /><br />For the Creative Soul is a free blog and resource for creatives, sponsored by Creative Heart, a non-profit department of A.C.T. International. Be sure to email at <a href="mailto:forthecreativesoul@gmail.com">forthecreativesoul@gmail.com</a> if you have any questions, thoughts, or concerns.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Would you like to support Creative Heart and its mission to continue providing this bi-weekly blog and free advice and consulting to creatives? Check out our giving page at <a href="https://actintl.givingfuel.com/creative-heart" target="_blank">https://actintl.givingfuel.com/creative-heart</a></div>Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-64690795208815513112021-08-02T08:28:00.002-07:002021-08-02T11:35:06.012-07:00Plan to be Creative, and Work the Plan<p style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Being
creative is more than just inspiration and revelation. It takes more than just
AHA moments and epiphanies to create works of arts, whether they are
symphonies, novels, paintings, hit songs or whatever art you make.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJJDQi_edtR0S1QOtVzosetu6T9sEUi-5gxIdgwRH99CYj53Wmoi8rNqiLF-4u5JF11b9MgqsGeiy6O9MET1Uom1ozWRJv52JgI0RhStJM_y1H0qhGAqwbx0eOdvLcBKgGJiq7g/s1000/plantobecreative.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRIE3pXqlMA7RU0pIHayt9RpxhpMoTiwevFuIMso-kYUYrWE0rNP1-V4G_mHQxmKh10pxCFxUeEpd1woWUE10HBX6jnm8Lnl0MvNO0lQobAUsIX7vNrPfQTrY2yBnwPGcdrTeWeg/s1000/plantobecreative.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRIE3pXqlMA7RU0pIHayt9RpxhpMoTiwevFuIMso-kYUYrWE0rNP1-V4G_mHQxmKh10pxCFxUeEpd1woWUE10HBX6jnm8Lnl0MvNO0lQobAUsIX7vNrPfQTrY2yBnwPGcdrTeWeg/w320-h320/plantobecreative.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Being
a successful creative means not just thinking up creative ideas, but making <b>time</b>
for them, and then actually <b>doing</b> them. It takes focused planning on how
you will accomplish the creative thing and actually get it done.<p></p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There’s
nothing worse than having all sorts of creative dreams, plans, and ideas, but
having nothing to show the world. How do you exist as a creative without
creative works?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Um,
you don’t. So, let’s dive in to how you can plan to be creative, and then work
the plan.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Plan</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
already used my Beethoven quote (again) in the last post, but the key is to
“do.” <i>Be industrious.</i> And Step 1 on how you can be industrious and get
work done is to plan the time for it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
plan everything else you want to get done right? You plan to wake up at a
certain time, take a shower at a certain time, so you can leave at a certain
time because traffic will take a certain about of time. You plan all these
things out in your head to make sure you get to work on time. Which by the way,
most things we do are scheduled from a certain time to a certain time like how
long you work at your job.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We
schedule dinner. We schedule TV time. We go to movies on their schedule. We
even plan on when we need to go to bed and how much we need to sleep.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If
you want to focus on your creative stuff and get it done, you need to plan and
schedule and make the time for that creativity too.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Rhythms</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">No,
I’m not talking about you beatmakers out there making your beatz. I’m talking
about your circadian rhythms. What kind of person are you? Morning person?
Night person?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When
are you naturally most creative? Our bodies and minds work on a schedule (even
they schedule!!) So, you need to find that right creative time for <i>you</i> to
do creative work.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It
also helps if it’s a time where you won’t be disturbed, so that’s where the
rhythms part comes in. If you’re naturally up and mornings are quieter, then
maybe that’s the time. If you’re a night owl and you’re up anyway, then there
you go.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And
guess what, you can change this. I did. I went from being a complete night
person, always up to 2 or 3am. I did all my creative stuff then if I didn’t get
to it any other time. But I decided to try mornings, decided I had missed
enough of them, and literally changed my rhythms. Now I go to bed earlier like
a regular person and get up every day with the sun and start thinking creative
things.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">OK,
so we’ve planned the time, and we know when in our day we will be creative. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Work</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes,
work. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you are going to have to
put some serious work in to make serious art. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Like
a job (especially if art is your job) you are going to have to schedule time to
do your creative thing, work on it whether you feel like it or not when that
time comes and keep it on your to do list until you get it done.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My
To Do lists are legion. I use Evernote to get everything done, to keep all my
ideas, goals, deadlines, and journals. It’s a great app for your phone or
tablet, and also accessible on any browser or desktop apps.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When
people start to find out the ridiculous amount of creative work that I do for
my client’s brands and then all my personal brands, they ask me how in the
world I get everything done.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
answer is I put it on lists, then either delegate it or more likely just
schedule the time and knock stuff out each day. I have a daily To Do list, and
on weekdays that includes both client and personal creative things I need to
get done.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There
is no way I would get work done without lists.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Alternating
Work and Play </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
some ways I see all the work I do as play, but each job, whether it is creating
a music track, editing a video, or marketing it online; each of these are jobs
that I must get done. But admittedly, my personal songs, videos, and marketing
is usually extra fun for me because it’s all mine and my creative brain
alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So,
what I do is alternate between things for clients and my personal art to get
everything done. This helps keep all things accomplished and refreshes me
throughout the day.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Maybe
your “other job” isn’t creative work, but you can still use this strategy to
get creative work done alongside your other work.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Need
to finish a presentation for school or work? Do that, and then work on
finishing that song you wrote. Need to get the laundry done? Add a laundry switch
every time you finish a section of writing, or a recording, or part of your
painting.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This
helps by letting you do both the things you <i>want</i> to do and the things
you <i>need</i> to do. Like recess, lunch, and other things at school you
actually liked, this is the way teachers and schools have kept students
graduating for generations.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">But
Schedule It</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Even
the alternating method will only work if you focus on that To Do List. Line
those creative tasks up and then knock them down!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I’ve
never had much luck myself with scheduling creative work for specific times
like 45 minutes on and 15 off. But maybe that would work for you.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
goal simply is to get work done, and sort of “force” focus.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If
you’ll excuse one more school analogy, I didn’t “want” to finish those papers I
had to write for the master’s degree I just finished. Music Theory! Music
History! But at some point, I had to buckle down and just knock them out.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So,
guess where those tasks went? Yep, right in the To Do List right alongside
client work and my personal creative brands.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">OK
now let’s talk about the dreaded…</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Deadlines</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Of
course, with school, and sometimes client work (or work work as I call it), a
deadline exists for certain projects. That actually helps greatly and forces us
to focus.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Unfortunately,
it’s hard to force focus on purely creative tasks. But by putting each song,
painting, chapter of a novel, video edit for your YouTube channel, whatever
into a To Do list and systematically knocking them out, is a great way to keep
you focused on the tasks that need to be done.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sometimes
even adding bullet points under each thing that needs to be done or options for
the job, and then knocking down each part of the job. I do this with most
things. So yes, sometimes even each creative thing has its own list in
Evernote.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Stick
to the Plan</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
plan works if you work it they say, and they are mostly right. At the very
least, making a plan, making action steps, then figuring out the process of
working through each step and finishing is the key. The list gives you the next
step, and even if you don’t feel like doing it, just knowing what the next step
is and powering through it helps you get that creative thing one step closer to
showing it off (or monetizing!)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
hope this has given you some hints on how I do it, and that it helps you beat
focus and distraction and get your creative work done.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Have
a great week!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">EC<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Eric Copeland is a full-time composer, producer, and creative marketer who keeps lots of dang lists. If you'd like to get help getting creative things done, you can get in touch with him at ec@cre8iv.com</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you're a composer, music artist, songwriter, or musician and would like more help with your music and brand, check out <a href="https://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com">https://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com</a></span></p><div><span style="font-size: 24px;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 24px;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 24px;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 24px;"><span data-markholder="true"></span></span></div>Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-78585424322136084252021-07-05T07:15:00.008-07:002021-07-19T08:45:42.923-07:00The Relentless Focus of the Serious Creative<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="254" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lXXAhsXuCWU" width="419" youtube-src-id="lXXAhsXuCWU"></iframe>\</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rather watch than read? Click this video! <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; text-align: left;">👆</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; text-align: left;">👆</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji"; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><h3><b>relentless </b><i>adjective</i></h3><p>showing or promising no abatement of severity, intensity, strength, or pace<br /></p>#<div><br /></div><div>You might notice a difference about some creative people you meet. They have found a level of success you envy for your own creative thing, and you wonder how they did it. The answer is >>FOCUS<<.<p></p><p>The creatives that excel in their art, the ones that find success, the ones that always seem to be busy and showing new works or gigs or videos, these people did something you may not be doing. They focused on the work...relentlessly. To quote Bach, they were <i>“</i>industrious.” It's one of my favorite quotes.</p><p></p><p><i>“</i><i>I was obliged to be industrious. Whoever is equally industrious will succeed equally well.</i>” - Johann Sebastian Bach</p><p>The creatives that you see succeed overcome something that is very difficult for many to beat, and the war rages all the time for all creatives behind the scenes. It’s called Resistance. It’s focusing on our passion and art at the expense of all other passions and arts. And that’s a very hard thing and constant battle to fight.</p><p><i>“There’s a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don’t, and the secret is this: It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write. What keeps us from sitting down is Resistance.”</i> - Steven Pressfield</p><p>Now this doesn’t mean ignoring your duties to family or your job, but instead carefully (and constantly) pruning away the distraction of other things you could do. You have to focus on sitting down and doing the work.</p><p><i>“The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying.”</i> - Steven Pressfield</p><p><b>Just Do It</b></p><p><i>“Are you a born writer? Were you put on earth to be a painter, a scientist, an apostle of peace? In the end the question can only be answered by action. Do it or don't do it.”</i> - Steven Pressfield</p><p>I’ve had people tell me they see me as an uber-creative person that is always thinking of new businesses, yet I’ve been a focused full-time composer and producer for the last 21 years. And before that I did it on nights and weekends since I was 13. Even though I have written and arranged and produced literally thousands and thousands of songs, I have hundreds more to do right now and hope to DOUBLE my output over the rest of my life.</p><p>How will I do this? The answer simply is that I <i>will just do it</i>.</p><p>What Steven Pressfield talks about his book <i>The War of Art</i>, what he calls “Resistance”, I call distraction. We creatives like to create, and in fact right now I have two to ten other creative things and ideas I like to do and could focus on, from fiction writing to YouTube channel ideas to piano refinishing.</p><p>But to double my output as a composer and arranger, to make composing my main income source including ramping up my royalties and working full-time as a composer, I have to get laser-focused. Writing novels takes time and effort, and while I like it, it’s not what I was put on this earth to do. Creating a YouTube channel and monetizing it takes weekly effort and focus of its own, and probably two years of time to get there. I hope in two years that a significant part of my income is royalties, and that only happens if I put the time into composing and pitching. Piano refinishing might be a nice hobby, and a needed distraction. But any time I spend on these any of these other creative hobbies, I could be composing something new and/or pitching it to a library or publisher.</p><p>And composing is what I want to do more than anything else.</p><p><b>Focus and Show the World</b></p><p>This week, use this mantra of focusing on your creative craft at the expense of all the other hobbies or distractions you could waste time on. Then show the world what you can do!</p><p><i>“Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It's a gift to the world and every being in it. Don't cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you've got.</i>” - Steven Pressfield</p><p>Have a great week!</p><p>EC<br />--<br />Eric Copeland is a composer, producer...well I think that's pretty evident from above.</p><p>Find out more about his composing and works at <a href="https://ericcopelandmusic.com/" target="_blank">https://ericcopelandmusic.com/</a></p><p>To get help with <i>your </i>creative thing, go to <a href="https://creativesoulonline.com/" target="_blank">https://creativesoulonline.com/</a></p></div>Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-2900540121564777262021-03-22T01:00:00.001-07:002021-03-22T01:00:01.863-07:00Create. Market. Repeat.<p>As composers, artists, or whatever type of creative you may be, the most challenging thing in finding success is finding the time to do your thing, laser focus to get it done right, and then getting to the ears and eyes that can help your creative career move forward.