ADN#53: The Villain Is Normalcy
Hey Friends -
Welcome to the Artist Development Newsletter.
Every Sunday, I send an email providing actionable tips for artists and industry on one area of the music business.
Last week, we talked about how to become a digital guerilla.
You can re-read last week’s newsletter here if you want to refresh.
Today, we slay the dragon of conformity.
Today’s newsletter is titled “The Villain Is Normalcy.”
Let’s go — ->
— — -
You don’t want to be the villain.
As an artist, the villain doesn’t dress like the Joker or some giant scary monster.
The villain is sitting in plain sight, dressed like everyone else.
You see, villains wear a cloak of normalcy.
The villain is conformity.
The villain is you if you try to be like everyone else.
And the villain is attractive.
Why?
Normal feels safe.
Normalcy is security via saturation, but you must differentiate to succeed.
Hero’s come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing is always the same — The hero stands out.
The hero is the world shaker, the difference maker, and the risk taker.
We are all drawn to our similarities.
And we are all alike in ways, but our differences burn brightest.
Why?
Every human on earth has a superpower.
Every artist on earth has a unique perspective.
A lens that only they can look through.
It’s a view built by experiences, heartbreaks, highs, lows, ebbs and flows.
No two views are the same.
You and I can be in the same place at the same time and still feel different about the moment.
That is what makes you, well, YOU.
It’s also what makes me, well, ME.
The instant you can relate to someone and give your perspective that is YOU at your core.
The more we try to be like everyone else, the less we are like ourselves.
John Lennon was an incredible artist, but he wasn’t a perfect person.
He stood out because he leaned into his weird.
He wasn’t afraid of his wild.
That also meant he hurt people sometimes, like we all do.
Some of us hurt people because we are our true, honest selves, and others are too scared to be honest.
It’s always best to err on the side of who you are and what you feel.
It’s also likely that what you feel won’t always be NORMAL.
That’s okay!
It’s great.
Why?
Because that means you already know how you are different than everyone else.
Now, your job is to harness your creativity and put it into the world for everyone to see.
Change someone’s perspective with your own.
Bundle your weird up into an album, a concert, a tour, or a fan club, and create the world only you can.
Turn your wild into a universe; soon, you’ll also turn your art into income.
Remember, the villain is normalcy, and somewhere inside you is a superpower that is there to defeat it.
Ask yourself, “What makes me different?”
Then, lean into your answer until you’re the hero of your story.
Fit out, not in!
See you next Sunday -
Neil
— — -
Did you enjoy this week’s newsletter?
Please share it with someone you think would enjoy it!
If you haven’t already, you can subscribe to the newsletter here.
