👋 Welcome back to the newsletter!
Every week, I share a few things I think you'll like to keep you creatively inspired and successful in your artistic pursuits.
Let's jump in. 🚀
🎹 Composing for Myself is Changing My Life
A few weeks ago, I made a video encapsulating some of the biggest things I learned about creativity and career growth in 2024.
In this video, I share...
- 👋 Why I stepped away from client projects in 2024
- 😖 The struggles of showing up for my own music
- 🔥 How my artistic career has transformed as a result
Check it out below:
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It's been amazing to see how resonant these ideas have been with composers of all ages and stages. I'm reminded of a core truth that applies to art of all kinds:
The ideas that resonate deepest within your soul are the very ideas that will resonate the deepest within others.
Discover your truths as an artist, speak them loud, and watch how it ripples out into the universe.
📚 Book I'm Reading: Set Boundaries, Find Peace
This is a book I think everyone should read.
Why? Because everyone struggled with boundaries - whether they realize it or not.
And a lack of boundaries will cause major issues in both our personal and professional lives.
In fact, many of the challenges I've experienced in the past as a working composer (and now help clients in my Pro Group avoid) stemmed from difficulties with establishing boundaries early and often.
Things like:
- Agreeing on prices I didn't feel valued me/my work properly
- Staying up late over on weekends to do last-minute revisions or deliverables
- Not speaking up to request clarification on confusing creative direction
- Being overly flexible with payment schedules
Left unchecked, these "porous boundaries" lead to greater and greater problems until something finally breaks - in many cases, burning out and quitting.
So learning the skill of boundary-setting is essential for your long-term happiness - and Nedra Tawwab provides a comprehensive and tactical guide in this book.
"I see far too many people in my practice who are working way beyond the forty-hour workweek. They come in exhausted and frustrated, feeling powerless. But overwork is often more within your control than you think. It comes from having porous boundaries with your boss, your team, and your time.” - Set Boundaries, Find Peace
3. 🏋️ Push Yourself with Compassion
Sharing one more Instagram reel because it resonated with me and how I think about effort.
Two teenagers are doing a workout in a local gym - one prepping for a dumbbell exercise, and the other spotting them.
Here's the exchange:
SPOTTER: “70 pounds? That’s crazy!
WEIGHTLIFTER: “It’s actually not that impressive.”
SPOTTER: “Yeah it is. To me it is. You know what they say?”
WEIGHTLIFTER: “What?”
SPOTTER: “They say comparison is the thief of joy. If you compare yourself to others, then you’ll never be happy. So, that’s impressive weight. Who cares what other people lift?”
WEIGHTLIFTER: “But what if I’m not satisfied with it?”
FRIEND: “You can push yourself. But you can’t do negative self-talk.”
Relatable?
So often, we're constantly pushing ourselves to do more - get better, do it faster, make it feel easier.
But how often are we also beating ourselves up through the process? And what's the long-term consequence of all of that negative self-talk?
No matter how hard you're working to achieve something, you don't need to beat yourself up in order to grow.
(No matter what self-help gurus will tell you.)
Sure, you need to push yourself. Sure, you neeed to experience discomfort. And sure, you can feel doubt.
But it's up to you to be the one to hype yourself up, praise your efforts, and have faith that things will work out in the future.
That's not just the key to longterm success - it's the key to longterm happiness.
👋 Ready to work together?
Here's how to get started:
- 🎥 My YouTube. If you want to see me in action and learn some useful tips/tricks along the way, you'll find 300+ free videos here.
- 🎻 My Mockup Course. Learn how to perform and program realistic orchestral mockups in minutes in this no fluff, 3-hour crash course.
- 🎬 My 6-Week Bootcamp. In 2022, I made $80k composing for film, animation, and games. My Composing Career Bootcamp teaches you exactly how to land your first gigs, build your network, and market yourself online - no secrets. (100+ students, 5 stars)
- 🚀 Join the Pro Group. I help experienced composers take their creative careers to the next level so they can do what they love for a living. If you want to work closely with me, book a call and let's chat.
That's all for now!
Hit reply to share thoughts or say hi.
Otherwise, happy music-making and see you next time. 🙂
- Zach
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