</p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06sKNbZZimqHsjh74nEw50xPDZveHO8V1MWeM-QovHQdE_5k5zcHQduQrtk1vDuFfYS-2gAhGhR1R8b3JY_Qh-XaROuCysayjkhjE14WaRGXdlPEOc7r-iIP38Fnln_LDDKqleQ/s1498/createmarketrepeat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1498" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06sKNbZZimqHsjh74nEw50xPDZveHO8V1MWeM-QovHQdE_5k5zcHQduQrtk1vDuFfYS-2gAhGhR1R8b3JY_Qh-XaROuCysayjkhjE14WaRGXdlPEOc7r-iIP38Fnln_LDDKqleQ/w400-h268/createmarketrepeat.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The task seems daunting. How do you beat distraction, still make a living, but yet make and get your music out to the world to those who need to hear it so it makes a difference and maybe even brings income?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Create</b></div><div><br /></div><div>First you must create your art. This may sound simple, but consistently composing, recording, and preparing your music is key and challenging. This goes for any creative element you may be making. Create. Every. Day. Every. Week.</div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe you are just making lists of creative ideas, or organizing your creative goals, or planning. Or you are actively creating and putting down ideas in your notebook, computer, or wherever.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next step is producing those ideas so people can experience them. Producing just means making it for someone else other than you to see or hear. This can be done simply for you to have a recording or to remember it, or it could mean making a final production ready for distribution out to the world.</div><div><br /></div><div>The key to this is to consistently create. Sit down, make the thing. Then move on to the next one. Or move on to the next thing that we’re talking about here:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Market</b></div><div><br /></div><div>This seems like a dirty business word doesn’t it? Marketing. Advertising. Pitching. Yuck. That sounds like a lot of work and not very fun or creative. But if you are hoping to have any success with your music or any creative thing, you HAVE to market it.</div><div><br /></div><div>This can be as easy as playing a new song for someone in your house, or it could be as daunting as showing off the work at a show in front of real live people. It could mean pitching it to publishers, libraries, labels, or people who can get something happening with what you have made. Or maybe you can make an online channel for your music or art and place it there as you finish each one.</div><div><br /></div><div>Regardless of how you market, you MUST market if your goal is to make something of your craft. What if you were a great electrician but ever applied for a job as one? Or if you naturally were good with numbers or even a trained mathematician, but never even tried to get a teaching or job that uses math? (Obviously, I am not a mathematician and don't know what they might do!)</div><div><br /></div><div>Being a creative is no different. Do you know how many people wish they could play guitar or compose a song? Don’t you think if they could they would do it and shout it from the mountaintops?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Repeat</b></div><div><br /></div><div>So in the last two sections I just gave you all you need to be successful as a creative. Make the darn thing, and present the thing to the world. Make it with your phone camera, use an app, use your computer, write it on paper, whatever. Then show someone in the biggest way you can or feel comfortable. Show it to friends and family in person or on Facebook. Make a YouTube channel and build a weekly following. Get out in front of audiences and speak to them with your art. Take your song and pitch it to the someone who can get it on a TV show, movies, or make money commercially.</div><div><br /></div><div>And repeat.</div><div><br /></div><div>Being a creative means creating then showing, and after that, creating then showing, and then...well you get the idea.</div><div><br /></div><div>But only YOU can make this happen, because no one else is you and will do it for you.</div><div><br /></div><div>Have a great week!</div><div><br /></div><div>EC</div><div>—</div><div>Eric Copeland is a composer, arranger, and producer who creates every day and also focuses on unique ways to get his art out there. If you need help getting your music out there in any of the ways above and need a partner in your creative pursuits, check out <a href="http://CreativeSoulOnline.com" rev="en_rl_none">CreativeSoulOnline.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div>We are also getting very busy showing works to libraries and companies that need music for television, film, advertising, and more. We need partners with these new publishers and companies that are accepting our music. If this sounds interested to you, contact Eric at PositiveSpinSongs@gmail.com<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Let’s get to work! </div>Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-82958773245307772842021-03-08T06:56:00.001-08:002021-03-08T06:56:02.858-08:00Money and Time<p>The two things no one ever seems to have in the pursuit of their art is money and time, but guess what? You actually have both, and they may be right under your nose.</p><div><b>The Money Issue</b></div><div><b><span data-markholder="true"></span></b></div><div><div><i></i><blockquote><i>"Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver." - </i>Ayn Rand</blockquote></div></div><div>How many times have you asked, “How in the world can I quit my job in order to do my creative thing full-time?”</div><div><br /></div><div>Or how about this one, “If only I could find someone who believed in my music or the art I create who would pay for me to create?”</div><div><br /></div><div>We’re almost there. Then you get desperate and say, “I don’t even care if I make money at it or am ever famous, God, I just wish I could create without worrying where the money’s going to come from to pay my bills.”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUfV66DR9_GiCNbI7xYQqww5B8CwkLe2nAAcwXQxLx40IUhdcADdRtIE24g1M_lFWZDGLL9bVnFlMSDIie7mn372vSowhGkBQiN5KOiDqx3nk-da0MioH_3U7TK6NlILv9nbLToA/s1000/moneyandtime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUfV66DR9_GiCNbI7xYQqww5B8CwkLe2nAAcwXQxLx40IUhdcADdRtIE24g1M_lFWZDGLL9bVnFlMSDIie7mn372vSowhGkBQiN5KOiDqx3nk-da0MioH_3U7TK6NlILv9nbLToA/w400-h266/moneyandtime.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>So, let’s get this straight, you want to focus on creating, you want money to pursue your art, and you are willing to give up getting rich off your creative pursuits just to do them all the time?</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, here’s how to do this exact thing. Step by Step. Follow along won’t you...?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>You already have the income source.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Let’s assume you have a job, and you don’t absolutely hate it. You may even like it. Perhaps it is even another passion. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hey you wanted someone who believes in what you do, who else better than YOU? And, there will never be someone who you (hopefully) completely control and can subjugate like yourself. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now, of course this assumes you make enough to pay your bills and can put some toward your music. At any point it becomes how good are you at your finances, and can you sacrifice in some areas (usually entertainment and personal purchases) and put that money towards creating?</div><div><br /></div><div>But let’s assume you can. Boom! You can quit waiting for your creating to make it’s own income and just enjoy creating. If it makes something, great!</div><div><br /></div><div>This goes for retirement too. If you plan correctly, and work all your life, you should have social security and savings to spend all your time after age 62-67 creating if you want to.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Time Issue</b></div><div><b><span data-markholder="true"></span></b></div><div><div><span style="color: #101010;"><i></i></span><blockquote><span style="color: #101010;"><i>"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you." </i>- </span><span style="color: #101010;">Carl Sandburg</span></blockquote><span style="color: #101010;"></span></div></div><div>Once you’ve decided that you will be your own income source (or perhaps you and your spouse are of one accord on this, and good luck with that!), the next step is time management.</div><div><br /></div><div>To me this has become the most important thing about using my income to fund my personal creative projects.</div><div><br /></div><div>It’s easy to spend the few hours you have not doing your job doing other things like eating, sleeping, hanging with family or friends, video games, TV watching, etc.</div><div><br /></div><div>But the real secret to creative success and income, which is nothing new in my advice to creatives for over 15 years, is to carve out time for your music, art, or whatever creative thing you do.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, you absolutely have to schedule your creative life. There is no other answer. You have to literally divide up and choose the hours you will spend focusing on the things that are important to you. Priorities should be in this order: God, Family, Work (and Work can mean work for income and creative work.) </div><div><br /></div><div>How do you balance all these? This is the real challenge. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you are married, there must be agreement that your creating is important. If there is not, then you have problems this post can’t solve.</div><div><br /></div><div>You also have to put in the hours at your job, because that is your main income source to live AND do your creating.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Literally make a schedule.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>I’m a big believer in notes, lists, journals, and writing down goals and timelines. If you don’t write it down, and work to follow the schedule, you may not get it done.</div><div><br /></div><div>Making to-do lists is my secret weapon to doing all the creative things I do for clients and my own projects. And working that to-do list every day is crucial to making this all work. Check out the app Evernote, use a journal, or find some other app or program to help.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Find a partner.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>This may be your spouse. It may be a parent or best friend. It may be a pastoral friend or mentor. It may be a person you hire like a coach or contractor who works to help creatives (maybe someone who, I don’t know...keeps a lot of lists and writes blogs?)</div><div><br /></div><div>You may only need this person occasionally to keep you on track, or you may need to consult with them weekly. </div><div><br /></div><div>The key is, now that you have a dedicated income source, the time and schedule set, it’s time to get serious on the creative life you’ve always dreamed of. </div><div><br /></div><div>It’s time to stop wishing, and hedging, and complaining, and get to work doing the creative thing God gave you to do on this earth.</div><div><br /></div><div>Have a great week!</div><div><br /></div><div>EC</div><div>—</div><div>Eric Copeland is a composer, arranger, producer, and maker of many creative things. But he does so because he has another jobs - including helping creatives make and market things. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you are a music artist needing help developing your music and brand, including Nashville recording, and marketing to the world, check out <a href="http://www.creativesoulonline,com/" rev="en_rl_none">http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div>If you are a songwriter or composer, we have a special program through our publishing company <a href="http://FromtheMomentMusic.com" rev="en_rl_none">FromtheMomentMusic.com</a> to help you find success and develop your path as a working songwriter or composer.</div>Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-11448430877050031822021-02-01T08:45:00.000-08:002021-02-01T08:45:03.710-08:00Anything is Possible!<p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">This week one of our bands debuted a new songs called "Anything is Possible" and it got me thinking, this is something that all creatives need to believe more in.</p><p>While All Together United's song comes from more of a Biblical inspirational source (Matt 19:26), in this post I want to talk about the fact that we focus so much on what we <i>can't </i>do, that we never take the leap to what we could do!</p><blockquote><i>"It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow."</i> - Robert H. Goddard</blockquote><p></p><p><b>Don't Be Afraid to Dream</b></p><p>This is actually the first step. You have to be able to dream...to think outside of what you have always thought was possible. Once you dream of what could happen with your music, your art, or your life, you can investigate the reality of that dream.</p><p>What are the action steps from where you are right now? </p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."</i> - Francis of Assisi</blockquote><p></p><p><b>Do What You Need To</b></p><p>Sometimes you have to just do what you have to do. This may be work, school, or relationships. This is stuff you have to do to pay the bills, achieve your next steps, have a good relationshops, or be a good parent. This is "have to".</p><p>But what else is at least possible right now? Can you surf the web for info on what you feel would be impossible for you to do? Maybe just while vegging on the couch watching TV you find some info that could be possible. When you find what you thought was impossible could actually be doable, things get interesting!</p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>"In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd."</i> - Miguel de Cervantes</blockquote><p><b>It May Sound Crazy But...</b></p><p>This is basically how I start many conversations...LOL. Seriously, some of the best ideas are the craziest, most absurd things you could think of. But no one became what they dreamed of without what some would call a foolish pursuit. Even the most talented singer is advised not to go into music as a career. It's just not a smart buisness move, they say. </p><p>My Dad believed in my music more than anyone, and he still convinced me to start college as a business major. Dumb. Sorry Dave, but that was a dumb idea. It's obvious now, but getting a music degree early would have been more helpful than the years of classes I took running away from organized music school and "a music life that wouldn't pay well."</p><p>Was I crazy to think I could be a songwriter for a living? I had been writing songs since I was 13, but the staid advice is always to do something more expected and safe. </p><p></p><blockquote><i>"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination."</i> - Tommy Lasorda</blockquote><p><b>You Are the Determining Factor</b></p><p>Whether you achieve the impossible or not is up to you and no one else. I can teach people how to be creative, how to record music, how to market it, etc. What I can't teach is desire and determination. You have to want it more than anyone else. If you don't, then you'll never achieve what seems to be impossible. </p><p>I have seen so many artists and songwriters through the years become really successful in their goals by sheer will and dogged determination. Talent is overrated, but hard work is not.</p><p><b>Is Anything Possible?</b></p><p>Well, you may not be able to start flapping your wings and fly...but if you had a jet pack...</p><p>This post is just to encourage you to start where you are, think of an impossible thing, and then re-work it to how it <i>could </i>be possible.</p><p><i>"Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things." "I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."</i></p><p>Have a great week!</p><p>EC<br />--</p><p>Eric Copeland is a composer, arranger, and president of Cre8iv Entertainment, Inc. He works with other composers, artists, and songwriters through his companies Creative Soul Records, Positive Spin Songs, and more.</p><p>Find out more at <a href="http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com">http://www.CreativeSoulOnline.com</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M5RhUnI-Hc4" width="320" youtube-src-id="M5RhUnI-Hc4"></iframe></div><p><br /></p>Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-72416685608959312392021-01-01T11:14:00.001-08:002021-01-01T11:14:03.688-08:00Creative Souls Still Thrive!So Creatives, we start this year in a precarious yet interesting place. Surely this coming year has to be better than last year, right? But that’s not the only reason to be optimistic about your creative work in 2021.
