self help Archives - Haulix Daily

Hello and welcome to brand new week of music industry insight and advice on the official blog of Haulix. We have been having a lot of fun creating new content as of late, and believe wholeheartedly the articles rolling out in the days ahead are some of our best to date. If you have an idea for this blog, or if you would like to learn more about the digital distribution services we offer, please do not hesitate to email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. If you prefer social media, feel free to reach out to us on Facebook and Twitter.

If you ever hope to be active in the music industry, I would hope you knew before logging onto the blog today that the 2014 SXSW music festival is currently taking place in Austin, Texas. It is one of the largest music events of the year, bringing together artists and industry professionals from around the globe. We would be flattered to learn someone in Austin loved our content so much they decided to pass on an event and enjoy this entry, but we’re not egotistical enough to believe such occurrences all that likely. No, if you’re reading this then you’re like us, and that means you’re either on the road or sitting at home watching a small portion of the people you know clog social media with tales of Sixth Street madness. If that is true, then rejoice! This post is for you.

Not attending events like SXSW can be a downer on anyone, but when you’re an artist or aspiring professional trying to find someone willing to give you a chance it can hurt even more. You feel like the entire week is lost because everyone has auto-replies set on Gmail and for whatever reason you cannot shake the general sense that ‘everything good is happening somewhere else’ (specifically, Texas). We’re here to tell you that is not true. In fact, now may be one of the best times all year to get ahead. Here’s why:

1. Your presentation needs work. No, seriously, It needs work.

Whether you’re searching for a job or trying to get the attention of an A&R rep, you currently have a set of tools and resources you use to distribute your information to potential employers. No matter how good it is, it can always be better. Review your promotional materials, cut unnecessary fluff, and make sure every word represents you the way you want to appear to others.

2. While everyone is scrambling to make it to the next big name showcase or catch a specific panel, you are free to discover and learn at your own speed.

There will be headlines about major advancements and buzz worthy artists that emerge from SXSW, but for those of us not in Austin those events do not have to be all we accomplish this week. Read a book, research your next career move, hell, spitball new creative avenues to explore in your work. This time is yours, and without the rigid scheduling of SXSW to hold you back there is no limit to what you can see, do, and otherwise accomplish while everyone else is trying to not rub up against sweaty people at Red 7.

3. All those projects and tasks you have been pushing off to the side? Now is the time. Clear your to-do list.

Trying to find a full time career or record deal is hard enough without also trying to handle all the other responsibilities that come with being a music industry professional, let alone being a fully functioning adult as well. Between things you need to do to survive, the things you need to do to get ahead, and the things you want to do before your far too limited amount of time on this planet is up, life can often be overwhelming. With a large portion of the industry at SXSW this week you should feel free to take a little time for yourself as well. Catch up on the stuff that really matters. Not just for work, but for your own happiness and well being. There will be another week of industry madness next week.

4. There is ample entertainment to keep you going, and you don’t have to wait in any line to enjoy it.

The beauty of SXSW in 2014 is that every major event that takes place in Austin will simultaneously, or at least in the hours following will be available to watch online. You have the best seat in Texas and you are not even there. Take in the panels, pausing as needed for notes, and don’t be afraid to kick back and stream a set or two once all your work is finished. Just because you’re trying to get ahead does not mean you cannot have a little fun after the work is done.

Hello and welcome to the final Advice column of the week. We have been overwhelmed by your response to this feature’s return and are very much looking forward to sharing what we have in store next. If you have any questions regarding the content of this blog, or if you would like to learn more information about the services offered by Haulix, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

One of the hardest things to overcome as an artist in any medium is working outside of your comfort zone. The term comfort zone is just what it sounds like – the place where you are most comfortable – and as an artist remaining in that place can be a hazard to your career.

The idea of a comfort zone is that it allows a person to exist in an anxiety-neutral state. You’re still engaged with the world around you, but you do so in a way that creates and maintains mental boundaries, which in turn lead to a false sense of security. You’re unable to grow and develop because to do so would be to take on new challenges, each with their own inherent risks and stressors, and as a result you become stuck in a creative rut that will ultimately drive away fans.

There is no on/off switch for comfort zones, and like any other challenge related to continued creativity there is a battle to be fought nearly every day. Comfort zones offer us short term happiness at the expense of longterm development, and for many deciding to chase the latter option is far harder than it may appear. Whether you are forcing yourself to write material for a certain genre/audience because it helped you get your start, or make it a point to play the same cities every time you tour because you know people will come to your shows, every artist faces numerous challenges to their comfort zone if they want to take their career to the next level.

You want to write the next hit song? You want to play arenas instead of basements? You want to be sponsored by Gibson and Orange? The biggest obstacle you have to overcome to reach these goals is stepping outside your own comfort zone. Money, geography, and everything else is just another excuse for not taking it upon yourself to make something from nothing. It will not be easy, and there is no promise things will work out for the best in the end, but if you do not take chances in life you are holding yourself back from realizing your true potential.

If you really want to take your career further you must step outside your comfort zone and the best way to start doing that is by setting an attainable short-term goal. It can be anything you want – writing five new songs a month, booking two shows a day, attending a music business conference, reading some books on better marketing techniques – just set a goal, a deadline, and stick to it.

This post is part of a new series on what it means to be a professional. Those who make a career in music do so because they abandon their comfort zones to expand their horizons. Click here to read the previous entry in this series.