"Hard Work" I find, to be an interesting phrase. It suggests activity that produces sweat and gritting your teeth. For musicians, the creative work is often more nuanced, but still, the work is often hard, or at least undesirable at time.
In my journeys learning to put together a music business, I have been practicing the skills of starting and finishing work. This area has not been my strong suit in the past. As a freelance musician, playing for various bands I was often spared the tasks of scheduling rehearsals, arranging charts, marketing, coordinating with venues, etc. I could just focus on (more or less) playing and sounding my best.
I have had the privilege to work with great minds and “hard working” musicians. During rehearsals for a huge show one year, My friend, J. Jerome, composer and producer at Chromatic Contact put it eloquently: it is easy to “convince yourself that you have done something” when in reality you haven't. It took a while, but when the words set in, I realized that I've spent a TON of time and energy talking (to myself and others) about and getting ready to start projects, publish my music, achieve this, or that. I needed to be okay with making incremental steps. I also needed accept the fact that I was creating a separate reality in my head.
Today, what this process looks like is being okay with adjusting my expectations. I may not complete the cover art for the upcoming single Gods and Gangsters today. BUT I can identify one type font to use for it. Today, I may tell myself that I will to change my guitar strings, replace the cork on my saxophone, and release two teaser tracks on social media. But today, the HARD WORK means deciding to start on one of these tasks and convince myself that I am making progress….because I am.
-Omni