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</p>Guess what? Through all the craziness of last year. The Pandemic. The Election. Shutdowns. Lock downs. Closures.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsqz2GU-A5U8YDC90qKJWvFwoDB47cK1yTxnzuR-e2BtWnkkPAlxnya9aUM4ZZnOYoqOJqv8TNHNQcXSoIc_uLG1U2krf6pLRUzC7clDhzwIIEgHZvFLZHmkm7VbmKc4FjzY3EA/s1000/stillthrive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="965" data-original-width="1000" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsqz2GU-A5U8YDC90qKJWvFwoDB47cK1yTxnzuR-e2BtWnkkPAlxnya9aUM4ZZnOYoqOJqv8TNHNQcXSoIc_uLG1U2krf6pLRUzC7clDhzwIIEgHZvFLZHmkm7VbmKc4FjzY3EA/w400-h386/stillthrive.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div>Still creativity came.<p>
Like Christmas in Whoville after the Grinch took everything...creativity still happened.
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Through all the madness, we worked with brave creatives who made music and art, EPs, CDs, DVDs, singles, videos, and more. We had people who dealt with illness, death, job loss, no live performing, and uncertain income, and they were still able to do great things with their music, their ministry, and their art.
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Even if 2020 prevented you from doing what you wanted to do creatively, you can take heart that the new year, as always, provides a spark of hope. This may be known as the “post-pandemic” year. The rebound year that you can do what it is that is in your heart to do.
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You got through perhaps the hardest year the world has ever known, including wartime. Take courage and heart in that.
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Stay vigilant. Stay safe. But above all, stay creative and positive.
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Don’t be afraid to dream, to plan, and to create. The world needs your creations more than ever as we rebuild from this hard , crazy time.
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This coming year can be the year that you not just survive, but you thrive!
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Please let us know if we can help in any way.
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Have a great year!
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EC<br />
—<br />
Eric Copeland is a composer, arranger, and producer working with brave creatives just like you. If you are ready to thrive in 2021, get in touch below and bravely step forward into this new year.
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Creative Soul Records
Currently looking for new artists in all genres.
<a href="http://CreativeSoulOnline.com">CreativeSoulOnline.com
</a></p><p>
Positive Spin Songs
Looking for artists, songwriters, and partners in music for television, film, advertising and more.
<a href="http://PositiveSpinSongs.com">PositiveSpinSongs.com
</a></p><p>
Or just email Eric directly at <a href="mailto:ec@cre8iv.com">ec@cre8iv.com</a></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p></div>Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-66479099412821727892020-12-07T04:00:00.001-08:002020-12-18T07:17:40.849-08:00Get It Done!<p>So, you’ve waited all year. </p><p>This was going to be the year to get that song done, that project done. But then...COVID, or work, or whatever else happened.</p><p>But, there is still time to get moving on what you felt you needed to do creatively in 2020.</p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD0SEMg9B2TJtJrI9eaGYF4Wm88C35PLm2zGLeEG5b_8-STeK4ZsjVO4ohCD3dPl1FZCyk56NT8H3Nr_0Q6chfs96_Mr9RHFO0STmdIXADVSx3K6MZ6ys7AAQgqxIExYnkg2kxJw/s1629/Get+it+Done+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1629" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD0SEMg9B2TJtJrI9eaGYF4Wm88C35PLm2zGLeEG5b_8-STeK4ZsjVO4ohCD3dPl1FZCyk56NT8H3Nr_0Q6chfs96_Mr9RHFO0STmdIXADVSx3K6MZ6ys7AAQgqxIExYnkg2kxJw/w400-h305/Get+it+Done+cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></div><b>No Time Like the Present</b><p></p><p>Yes, during a pandemic! Yes, during the holidays. Get. It. Done.</p><p></p><i>“Procrastination is the thief of time.” - </i>Edward Young<p></p><p>You can keep waiting, and wake up and realize you never got that song done, or recorded that single, or even sent an email that could change the direction of your life.</p><p>The pandemic has given us all great excuses on why we don’t pursue our dreams. But college students, artists, writers, and virtually everyone else has found a way to keep doing what they need to do to move forward. (I’ll spare you the Walt Disney “keep moving forward” quote. But keep moving forward!!)</p><p><b>Reach Out</b></p><p>The first move is the easiest. It’s a dang email. It’s a call. It’s making a date at the studio.</p><p><i>Representatives are standing by!</i></p><p>Seriously, has there ever been a time to not only get work done yourself, but also give business to those who can help you?</p><p>Go through old emails, do internet searches for producers or publishers or whoever is who you need to help you. Then get in touch!</p><p><b>Put Forth the Effort</b></p><p>It’s turning on the computer, or keyboard, getting out the guitar, turning the page to an empty canvas, or stretching to practice your dance fundamentals, or making a video of what you do.</p><p>Make something happen by working on it.</p><p>Even one new song idea, one new drawing started, one new dance move, one new chapter on that book. Just ONE thing done can make a difference when you can look back at this wretched year and say, “I still moved forward. Despite a worldwide real-life sci-fi nightmare, I created. I made progress!”</p><p><b>Change Lanes</b></p><p>Been a music artist for a long time and not seeing the results? Maybe it’s time to focus on songs that can bring real return.</p><p>Conversely, maybe you’ve only written songs and would like to explore your artist side? It’s possible, at any age, to build that artist brand and let the world see it.</p><p>Ever thought you’d rather be part of the business side of music? Maybe it’s time to step over into the executive producer and publishing side of music. This is a way to be part of the creative process and find income and return.</p><p><b>Ending the Year Strong</b></p><p>As I write this, it’s the beginning of December. That means I have just under a month and a few days to get more done this year. More songs, more contacts, more projects finished up (or dreamed up!)</p><p>I plan to use that time. How about you?</p><p><i>"For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning."</i> - T.S. Eliot</p><p>Have a great rest of the year!</p><p>EC<br />—<br />Eric Copeland is a composer and lifelong creative who, even in a pandemic year, just finsihed a graduate recital for a master’s in composition, re-ignited a music company providing music for film and TV libraries, and works weekly for 20+ artists, songwriters, and other creatives helping them keep creating and moving forward during all this. All this was done in the pandemic-laden, terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year of 2020.</p><p>Consider contacting one of our companies below to keep moving this year and into 2021!</p><p><b>Positive Spin Songs.</b> A publisher of all styles of positive focused music for film, TV, ads, gaming, and more. Email us at <a href="mailto:PositiveSpinSongs@gmail.com">PositiveSpinSongs@gmail.com</a></p><p><b>Creative Soul Records.</b> A music company that helps artists of all genres find their path, produce amazing music in Nashville, and then help then market their brand to the world. Email us <a href="mailto:CreativeSoulRecords@gmail.com">CreativeSoulRecords@gmail.com</a> or go to <a href="http://CreativeSoulOnline.com">CreativeSoulOnline.com</a></p><p>Need help in another creative area? Email Eric at <a href="mailto:ec@cre8iv.com">ec@cre8iv.com</a></p>Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-25053739537481402042020-10-26T06:12:00.003-07:002020-10-27T18:53:53.798-07:00Do One Creative ThingHey Creatives,
<p style="text-align: left;">
Do you find yourself completely overloaded with creative ideas? </p><p style="text-align: left;">Does it feel like there are so many artistic things you COULD do that you end up doing nothing, completely paralyzed by the weight of all those possibilities?</p><p>Maybe like me you work for a church, or school, or company, or for yourself, and a thousand cool, awesome ideas are flowing through your mind. Or it’s the weekend, and there are many creative things you COULD do today. If you’re not careful, you’ll feel overwhelmed and end up doing NONE of them!
</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P1rGVyrVD7s" width="560"></iframe> </p><p>So, I want to talk about four simple ways to figure out that ONE CREATIVE THING you could and should be doing right now.
</p>
<p><b>
1. What is the current thing that HAS to be done RIGHT now?
</b></p><p>
You know, that one thing you are really tying to finish. That thing that MUST be done and out your mental way.
</p><p>
This could be a deadline. Something due the very next day, or TODAY!! You HAVE to get to this creative thing before you can even think about anything else.
</p><p>
The other day I was deluged by all the creative ideas I had. I literally had 5-10 brands that I wanted to work on and know needed work. I had video ideas, blog ideas, picture ideas, music ideas, and more. I was in turmoil, not knowing which thing to focus on.
</p><p>
Then, my mind cleared as I remembered that really, and truly, I only had to get one thing done that day (I needed to finish for an online church broadcast for release the next morning.) Everything else could wait. All I really had to do was focus my creative engines on one (or five) tasks to get that done. But what was ALL I had to focus on.
</p><p>
Once you know that current thing, then block out all the other creative ideas and FOCUS on that one thing today. When it’s done you can think about other things. But today, THAT PROJECT is your focus. Put all your creative brain mojo on that and make it great.
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2. What will bring the most value the quickest?
</b></p><p>
This is a great one for the to do list makers out there, like me. My to do lists have to do lists. (Props to Evernote. If you don’t use it, your probably should!)
</p><p>
But sometimes, the rent needs to be paid, or the car payment, or whatever. What will bring the paycheck, or keep the paychecks coming? Focusing on the creative task at hand is helpful for you and the client or project it goes with. That job may be your lifeline to pay bills or pay for more creative projects.
</p><p>
If you can’t figure out what to do, and especially if you are needing to get paid, go to your to do list and find the one what will bring MONEY! Or find the one that will keep your boss or client (who pays you money) the happiest.
</p><p>
Sometimes focusing on the value of getting a creative job done is the real answer on what creative project to tackle next!
</p><p><b>
3. What will bring you the most pleasure to do?
</b></p><p>
If there is no deadline, or monetary need, then maybe the best creative project to choose is the one you know will be the most FUN. Remember that? Remember fun? It’s what we used to do with our creativity before we became such driven artistic “professionals.” Before it paid the bills and became our master!
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Create. For fun. For YOUR enjoyment.
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If you’re looking for what artistic thing to do, do THAT. Wouldn’t it be so fulfilling to get more down the road or actually finish that creative project? Wouldn’t it be great to be able to bring that artistic treasure that you’ve been mining for so long to the world?
</p><p><b>
4. What do you FEEL like doing the most?
</b></p><p>
This is a question I ask myself a lot as I think about what I want to get done creatively. Sometimes I just go with the one that I want to do MOST. I look over all my creative projects that are somewhere along the line of being done and pick the one that strikes me as the one I WANT to do at that moment. It usually works, and is probably the one I should do as a creative.
</p><p>
I think we can lessen our creativity when we just make creative work like any other work. So we need to FEEL it as much as possible.
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What one creative thing will you do today?
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I hope these are some things to try and see if they help your mind to focus next time your mind is besieged by all the creative things you COULD be doing.
</p><p>
Have a great week!
</p><p>
EC</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-41861461955122894112020-09-21T09:30:00.001-07:002020-09-21T09:30:12.331-07:00Facebook For Creatives (The Good News and the Bad News)<p> So...Facebook...</p><p>Am I right?</p><p>It’s the 800-pound gorilla in the Social Media room. It’s the main way we communicate with our families, because truly, they don’t use YouTube, they don’t Instagram, and they don’t Tweet (I'm not sure who still does). </p><p>They “like” things. <i>Oh they’re getting married.</i> “Like!” 👍</p><p><i>Oh they’re having a girl. </i>“LOVE!” 💓</p><p><i>Oh look at that crazy picture of Dave.</i> “HAHA”. 😀</p><p>And<i> that’s</i> what we are working with while trying to build our professional, important, creative brand on Facebook.</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2YVzWTI0Diw" width="560"></iframe><p>Now, it’s not the the fault of our family or friends that they are on Facebook looking to “like, love, and haha" things. It’s the way they stay connected.</p><p>But WE are trying to MARKET ourselves! </p><p>WE are serious here! WATCH OUR VIDEOS! ATTEND OUR ONLINE LIVE EVENTS! </p><p>THIS IS OUR CALLING!!!!</p><p>And it’s not that they don’t care. They will may give you a LIKE. Maybe even a LOVE! Maybe a nice comment. Possibly share it, “<i>bless your heart</i>”.</p><p>See, <i>these aren’t the adoring fans of your art you were looking for</i> (waves hand like Jedi)... these are friends and family. But guess what, like it or not, when you are just starting out they ARE your fans.</p><p>So let’s talk about marketing your creative brand on Facebook. It’s kind of a good news/bad news situation. And it really reads kind of like a fairytale.</p><p><b>Good News - Facebook Pages</b></p><p>About tenish years ago, Facebook decided to give businesses a Page that was separate from their personal FB page which let them invite people to become “fans”, and later to “like” your business or whatever you made the page about. </p><p>It was beautiful. You kept your personal stuff on your personal account, and you put your links to you songs, your art, your videos, your events, and your store pages on your FB Business Page.</p><p>It was the perfect social media dream...</p><p><b>Bad News - Back to Family & Friends</b></p><p>Then FB pulled "the old bait and switch”. Suddenly, a few years ago, and almost literally overnight, they changed the rules. They wanted to be all about friends and family again. They wanted Facebook to be the friendly place, safe for families and friends again to see your cookouts, your wedding pictures, and your crazy hilarious dances.</p><p>The selfish reach of your business page was severely dealt with, by not dealing with it at all. Ha, we just won’t show it to people. Unless of course, you want to advertise....</p><p><b>Good News - You Can Reach the World with Ads</b></p><p>Here! Just “boost” that post and like magic they will come to the business world you have built! Add strangers to your business reach, and keep reaching any audience you want...with more ads of course!</p><p><b>Bad News - You <i>Have </i>to Reach the World with Ads</b></p><p>Put a post up, especially one with a (<i>gasp</i>) link to your YouTube video, and...crickets. But we have a solution, just run an ad and we will happily push your people and even strangers to any site you want. Even our dreaded adversary Google/Youtube! (Boo! Hiss!)</p><p><i>“But I can’t pay the rent!”</i> </p><p><i>“But you must pay the rent!”</i></p><p>And so it goes...but like a knight in shining armor, Facebook provided the answer.</p><p><b>Good News - Keep people here (especially with video) and we push your stuff!</b></p><p>Video is the new darling of all social media. Instagram (IGTV and now Reels), Tik-Tok, and especially Facebook. They love video! They want to be the “new YouTube”. Upload all the video you want and we will show it to everyone. </p><p><b>Bad News - We’ll show it to people for THREE seconds. With the sound off.</b></p><p>And better yet, we’ll make a HUGE deal about how many 3-second “views” you get. You’ll get hundreds of three second views. Now pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. Yes the 3 seconds are the time it takes them to scroll past and maybe PAUSE to see a video start <i>with no sound</i> before they keep scrolling. But HEY you wanted to be seen! There ya go!</p><p>And so it goes with Facebook for creatives and brands.</p><p>Yes, they will show the videos you slave over to hundreds, maybe thousands (with ads). The caveat of course, is that 90% of those views are 3 second pauses as they scroll. Never mind that the average Facebook view time of a 3-4 minute video is :10 seconds. TEN SECONDS.</p><p>Oh, and please broadcast live with your video...that really brings people in and keeps them there to see what you're going to do. Once a week please. Please stay here. Please.</p><p>Your Aunt Margaret will really LIKE this one!</p><p><b>The Good News and Bad News Bottom Line.</b></p><p>Good News: You can get traction. You CAN get eyes on your work. </p><p>Bad News: But it has gotten harder since they changed the algorithm. </p><p>Good News: You can add to your following by running ads and let everyone who likes your page and even strangers see your content.</p><p>Bad News: You’ll <i>have </i>to buy ads and boosts to get most business page posts seen and pushed to strangers.</p><p>Good News: Video works! Upload as much as you like! We will show it to everyone!!!!</p><p>Bad News: Most views will be 3 seconds long as people pass by the video on the timeline. And do not even ask what the average watch time is...it will just hurt your feelings.</p><p>So should you use Facebook to promote your creative brand? Probably. You really can't afford not to. And most everyone does, except of course those creatives with thriving YouTube channels and videos.</p><p>Those folks just use Facebook for their wedding pics, cute baby shots, or hilarious pictures of Dave.</p><p>Have a great week!</p><p>EC<br />--<br />Eric Copeland is a composer, arranger, producer, and is now doing a video version of this blog you can now see on video at <b><a href="http://Cre8iv.TV">Cre8iv.TV</a> (a plave for creative video.)</b></p><p>Come on over, watch, subscribe, learn. Did we say video?</p>Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-21012841811402817102020-08-24T11:13:00.002-07:002020-09-08T09:04:21.613-07:00Why Creatives MUST Focus on YouTubeFor years we have been playing the game as we try and show the world our creative work online. Our whole GOAL is to get people to ABSORB the art we put up, whether it’s a music video, artistic short film, or any video about your creative thing.<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t8Xx2I0zuK0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe><p>
We have played the Facebook video game, and rolled with all the changes, playing by their rules that they change every week.
<p>
We have tried to build a Twitter audience, an Instagram following, and even tried LinkedIN. We’ve tried to figure out if we should go live with videos on Facebook or elsewhere, and we’ve tried to blog and even podcast.
</p><p>
All to get people to listen to our music, watch our videos, or see our genius ideas.
</p><p>
And, oh yeah...we toss our videos up to YouTube too...
</p><p>
Well folks, the time has come to FLIP all that on its head. I think for creatives to be seen and heard, we HAVE to focus on YouTube FIRST!</p><p>Yes, we will still use Facebook and it’s infuriating algorithm that mainly shows your posts to the minimum of people, especially if you are driving them to your site, or Youtube, or some site like Spotify, unless you boost or run ads. There are ways around this, which we will get to in another post about Facebook.</p><p>
If you are an Instgrammer then you’ll still use that, and same with Twitter or LInkedIN. But the difference is the focus needs to be pointing them to YOUTUBE first. (It still involves ads so don’t get too excited, but welcome to marketing.)
</p><p>
Now, focusing on YouTube really has nothing to do with money, because unless you get a million views or plays of anything and you are consistent like every week!, there’s not much money. But it IS about getting the music or art or talent you have in front of the eyes and ears of people, and YouTube is where we need to focus. And here’s why:
</p><p>
Sure, you post a video natively to Facebook and ooh, look at all those views...and ooh look at how many we get if we boost it, ooh. We have been doing this to clients’ and our own pleasure for years.
</p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>
NEWS ALERT!</b><br />You’ve been duped. Those 2000 Facebook “views” are not 2000 people watching. There may be a handful watching all the way through, maybe 100 watching <i>one </i>minute of your four minute beautiful video, but the other 1,900 are PAUSING as they scroll down their timeline. PAUSING! Not VIEWING. And there’s no sound even if they do pause unless they push the sound button!</div><p>
Drill down in the numbers and stats of your Facebook videos (better yet don’t, it will only depress you), and you will see the drop off in viewership after 3 sec, 10 sec, and the dreaded one minute drop. You’ll also see the average view time which will break your heart. Probably :09 seconds is the average viewing time of your 3:50 minute video.
</p><p>
Folks, people just don’t have time to watch a 3-4 minute music video when there are political views to fight over, stupid memes to share with your friends, and things to either scare you, make you laugh, or BORE you entirely.
</p><p>
That’s why for all our Cre8iv brands we are now focusing first and foremost on steering people to YouTube for the videos we want people to watch. YouTube has much better audience retention than Facebook or Instagram video. But YouTube is where you can build a base of subscribers who are going to watch and hear more video than just 10 seconds.
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Each person you get there is a possible subscriber, like someone subscribes to Netflix. They go there to see the new episodes of the shows they like.
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BE the show they like.
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Facebook is a place where you can send people to YouTube, even though it doesn’t want you to, more on that next time.</p><p>
LinkedIN and Twitter are both places you can put YouTube links. The people that follow you there can click on the YouTube video.
</p><p>
Instagram? That’s a different deal. You really only get one link in your bio, and you can either make that go to your YouTube Channel or embed your YouTube videos in your web site and send them to your main web site.
</p><p>And of course you can embed YouTube links directly in the code of your web site, which IF you do with their embed code, this also counts towards views. And in general, there’s no better place to have people than at your web site.</p><p>
So that’s it, that’s our rant for this week.
</p><p>
Steer...<i>everything</i>...to YouTube. Every other social media, <i>especially </i>Facebook is temporary. It’s a newsfeed. It’s a superhighway of information.
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YouTube is where people focus on one thing: videos.
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I’ve heard it described like this:
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Facebook (or Insta or Twitter or LinkedIN) is like driving on the highway and seeing an electronic billboard for a few seconds which you may or may not pay attention to for a few seconds.
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YouTube is like a Hulu or Netflix that you go to on purpose to watch something. You are more likely to sit and absorb the video on YouTube because there’s not messages and notifications popping up to disturb you. You went there <i>on purpose</i> to watch a video.
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Next time we will talk about Facebook, and while it may be a great tool for getting creative video to your friends and family, we'll talk more about how to use it better for getting people to your YouTube Channel, which is really where you want them.
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Have a great week!
</p><p>
EC
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--<br />John Eric Copeland is a composer, and also...a video creative, as luck would have it, so he can get all his (and his clients) creations on YouTube!! </p><p>For a general idea of all what's going on with Eirc's music and his clients, go to <a href="http://www.Cre8iv.TV">http://www.Cre8iv.TV</a></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p></div>Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-60649664643887721822020-07-06T06:48:00.002-07:002020-07-06T06:48:59.248-07:00The Joy of Creating<div style="-en-clipboard: true;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTD9EgKSGD40a1K1PnlTpkvtML3Fc0ncqxLnuyAf-MNbmiVge0UFVbRPAVMRixU_UvYhDvI63hRG-jhJORSzbEKsfv2hBQ19bGbXcTyWYeCLrDzR2HwexXKcuhE8JuceZXXXmltA/s1000/the+joy+of+creating+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTD9EgKSGD40a1K1PnlTpkvtML3Fc0ncqxLnuyAf-MNbmiVge0UFVbRPAVMRixU_UvYhDvI63hRG-jhJORSzbEKsfv2hBQ19bGbXcTyWYeCLrDzR2HwexXKcuhE8JuceZXXXmltA/w400-h240/the+joy+of+creating+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>There’s often not a lot to be joyful about in this world these days. Your Facebook feed is jammed with differing viewpoints. The “stats” and opinions on what is happening around you are at times frightening and idiotic.</div><div><br /></div><div>But we creatives have a refuge from this madness. And we are at our best when creating or sharing creative projects.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>It’s Our Joy</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes creating can be a labor of love, or there can be complications from making or sharing your art. But we have to remember the pure joy it brings us and others.</div><div><br /></div><div>We could all use a little more joy right about now.</div><div><br /></div><div>The feeling when you get to a dramatic or meaningful part of the music...</div><div><br /></div><div>The release when the song is done and it has made it’s impact...</div><div><br /></div><div>The great pleasure of hearing someone was soothed, healed, changed, or just given a brief break from a sometimes harsh reality that won’t go away as quickly as we would like.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Joy for Yourself</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Making it can be tedious, but it’s also that thing that keeps you in your happy place. Yes, some people don’t understand how much work goes on to create something. </div><div><br /></div><div>But still, it’s exciting to think about...wonderful to dig into and the hours fly by...and an incredible release when it is done and ready to share with the world.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Joy for Others</b></div><div><br /></div><div>One thing we have learned through these crazy times: we need diversion. We need something to take our minds off the crazy for just a a little while and bring peace.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our music, our art, our videos, they bring content that people can use right now! Joy in a sometimes joyless world.</div><div><br /></div><div>Whether you are the creator, or in any way can support creators, you bring joy to yourself, the creator, (the Great Creator), and the world.</div><div><br /></div><div>Be part of bringing that joy to the world. </div><div><br /></div><div>Have a great week!</div><div><br /></div><div>EC</div><div>—</div><div>John Eric Copeland is a composer, producer, and lifer creative. His companies work unceasingly on creating joy for others through musical and visual art.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you would like to create something and need help, check out our main site at <a href="http://cre8iv.com/">cre8iv.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div>If you would like to work on a piece of music with John Eric Copeland, check out “The Masterscore Initiative” at <a href="https://www.masterscoremusic.com/" target="_blank">MasterscoreMusic.com</a>, our new site for commissioning new music in any genre including gospel, classical, jazz, pop, and holiday.</div><br />Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-16112821584963367262020-04-13T07:17:00.003-07:002020-04-13T09:10:22.367-07:00Distracting the Creative Soul<br />
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In a time such as this, finding a distraction in the vacuum the world has left us in can be difficult.</div>
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<a href="https://www.forthecreativesoul.com/2020/03/while-youre-waiting.html" target="_blank"><b>In my last post</b></a> I talked about this empty time being a great chance to throw yourself into creativity. But what happens when you do that...and have done that? For weeks!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPij2g395q7XVmoLU4_nXsH5g-1LhNdUfP01pQKMQZxEwl3Hrrobj7gQ08s0CTkq3s_xP4dL35LNBnRC-xnjj5YKP7jY-SLe81vdJaQV8CdTPPuhGudzY1flQNzueq6UnZgLv6aA/s1600/distract2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="1000" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPij2g395q7XVmoLU4_nXsH5g-1LhNdUfP01pQKMQZxEwl3Hrrobj7gQ08s0CTkq3s_xP4dL35LNBnRC-xnjj5YKP7jY-SLe81vdJaQV8CdTPPuhGudzY1flQNzueq6UnZgLv6aA/s400/distract2+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a>There is no other external stimuli besides what you have to do at home. You’ve written every song you can, and shown everyone on Facebook. I mean how many “live concerts” can you do?</div>
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You’ve been painting, writing, sewing, and everything you usually say you don’t have time to do. But now you’re just a little...okay, a LOT bored.</div>
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So what’s a bored creative soul to do?</div>
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<b>Redouble Your Efforts</b></div>
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OK, so you’ve finished that creative project you wanted to do. Now maybe it’s time to double down and really get the umpteen other projects you know your want to do started. </div>
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Maybe map out arrangements for that next album, even though you just finished this current one. Now is the time to make those rewrites on those novels you were really not completely happy with, and get them back out to digital stores. </div>
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Take a day (any day...they are all pretty much the same right now!) and sketch out the beginnings of new songs, stories, drawings, dances, or whatever. Focus completely on this like it’s a special task that must be finished that day.</div>
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If ever there was a time you could push yourself it could and maybe should be now.</div>
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<b>Redesign Your Creative Space</b></div>
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Tired of that dark room you work in? Find a sunnier spot for your creating environment. Make the space that you create in a joy to work in. Clean up, pare down, get rid of stuff you don’t need, and put everything you don’t use in the garage. Or better yet sell it on eBay. </div>
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It’s a great time to sell stuff on eBay, and the Post Office will come pick up your packages so you don’t even have to get your mask and go out during the apocalypse!</div>
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<b>Reinvent Yourself</b></div>
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Sometimes you can choose to go in a completely new direction. </div>
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If you weren't being creative before, then sure, this is a great time to get busy creating. But if you have revved up the music, or the painting, or the writing, and are still finding yourself a bit bored, perhaps it’s time to try something new.</div>
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Instead of writing another song, what about writing that novel that could go along with your music that you thought of long ago? Completely switch gears at least for some minutes of the day.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">What about taking items you have found, and making something new out of them. Get crafty in a completely different way than you have before.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"><b>Reimagining...</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">As a long-time songwriter, I am finishing some personal projects, and starting new ones right now. But I have also found a completely new thing that has both taken some of my time and been a great distraction.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">Some time ago I found myself watching a few too many shows about finding and fixing up finds at flea markets. So I went looking and found an old upright piano someone was giving away locally. I got a truck and went and got it. I thought it would be great if I could turn it into a keyboard shell, desk, or workstation.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">Well, this first project is now done. The “53 Cable” is a fully reimagined piece from the guts of an old piano. A beautiful piece of furniture that is about 1/4 the weight of the old useless, out of tune, broken keyed piano. And hopefully, some creative use will come out of it for another 70 years.</span></div>
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Now is this a new career? No. But was it a fun distraction and perhaps a new creative direction to add to all my other creative directions? Maybe.</div>
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I hope this gives you some solace and ideas as you move forward during your time of solitude, or whatever forced inactivity you are in right now.</div>
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Have a great week.</div>
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EC</div>
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John Eric Copeland is a composer with a new album coming out soon, and starting a new album this week but also...novels, stories, and apparently...pianos.</div>
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Follow all these creative endeavors at <a href="http://cre8iv.com/" target="_blank">Cre8iv.com</a></div>
<br />Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-40675693682490266182020-03-17T07:42:00.000-07:002020-03-17T08:30:51.928-07:00While You're Waiting...We are terrible at standing still. Especially those of us who are creative and always on the go.<br />
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Yes, the world around you may be forcing you to come to a dead stop, keeping you at home, bored out of your mind.<br />
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But think of this time...like a Christmas break. The world naturally comes to a stand still then. You are off or home from work.<br />
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Yes, you may find yourself shut down, off work, and otherwise twiddling your thumbs while the world gets back to normal. No school, work, sporting events, amusement parks, or social gatherings to keep you busy running from here to there?<br />
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So while you are waiting for the world to get back to normal, and instead of reading every scary news item by scared people meant to shock you into reading their article of fear, might I suggest...<br />
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<b>Use this Break!</b><br />
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Instead of cowering in fear and running from store to store to make sure you have enough like a snowstorm or hurricane is coming...what about this?<br />
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Maybe it’s time to get back to that creative project you’ve been putting off because you haven’t had a moment to spare. Perchance life has finally slowed down and allowed (forced?) you to get busy on that new song, album, painting, novel, or whatever creative project you do, or have wanted to do.<br />
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<b>Time is Precious</b><br />
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This is usually our cry and excuse as to why we don’t finish projects. <i>“There’s no time!!”</i><br />
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<i>“Gotta take the kids to basketball, soccer, baseball, whatever practice...”</i><br />
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<i>“We have Disney tickets!”</i><br />
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<i>“The Final Four, man!!”</i><br />
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Well, at least for the next few weeks many of those things that suck up your time are not available to you.<br />
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Your school, your job, and your various other usual obligations are all cancelled or suspended.<br />
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Use this time wisely. You are being forced to slow down, to re-evaluate how you spend your day. And if you get off the news and social media sites that only want to endlessly tell you how bad things are, you’ll have even more time!<br />
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<b>Beat Distraction</b><br />
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We have an enormous opportunity to conquer the distractions that usually keep us from starting, continuing, or completing creative things. If you are a creative, this should be like a breath of fresh air for you.<br />
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Instead of worrying, or replying to other people worrying, or playing either side of why it’s worse or better than what “they” are saying...use this time to get away from all the distractions that usually plague us, and really get back into your creations.<br />
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Use your artistic skills. Stretch out. Make this a peaceful time of therapeutic, creative work.<br />
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Stay away from Facebook, the bad news, and other stories reveling in yet another unbelievable stat or sensational story about what is happening.<br />
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Silently thank God for the quiet that has been forced upon you, and get something done.<br />
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Have a great break!<br />
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EC<br />
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John Eric Copeland is a composer, producer, and author who is trying his best to NOT look at news, Facebook, and anything else that may pull us down into the muck of this dreary time. Instead he's focusing on his creative to-do list and trying to check off items.<br />
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If you'd like to get to work on your creative to do list, contact us at <a href="http://cre8iv.com/" target="_blank">cre8iv.com</a><br />
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If you are a Christian music artist, we are here to help. Find out more at <a href="http://creativesoulonline.com/" target="_blank">CreativeSoulOnline.com</a><br />
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We are also now looking for a gospel and jazz instrumental artist to write and produce for our label <a href="http://creativesouljazz.com/" target="_blank">CreativeSoulJazz.com</a>. We'll be developing this artist for both gospel and jazz genres including radio, publicity, and booking.Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-43733240530860881142020-01-28T08:00:00.001-08:002020-01-28T08:00:10.040-08:00Your First, Best Destiny<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“If I may be so bold, it was a mistake for you to accept promotion. Commanding a starship is your first, best destiny; anything else is a waste of material.”</i> - Spock to Admiral James T. Kirk (Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan)</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUz6sWv1yk37uTSP3mhI_gyOlvSYCIYTx3U6yMXreqI2xqb0o4YWF_AqpoKAqX6eRv5f1DBEGi_VTvCumZCP97f6VIktJm6DLT7lhuhZzVRNi3FwqfApqohiWRB_JBq6dFsaKFQ/s1600/firstbest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUz6sWv1yk37uTSP3mhI_gyOlvSYCIYTx3U6yMXreqI2xqb0o4YWF_AqpoKAqX6eRv5f1DBEGi_VTvCumZCP97f6VIktJm6DLT7lhuhZzVRNi3FwqfApqohiWRB_JBq6dFsaKFQ/s400/firstbest.jpg" width="400" /></a>Yes I just started a blog about creative life with a Star Trek quote. But it’s so applicable, I couldn’t resist.<br />
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All the time, both as a creative and as a leader of creatives, I have been or see what I feel are very talented people not accomplishing all that they could.<br />
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I was once one of these very people, and still can be if I’m not careful.<br />
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So how do you move towards and even reach your first, best destiny?<br />
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<b>The (Not Quite) Undiscovered Country</b><br />
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The funny thing about destiny is that we kind of already know, especially once we reach a certain age, what that thing we are supposed. Everyone says it, our friends wonder why we’re not doing it, and we even know what we should be focusing our time on and doing with our talents.<br />
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You may be doing part of it now. Maybe you use your creative talents some, but know there is more you could be doing.<br />
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<b>The Final Frontier</b><br />
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Many things come along that prevent us from doing that thing we know we are supposed to do. Maybe it’s a spouse, or parent, or illness, or a job (even a creative one). It could be all these things that limit your ability to move forward.<br />
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The hard part is finding a way through these limitations for what you know you should be doing.<br />
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Now this is tricky, because it can “feel” like ending a relationship, leaving a job, or some other big life change is what you need to do. Often, it’s just figuring out how to talk to your spouse, or boss, or pastor, and find a way forward towards the next step of your creative journey.<br />
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<b>The Time Trap</b><br />
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Your time on this earth to do what you were put here to do is not unlimited. One word that keeps coming back to me these days is “legacy“. How do we leave our mark of creativity, leadership, and change that God put us here to make? How, in the finite amount of time you have left on this earth, do you achieve the creative destiny you were meant for when you were created?<br />
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Your legacy isn’t about you, it’s about the people your creativity reached, taught, led, and the influence you had in leading people.<br />
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<b>Tomorrow is Yesterday</b><br />
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Each new sunrise provides a new possible day to do what you were put here to do. You can continue to go to work in a job that makes money and helps put bread on the table. But you also need to be making strides towards that creative destiny that could also put bread on the table, or at least be a bigger part of your life as you do work.<br />
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Don't let your next day be like your last where nothing got done towards your dream. Make today and tomorrow count on your trek to your creative goals. (He is really going for it with the Star Trek references...)<br />
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<b>The Wrath of Not</b><br />
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OK maybe wrath is a little strong but it matches the theme. The only cure for regret when you look back on your life, is to have known you did all you could with all the tools God gave you. <br />
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Whatever you feel your destiny was, is, or should be, try your best today to achieve it, or at least make a step towards it. Make that call, email that person, take that class, or find the opportunity to get your creative work or leadership out there. <br />
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Be who you were made to be. Anything else is a waste of material.<br />
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Live long and prosper (creatively),<br />
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EC<br />
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Yes, Eric Copeland is a Star Trek fan. A Trekkie, a Trekker, and he has the collectibles to prove it (which are now on sale here by the way). if you have questions about your next move creatively, get in touch now and let tomorrow be today, and not yesterday...or something.</div>
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For general creativity, go to <a href="http://cre8iv.com/" target="_blank"><b>cre8iv.com</b></a></div>
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If you are a Christian artist or songwriter and want to get going on your music and ministry, go to <a href="http://creativesoulonline.com/" target="_blank"><b>CreativeSoulOnline.com</b></a></div>
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We look forward to hearing from you!</div>
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Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-5256221005497851642020-01-06T06:12:00.000-08:002020-01-07T10:00:32.006-08:00How Real Change Begins<i>“A new day begins when I wake up, not at midnight. Midnight means nothing to me. It’s not a turning point. Nothing changes at that moment. A new year begins when there’s a memorable change in my life. Not January 1st. Nothing changes on January 1st.” </i>- Derek Sivers<br />
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As we look out on a new year (and a new decade!) it is usually a time to think about change. What are your goals for this year? What things have you wanted to do in your life and 2020 is the time you want to go after them?<br />
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I read a good blog post recently from Derek Sivers (and you should be reading his blog and listening to his short podcasts.) And in it he says that change doesn’t begin on January 1, it begins when we start something new. Change begins when we pursue a new project, learn a new craft, move towards an experience that will grow us.<br />
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<i>“Your year really begins when you move to a new home, start school, quit a job, have a big breakup, have a baby, quit a bad habit, start a new project, or whatever else. Those are the real memorable turning points — where one day is very different than the day before. Those are the meaningful markers of time. Those are your real new years.” </i>- Derek Sivers<br />
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<b>Change Your Life with a New Project</b><br />
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Sometimes the best way to live your dream is to dive right into it. Find someone who can lead you through a new creative project, whether it’s building something, creating a new piece of art, or recording and marketing a new single or group of songs. Just going through the process can bring about great change and learning in your craft. It can lead to an entirely new life and body of work.<br />
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Often, we wait for years to finally step out and into the life we always wanted. In order to really make a change this year, start a new project.<br />
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<i>“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”</i> - Pablo Picasso<br />
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<b>Change Begins with Learning</b><br />
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Maybe you are more interested in learning an artistic or creative skill. Perhaps you want to learn to play piano or keyboards for your local church, or write music, or learn more about sound or theory. You are never too old to learn new things. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to pursue a degree in music or art, but it could. The more likely way is to find a teacher who can help you learn what YOU need to learn.<br />
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An important point here is to learn what will be useful in your daily creative life, and what will grow you. In order to make a change this year, consider lessons and learning from someone better than you.<br />
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<i>“Experience is the teacher of all things.”</i> - Julius Caesar<br />
<br />
<b>Change with New Experiences</b><br />
<br />
Both of the things above can lead to new experiences that you never had before, were never offered before, or just maybe never thought could happen to you. What if you were invited to Nashville to work on your music? What if you had a seasoned producer or composer or arranger or player who wanted to help bring out the music in you? What if you had a teacher or mentor that would work with you weekly, wherever you are, to help you move into uncharted territory creatively? Something that doesn’t exist around your local area?<br />
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These are the things that really start a new change in your life. Not some “resolution” that you’ll never keep. But truly getting started on something new.<br />
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Have a great year, and I hope it’s full of creative change and betterment!<br />
<br />
EC<br />
—<br />
John Eric Copeland is a composer, author, arranger, and lots of other things. This year he is looking for creative projects and commissions in music (from jazz to classical to gospel), and offering individual weekly music and creative lessons for all ages.<br />
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Find out more about music projects here: <a href="http://creativesoulonline.com/" target="_blank">CreativeSoulOnline.com</a><br />
<br />
Find out more about music lessons here: <a href="http://ericcopelandmusic.com/" target="_blank">EricCopelandMusic.com</a><br />
<br />Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-29560641749207307242019-12-02T09:54:00.003-08:002019-12-02T09:54:35.836-08:00Embrace the Unique YOU!<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"The more you are like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique."</i>- Walt Disney</blockquote>
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I listened to a great podcast recently that I will reference in the comments below. But the mantra was “Don’t be better, be different...because different is better than better.”<br />
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I thought this was genius.<br />
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One of the most common mistakes people make is tying to be like an artist that already exists, then wondering why the world doesn’t react to another version of that artist?<br />
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We need to quit trying to outdo the next person at what we are trying to do, and do something different. Do that voodoo that only YOU do so well. Be weird. Be unique. Be YOU.<br />
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<i>"Different is almost always better than better. In any field—business, academia, athletics—the individuals and organizations who stand out are those brave enough to pave their own way. To go in a direction few have gone before and wait for the world to catch up."</i>- Jeff Goins</blockquote>
Recently I have seen this again pop up in a class I’ve been taking on orchestration. I was trying my best to just be “musical and classical” and do what the instructions said. I got the homework done but it was pretty much what was expected, and nothing to speak of (and the grades were...meh.)<br />
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But I realized that I was not attacking these assignments like I would creative tasks I have in my business and personal projects. So, I started to think outside the box and be the silly, off-kilter, outside the lines arranger I usually am. And guess what...the pieces not only became something better, they became something I was passionate about and proud of.<br />
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Another grad student has his own unique style, and also infused it in his final arrangement. It was weird, and sometimes not strictly “classical”, but it was very cool, and very HIM. It stood out.<br />
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You may not be the singer, or songwriter, or artist you admire. And most likely, you will likely never be better than them. But you can be something they will never be: You. The unique, one of a kind, different thing God made you.<br />
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This next year, make a vow to do YOU.<br />
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Be as different as you can and whatever God made you. This will always be the key to your success.<br />
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It has been for me.<br />
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<i>"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary." </i>- Cecil Beaton</blockquote>
Have a great week!<br />
<br />
EC<br />
—<br />
John Eric Copeland is a composer, arranger, and producer and you can find out more about his creative projects, thoughts, and companies at <a href="http://cre8iv.com/" target="_blank">cre8iv.com</a><br />
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To hear the newest music creations (including the arrangement mentioned above, go to <a href="http://ericcopelandmusic.com/" target="_blank">EricCopelandMusic.com</a><br />
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Ready to start a unique Christian music brand, contact us at <a href="http://creativesoulonline.com/" target="_blank">CreativeSoulOnline.com</a><br />
<br />
<b>Do another kind of music like Jazz, Classical, World, or something else?</b><br />
We can help you start a new project and brand that’s unique, different, and you! Contact us at <a href="http://creativesoullegacy.com/" target="_blank">CreativeSoulLegacy.com</a> and let’s build your unique creative brand and leave your mark on this world!Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-65199558993472057632019-09-10T06:23:00.000-07:002019-09-10T08:01:50.299-07:00The Ones Who Will<i>“Where there is a will, there is a way. If there is a chance in a million that you can do something, anything, to keep what you want from ending, do it. Pry the door open or, if need be, wedge your foot in that door and keep it open.” </i>- Pauline Kael<br />
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Whether it’s with artists, creators (composers, songwriters, authors, etc), clients of any kind, those finishing degrees, or volunteers at churches and other places in music, I see the same thing. There are ones who will (do their creative thing with a passion and focus as I do), and those who...might.<br />
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Here’s a few examples:<br />
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<b>The Happy Volunteer Creative</b><br />
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These are people who help at church or other places, give of their time because they can play an instrument or sing, and are happy doing only that. They have no delusions of grandeur, or are smart enough to know better. They enjoy playing or singing as a part-time hobby, and enjoy being part of a group. These could be anything from worship band members to a few doctors and lawyers who get together to jam in a garage. They do it because it’s fun, they love it, and don’t expect much more from it besides the occasional gig or Sunday service. I have no problem with this and actually depend on people like this every week.<br />
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<b>The “Oh That Would Cool” Creative</b><br />
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This person honestly thinks a life as a creative would be very cool. Perhaps their parents or spouse are nudging them to find something, anything to do with their lives and this person has shown interest in being creative, or have been creative. These folks go through the motions in school, or at church, or in life looking at creative degrees, or creative possibilities. It seems...fun, I guess. But eventually it is no more than a temporary pursuit. Maybe they do pursue a job or degree in a creative area, but eventually it gets hard to find work, and they just get a real job doing something else because it pays and they move on.<br />
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<b>The Creative Who Dabbles</b><br />
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I’ve written a whole post on this one. This is the true creative who in their spare time works on a creative thing. They write some songs, or draw, or paint, or act, or dance. They have the talent to do well, but they either do a little of everything and never focus their energies on anything serious, or they just dabble when the mood strikes. There’s no harm in this, but it really never leads to anything.<br />
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<b>The Creative With No Proof</b><br />
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I often I meet people who say they are singers, songwriters, authors, photographers, or other types of creatives. They tell me how they long to sing, get published, get work, and live a creative life. Then I ask: Do you have any recordings or a portfolio I could hear or see? No. Are you singing or performing anywhere or else wise doing anything related to your creative craft that I could see? No. Do you have a website, or is your work on Instagram, YouTube, or at least Facebook? No. Then how exactly is the world supposed to know you have this creative talent, buy your art, experience what you are doing?<br />
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<b>The True Creative Who Would If...</b><br />
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These are creatives who work hard on a daily or weekly basis on their craft. They may have sung any gig that came along, or written a few to a hundred songs, or painted or wrote stories, but it’s always been about “if”. If the right person heard them they would put all their energies into it. If someone came along and funded them they could really take off. If someone would finally recognize their genius they could and would really focus on their craft.<br />
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<i>“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” </i>- Walt Disney<br />
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<b>The True Creative Who WILL</b><br />
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These are the people who are like me. And to be honest, at some point they (and I) have been one or more of the people above. But the ones who will are the ones who DO. They don’t just happily volunteer only. They don’t think it would be cool and give it a try halfheartedly because someone prods them to at least do something. They don’t just dabble when the mood strikes. They get a Facebook, Instagram, and/or YouTube and start putting work up immediately to get feedback and build an audience. They don’t wait for the money, or the time, or to be told they can.<br />
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The true creatives, the ones who WILL be seen/heard, and WILL find an audience...these people get out there and get it going. They continually focus and point themselves in a direction to get their life’s work seen and/or heard. They seek out like-minded partners, mentors, consultants, producers, musicians, and people who they can work with to get where they want to go. And they never, ever quit. Repeat: They don't quit...because for reasons beyond their control or knowledge, they just can't stop!<br />
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Some creatives WILL by pursuing a music degree that can set them up to teach, or build relationships for future performance or composition opportunity. Some creatives WILL by finding that person who can help them reach the next level in whatever creative industry or audience they are focusing their art towards. Some creatives WILL by making their own brand and working it with nothing but YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.<br />
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But true creatives who find success simple WILL where other’s won’t.<br />
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Will you?<br />
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<i>“Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.”</i> - George Herbert<br />
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Have a great week!<br />
<br />
EC<br />
—<br />
Eric Copeland is a full-time creator who creates his own work and WILL get every composition, idea, and project in his head out to the public in his lifetime. He is also available to help any creative who WILL through his Cre8iv Entertainment Companies like Creative Soul Records, Positive Spin Songs, and other brands. Find out more at <a href="http://cre8iv.com/" target="_blank">Cre8iv.com</a><br />
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Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-79080893896473829232019-08-05T03:00:00.000-07:002019-08-05T09:27:05.168-07:00Making vs. Marketing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How do you balance being creative, with the business of marketing your creations? It’s especially difficult when marketing your art can be just as creative and artistic (not to mention as frustrating, time consuming, and expensive) a process as making it.<br />
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When do you know when to do one, and when to do the other? Can they be done simultaneously? And how in the world do you find and cultivate an audience for your art when you’d really rather be making it?<br />
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The reason this occurred to me is that not only have my creative clients dealt with this, but as a busy creative I deal with this too every day. I’ve been in a heavy marketing phase for months now, but see a creative phase coming. Does that mean I stop marketing and building audiences?<br />
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How in the world does this work? Let’s break it down.<br />
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<b>Making</b><br />
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This is the fun part, right? The art. The creating. Writing the song, painting, playing, inventing, writing…these are all things that drive artistic people like us.<br />
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It comes naturally, if not all the time. But it does come.<br />
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If we are smart, we will make time for it each day, or each week. Purposely putting time away to create. Sometimes these creative times last for weeks or months. Maybe it’s in the writing and production phases of a music project or book. Sometimes it’s just time in your particular studio (recording, dance, art) to play, move, think, draw, or type.<br />
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Whatever the time, this is when the magic part of you comes alive and creation happens. Then another thing is birthed that will hopefully outlast you; a work to send out into the world; part of your legacy, right?<br />
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But in order to get it to the world…<br />
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<b>Marketing</b><br />
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This is the hard part, and potentially the most devastating to our creative hearts and souls for several reasons.<br />
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Some artists are born showoffs. These people were born to take a stage be it open mic, record a live video talking to the world, or share everything online with the world. But many of us do not find sharing our art (or especially trying to sell it) to the world that easy, and those who do may have trouble finding stages to get on these days.<br />
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Even if we do want to get the art out there, it’s getting harder and harder to use the tools we always have in the past, even relatively new ones like social media.<br />
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The other way it can be damaging is if we put it out there and there is little response. Usually the reason for this is that we have not taken the time to build an audience for our artistic creations, or we are depending on friends and family to like it, or for it to go "viral" or magically make it big!<br />
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But marketing is more than people “liking” something. It’s actually getting our art in front of strangers and convincing them to become an audience for it…which takes money and time.<br />
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Large companies like Disney and Universal spend millions if not hundreds of millions getting their brands in front of audiences, from online ads, to Burger King cups, to billboards, to theme parks, to movies, to endless TV commercials. Most of us don’t even consider ANY budget to do marketing. We may spend to make a product (an album, a book), but we don’t spend anything to market it, then wonder why no one is hearing or reacting to our art.<br />
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Yes, social media once made it easy to share your music, your art, your dance videos, your books to the world for free. But the rest of the world has caught on and now EVERYBODY is doing it, and the social networks now know how much they can hold you over a barrel to let you serve your "friends". It’s a war of who is shouting the loudest. You know who is shouting the loudest? Marvel, Sony, Star Wars, Sports, News, TV, Netflix, Hulu…and you know this because you likely consume these brands all the time.<br />
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Now, I’m not saying you have to spend millions…although if you had millions you know you would, and guess what, you’d reach millions!<br />
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<b>When to Do What</b><br />
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I have always found that the seasons for making and marketing will come naturally. Making season leads to marketing season, which wears you out and leads you back to making season. But likely there should be some of each happening all the time. If you work on your new opus for two years (or six!), you may lose the audience you built marketing your last creation.<br />
<br />
There are whole books written on marketing, and though I could probably write one, I think I feel a creative phase coming on…<br />
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Have a great week!<br />
<br />
EC<br />
-<br />
Eric Copeland is currently wrapping up the marketing phase of creative products for <a href="http://www.playerajazz.com/" target="_blank">PlayerAJazz</a> and <a href="http://www.positivespinsongs.com/" target="_blank">Positive Spin Songs</a>, with new classical, piano, jazz, and other works including novels and non-fiction books on their way. Find out more at <a href="http://cre8iv.com/" target="_blank">cre8iv.com</a><br />
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Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-62114954827143299592018-04-18T06:38:00.000-07:002018-04-20T18:54:24.635-07:00Living a Part-time (Full-time) Creative Life<br />
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<i>"Being a rock n' roll star ain't a part-time gig." </i>- Steven Van Zandt</blockquote>
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So, you’ve decided that either your job is too lucrative to quit for the paltry income an arts career may provide. Or, you’ve just chosen to keep creative talent special and not your main job, even though it may be fun (basically my <a href="http://forthecreativesoul.blogspot.com/2018/03/making-living-making-art.html" target="_blank">last article</a> scared you off the idea!)</div>
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Well, I’m here to tell you that 90% of the music artists and songwriters I’ve worked with over the last 30 years are just like you. They are folks who have regular jobs, or are stay at home moms or dads, or just enjoy the outlet that their artistic calling gives them in the nooks and crannies of their life. </div>
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Now with that said, it’s important to note that not all 90% of people who do something creative part-time treat it lightly. In fact, half of those people, and indeed half of the people I have worked with who create art, music, write, or whatever, are completely driven by it, even if they have a full-time job doing something else.</div>
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I call this a part-time (full-time) creative life. I did it for years when I worked other jobs besides music, and in many ways, I still do it! </div>
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Even as I go about being a busy big picture guy and executive producer for artists and songwriters, I have MY music, writing, and other brands that I am very serious about it. Just like you, it occupies my every waking thought and is what I let my mind dream about. I plan what I’m going to do with my different personal artistic brands, and I work full-time on them in my mind, even though I am also working full-time for others.</div>
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How does this work? How do you keep a full-time artistic life going while also working full-time? Well, here’s how I do it.<br />
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<b>Lists, Lists, Lists</b><br />
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<i>"Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort." - </i>Paul J. Meyer</blockquote>
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I often say if it wasn’t for Evernote, I'd have no idea how I would do everything I do. Really any note program, or even a hard copy journal or notebook that you always keep with you will do. What I like about Evernote is that it’s with me no matter what device I’m working on or where I am. Mac, PC, iPad, iPhone, it doesn’t matter. Likely one of those devices is going to be with me wherever I might be. That way as an idea comes along randomly for a new song, story, production process, blog post, business idea, or just something that I want to add to one of those, I am able to jot it down.</div>
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I keep lists on everything. From my To Do list where I keep everything I need to do for clients, songlists of each client, new song, blog, or business ideas, to my own personal To Do lists for each music or business brand I am trying to work on of my own.</div>
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When I am bored, or wanting to be creative, I go to my lists and edit. They remind me what I need to be doing with my time. I pick the one that interests me most at that moment, and I get to it. </div>
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<i>"I make lists to keep my anxiety level down. If I write down 15 things to be done, I lose that vague, nagging sense that there are an overwhelming number of things to be done, all of which are on the brink of being forgotten."</i> - Mary Roach</blockquote>
<b>Pick Your Spots</b><br />
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Where in your schedule can you carve out a few hours to work on your craft? Is it early in the morning before everyone gets up? Is it an hour after everyone goes to bed? Is it a few hours at a bright and sunny coffee shop where you can sit alone with some headphones on, tune out the world and focus on your creative goals and ideas? It is a lunch break where you can sit under a tree and add to or edit your lists? This can can let you see progress as you cross out things you’ve done towards your goals.</div>
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It’s absolutely crucial to have these times you can focus. Maybe that time needs to be spent actually creating and not tending to lists. Maybe you have times set aside for both. But with a busy full-time day job, and especially if you also have a family to be there for, it is absolutely imperative that you have this time set aside.</div>
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<i>"You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it." </i>- Charles Buxton</blockquote>
<b>Don’t Forget to Create</b><br />
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It is pretty easy to get all wrapped up in planning and never get to the creating. Lists can help, because they remind you of that creative thing you need to do. But the DOING can be the real problem, and it doesn't matter where you are or when it is.</div>
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<i>"They can put me in a jungle. Still, I can create."</i> - M. F. Husain</blockquote>
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Maybe it’s a selfie video of a new cover song. Maybe it’s to sit down and finish that chapter or section of your book that is holding up your novel? Whatever it is, you need to get to it. It’s too easy to live wanting to do something creative, planning to do something, and never get anything done because life happens. I regret all the years I ignored my music and writing because I was working too much or being distracted by other things.</div>
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Above ALL creating is the most important thing you can do if this is your calling. So without endangering your family, your health, or job, it’s probably your next important thing in life. </div>
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<i>"A creative person has to create. It doesn't really matter what you create. If such a dancer wanted to go out and build the cactus gardens where he could, in Mexico, let him do that, but something that is creative has to go on." </i>- Katherine Dunham</blockquote>
<b>Share Your Talent</b><br />
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<i>"Oh, how miserable it is to have no one to share your sorrows and joys, and, when your heart is heavy, to have no soul to whom you can pour out your woes." </i>- Frederic Chopin</blockquote>
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Even though I was ignoring my own music and writing during some years, I still was working hard for other artists and songwriters. I don’t feel that time was wasted as I was sharing the creative talents God gave me. Maybe some of you reading this use your talents in church or education for others. But there is also sharing with others your talents from YOU. And that is something we all are usually somewhat reticent to do. It’s not easy to shine a spotlight on yourself. It doesn’t come naturally for everyone. But we have to do it.</div>
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It’s not about being a “star” or quitting your job to pursue this full-time like we talked about last time. It’s about sharing the talents God gave you publicly. Now this can be done in your church, or even via video now via Facebook or YouTube. It doesn’t have to be a solo thing. But finding ways for people too consume your talents in some way is key. </div>
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If it’s your own work it may be difficult to share in your church or school for many reasons. The internet provides many options for authors, singers, songwriters, artists, and more to the world. There are even ways to make part-time income using your creative talents on services such as UpWork, Fiverr, and <a href="https://www.thumbtack.com/" target="_blank">Thumbtack</a>.</div>
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Yes, your full-time, part-time creative life can make you some money too. And in fact it should! But it doesn’t have to. You could choose to give everything you create away for free, and there are some reasons you should think about that. But that too...is another post.</div>
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Have a great week, Creatives!</div>
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You can live whichever creative life suits you, full-time or part-time, just do one! For more creative blog posts like this one, go to <a href="http://forthecreativesoul.com/">FortheCreativeSoul.com</a></div>
<br />Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-1564342009898577902018-03-29T04:12:00.000-07:002018-03-29T04:12:15.747-07:00Making a Living, Making ArtYou know the feeling.<br />
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You are consumed by the music, writing, painting, poetry, dancing, whatever it is you make. How it makes you feel. There’s really nothing like it in the world. It consumes your every thought even when you are not doing it. Many times when I am not working on a song, story, or some other creative project, I am thinking about it. Planning it out in my head. Sometimes jotting down new ideas to implement later.<br />
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If it’s music, it’s the chords, melody, or lyrics. The way it sounds when you hit that final note. The peace it brings you to know you made that. If you’re a writer, it’s getting those words out on paper, or getting feedback on what you wrote in a blog or book. If you are painter, it’s about the finished piece hanging up in front of you. The satisfaction that it is done. A thing made.<br />
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Sometimes other people feel those same things about your art, but that doesn’t always matter as much as just how good it feels to make it.<br />
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If only there was a way to make money at this. Whether that means you find someone to pay you to make art all day, or you just do it on your own and find a way to sell your art. It really doesn’t matter. You just want to to make a living doing it.<br />
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Then comes the hard decision. Does it become the way you make your money to pay your bills and live? Should it? Can it?<br />
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<b>The Case Against</b><br />
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Going full time making art is not easy. It requires very low expectations of income. If you have a spouse making income enough to cover bills, and your family can live on that, it’s another story. But if you are the chief bread winner for yourself or your family, being a full-time artist is more than challenging.<br />
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Selling your art, whether in person in live concerts, showings, or other live events, or online sales requires supreme focus on events, new product, and sales, sales, sales. If you are hoping to support your family by being a performing artist of any kind, it means that booking yourself is as important as performing or even making new art.<br />
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I think the real issue is that your “art” can become work, and that is a problem. Then the thing you love becomes this thing that has so much pressure on it to make money, that it ceases to be that thing you even want to think about. It’s just work. And that is no way to think about the thing which used to excite you and keep you dreaming about it all the time.<br />
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This is especially the case if you work for other people doing your art. It can become very easy to be doing “their” art and not your own. They may even limit your artistic addition or ideas in favor of their own. This can be very irritating, if not downright soul-crushing at times. We jokingly call it “living the dream”, but it can become a nightmare over the years. People will say you are so lucky, but you will find yourself wondering why you aren’t following your muse like you used to.<br />
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<b>The Case For</b><br />
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OK, if you aren’t completely depressed by now, let’s talk about some reasons to focus every bit of creative energy you can, and how to make a living doing it.<br />
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I’ll start off by saying, if you can get to a point where most or even a portion of your bills are covered by doing creative things YOU love to do, there is no greater feeling. Even if that just means being able to treat your family to a dinner based on artistic earnings. Pretty cool.<br />
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It may take years of trial and error, it may take being laser-focused on hard work, but you can make a living doing ONLY what you want. But you have to want it more than anyone else, and you have to MAKE it happen. Daily. I know a music ministry that has supported a family of eight traveling across the US in an RV for years now. But that would never happen without full time attention to not only performing, but also booking, planning, social media updating, tons of emailing, and living a life like no one else. But guess what, that’s what it takes.<br />
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I sound like Dave Ramsey. You will live (sacrificing and working all the time) like no one else so you can live (as a creative full-time) like no one else. You’ll work 60 hour weeks and not think about it. Because it won’t feel like work. If you do it right, it will be fun and relaxing to do, and the hours you spend doing it will fly by.<br />
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The biggest plus? You can leave the artistic legacy on this world that God put you here for (which you can also do if you don’t do it full time by the way).<br />
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Now, what if you want to just do this part time? How do you do that along side your job? Well, that is another blog...maybe next week?<br />
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Have a great week Creatives!<br />
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EC<br />
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Eric Copeland makes his whole living off making art for others by others, and his by him. As president of Creative Soul Records, he helps other build brands to make art and a few work to make that a living. He is still working on making his own art his living....<br />
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Read more about Eric's plight to make a living making art at <a href="http://ericcopelandmusic.com/" target="_blank">EricCopelandMusic.com</a> and more about Creative Soul at <a href="http://creativesoulonline.com/" target="_blank">CreativeSoulOnline.com</a>. Read more blog posts like this at <a href="http://forthecreativesoul.com/" target="_blank">FortheCreativeSoul.com</a>Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-40949118815032330992018-03-12T06:28:00.000-07:002018-03-28T15:10:27.926-07:00Free Revisited<div>
Some time ago I wrote a blog post specifically to people involved in music called <a href="http://musicministrybiz.blogspot.com/2016/01/what-if-we-gave-it-away_10.html" target="_blank">“What If We Gave It Away?”</a> It was met with one part celebration, one part scorn and ridicule, and one part...huh?</div>
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Recently I have started giving away some of my excess CD products at a local thrift store. Not giving it to them to sell, but offering it in the front of the store, completely free. Besides freeing up some space in my garage, and a write off if I really want to since it is a charity thrift store, it just feels good that the music is getting to people’s hands...and hopefully ears.</div>
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What if there was a way to disseminate our art to thousands or hundreds of thousands. For free. What if we just gave away physical product to those who value a CD, or a small MP3 player with headphones, or a book we wrote or containing our art. Or T-Shirts? Or DVDs with our videos or short films?</div>
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<b>Not Online, But in Person</b></div>
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In the previous post I suggested we give it away online. But perhaps I had it backwards. We keep all our art for sale online. We still sell CDs and merch at shows. Let people still support us there as they do now and buy it at whatever price we think is fair. </div>
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But if they discover us by other means (a thrift store, a gift at a hospital, or in a retirement community, or at a table at a fair, college or trade show) it could lead to more of the long tail of sales and discovery we need as marketing.</div>
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What if we found a way to distribute thousands or tens of thousands, or even more to people for free and let them just absorb it. Fall in love with something they took because it was free. What does it hurt if someone across the country (or down the street) that doesn’t know you takes a free CD, or book home from someplace and discovers your art?</div>
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Last year we started a non-profit side called Creative Heart with A.C.T. International. We have offered it to artists to use to raise money, but that hasn’t seemed very popular so far. Maybe putting it on artists to raise money for their efforts is not the right model.</div>
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But what if we found people that would give monthly to see art distributed around the country and the world? Perhaps at some point we could even find the donations to make the art as well as distribute it. Creators could still be free to sell their art if they wanted to, online and in person. But the real goal of Creative Heart would be making our art available for free out in the real world where people live. (These would likely be compilations not full artist CDs unless artists wanted us to distribute their full album as well.)</div>
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<b>The Future of a Radical Price</b></div>
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In his book “Free” which I am re-reading right now, author Chris Anderson talks about how brands as well known and venerable as Jell-O and Gillette got their start by actually giving away things for free to get national recognition. Jell-O came up with a free cookbook that salesman gave away to show what you could do with Jell-O. Gillette gave away disposable razors by the millions to encourage sales of disposable razor blades, it’s true product. Both are now 100 year old brands because of this method.</div>
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Perhaps as a label and artists we need to find a way to give away products or songs by the thousands or tens of thousands to let people realize the quality of our brands, then they can go search online and find ways to buy, download, or stream our work. Or perhaps encourage then to contact us and bring our creative talents to them?</div>
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I know when I write these blog posts many of you sit there reading going, “Yeah, I can see that!” Or, “Yeah, right. Easy for you to say Bub!” But I create my own art just like you do. As I look at the finite amount of years left on this earth, I want as many people in the world to hear, read, and watch the creations I am making. If perhaps someone enjoys the music, writings, or visual media I create, and it touches them as much as one of my favorite bands, authors, or filmmakers does for me, then I will feel I achieved what God put me here for.</div>
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Can I hear an amen?</div>
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<b>It's Just Marketing Folks</b></div>
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We let radio play (actually we pay THEM to play) our music for free hoping people will hear it and want to buy it, or at least be blessed by it. We put our paintings in (or pay to be in) galleries for free hoping people will buy our art. We do all sorts of free things online or contests we pay for, or let Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Vimeo, and the like play our music hoping for some pieces of pennies. All so our music will be heard.</div>
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We have to think of this as a radical, guerrilla type of marketing. Go find the real people in our country, or other countries. The ones who still listen to CDs, read books, and love art. Let them see, hear, and fall in love with our creative songs and albums, then build a demand for our music in a more authentic, grassroots way than just hoping someone finds us online and discovers our genius.</div>
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I’d like to hear your thoughts on this. Would you be willing to give away hard product to local thrift stores, hospitals, retirement communities, or have your art given away for free at fairs, colleges, and trade shows? What if we had a system to give thousands or tens of thousands of pieces away? Would you want to be part of it?</div>
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I know I would.</div>
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Have a great week!</div>
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EC</div>
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Eric Copeland is giving his music and books away where he can to get people listening and reading, and also selling and licensing it online. For more about his creations go to EricCopelandMusic.com, or for more writings like this one go to <a href="http://forthecreativesoul.com/" target="_blank">FortheCreativeSoul.com</a></div>
Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-91042508165226820522018-02-21T04:07:00.000-08:002018-02-21T05:02:44.024-08:00Magic Beans<div>
We all have wished we could find that "one person", that company, A&R, or publisher who would hear our songs or see our art, and recognize our genius. Then, like the magic beans that grew into a beanstalk, we could sit safely on the side while all our dreams came true and the songs/music/art got out there, and money flowed in. However, there is one big flaw in this plan: It almost never works like that.</div>
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I took magic beans with me to Nashville a dozen times in my teens and 20s. Even 30s. Hoping that the person I was going to meet, be it a songwriter, a producer, a person at a label, or whoever, would see and hear in my music what I did: that it needed to be shared with the world. But each time, I met rejection, disinterest, or a hearty slap on the back. </div>
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<i>“I really can’t help you.”<br /><br />“This really isn’t for us”<br /><br />“Keep trying, kid!” </i><br />
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Beans planted. No beanstalk. No golden goose.<br />
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<i>Dang.</i><br />
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You probably know the story from here. I built my own beanstalk. I am the giant, but I’m a friendly giant. And everyone can have the golden goose, as long as they work as hard as I do. <br />
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<b>Work, not Beans</b><br />
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<i>“All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work.”</i> – Calvin Coolidge</blockquote>
It wasn’t the magic beans that made the story, it was Jack’s determination, talents, and attitude. That’s what also makes the difference for creatives trying to navigate through the music industry. It’s not a contest at IMMERSE or So You Think You Can Dance, it’s not a showcase or art show where the “right” person sees you. It’s a never quit mindset where you aren’t focused on today, or what someone says about you, but about what legacy you leave on this earth as an artist.<br />
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To establish a creative life that means something, that will leave a lasting impression on this earth long after you are gone, means going ahead and putting the magic beans in a nice chili one night. While that is cooking up, make a list of what needs to be done now, next week, next month, and next year to further your creative career<br />
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What are the steps, the work, you need to do to make your creative career go?<br />
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Use Evernote, or some program to keep on your phone and computers, and refer to that when you are bored or in your quiet time, instead of endlessly scrolling on Facebook or Instagram. Keeping your goals and action steps in front of you is paramount in getting them done. Doing this for a creative career can be the difference between someone who has talent and is never heard, to a career that is remembered and art that is cherished by others.<br />
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<b>Finding Someone to Help You Get Work Done</b><br />
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<i>"No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude."</i> - Alfred North Whitehead</blockquote>
Building your team to accomplish your action steps is the next most important thing. In almost any artistic career, the first thing to be doing is finding the right people in the genre you plan to attack. Research producers who can help you make music. Find the right programs you can study with for your particular craft. Who does work you like? Who looks easy to work with? Can you find contact information for them? Research the companies or online sites that can help you market your art once you make it. Can you contact them? Is it even time to contact them? Do you have quality works, the right branding for your stuff to even approach those people yet? (If not go back to Work, not Beans)<br />
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Sometimes you can start these relationship at events in your industry. Sometimes it’s a reach out on Facebook, or LinkedIn. Sometimes you know someone who can introduce you. <br />
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The main thing to remember is don’t count on magic beans to work. We have come full circle now. If I had relied only on an introduction and then waiting for that person to make my career go, I would have no career, and you wouldn’t be reading this now.<br />
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It’s not about beans. Beans are for Mexican food and gas. It’s about hard work. It always is. In any business. The entertainment business is no different.<br />
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Have a great week!<br />
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EC<br />
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Eric Copeland is a composer, author, and other creative things that he does often times right before or after eating beans, since they are in his diet! If you’d like to get help with what you are trying to do creatively, check out all the creative things he does at <a href="http://cre8iv.com/" target="_blank">cre8iv.com</a> or his personal site at <a href="http://ericcopelandmusic.com/" target="_blank">EricCopelandMusic.com</a></div>
Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14973487.post-33276472433644955642018-01-01T17:49:00.000-08:002018-02-20T17:51:46.945-08:00A Positive New Beginning<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.”</i> – Rainer Maria Rilke</blockquote>
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Each year at this time we make resolutions, or think about making resolutions, and as I’ve written in the past its actually more important to be resolute. In truth, I prefer to think of this time of year as a chance for new positive beginnings.<br /><br />After the holidays while it’s quiet, and everyone is hiding inside away from the cold, is a great time to begin anew getting your creative brand out there. It’s the optimal season for figuring out new ways to make positive moves into new things, or maybe old things.<br /><br />We all know the gnawings and cravings of our creative soul calling us to get back to the thing that drives us. The music, the writing, the art, the ideas, the unfinished works; these are the things we can run from when we know we need to make money, but we can’t get very far from them. They are the things that define us, that make us different, that when people experience them they are agog with wonder that we can do that.<br /><br />This time of year is my favorite time to not make resolutions that I “have” to do these things, but to actually begin making changes in my daily routine and my life so that I “will” do these things. That may mean some serious changes that you’ve not been prepared to make in the past. Maybe you were afraid of the sacrifice. Maybe it was easier to stay the course and make sure you didn’t make waves. Maybe you weren’t willing to make changes to your career, your sleep patterns, or your schedule.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them.” </i>– Jack Canfield</blockquote>
Instead of resolutions, what about just deciding on a new beginning. Taking positive steps toward being what God made you to be. Accepting the call, taking a leap, putting away the things that may have been hindrances all this time (even things that seemed like good ways to spend your time). These are the hardest to do.<br /><br />Yes, I can teach, but is THAT why God put me here? Yes, I could start a business doing this or that, but is THAT why God put me here? Yes, I could work for others my whole life helping them achieve their goals and dreams, but is THAT my true purpose, or simply something God has blessed while He patiently waits for me to remember why He put me here.<br /><br />In this reflective time, it’s easier said than done. Bills must be paid, food and shelter attained, and responsibilities met. But there comes a time in our life when we begin to look at the time we have left on this earth to achieve what He gave us to achieve. The recent passing of my creative mother (church organist for 43 years, piano teacher for decades, and in the past few years an avid painter) has made me see that we all have a limited amount of time to create here in this life.<br /><br />The time is now to get to the creative projects, songs, films, paintings, routines, sculptures, books, poems, and whatever other artistic leanings we have. The projects we have left unfinished. The ideas we have left unattended. The goals we set for ourselves long ago that we let lapse as we worked to make a living, a family, or build a business.<br /><br />This is the time of year to think positive again not just about the “dream”, but the call, the works, and maybe most important, the legacy. What will we leave behind for this world? What positive, lasting change can we make with the gifts God has given us?<br /><br />I wish you good luck finding these answers, as I also seek them. Be positive, no matter how hard it seems. You can do it, and you’ll be glad you did.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“Every revolution seems impossible at the beginning, and after it happens, it was inevitable.”</i> – Bill Ayers</blockquote>
I hope you have a great new year, filled with creating, achievement, and fulfillment.<br /><br />EC<br />—<br />Eric Copeland is a composer, author, pianist, short film maker, and graphic artist. Find out more about his creative things at cre8iv.com, and EricCopelandMusic.com</div>
Eric Copelandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17455115047714981740noreply@blogger.com0