Over the last year I have been witness to highs and lows of confidence from many developing artists. The words "do you think I can really do this?" (as a music career) is probably one of the biggest questions my team and I get asked, something that is notoriously subjective and if people knew the answer to the music industry would be very different.
The truth is that no one really can 100% say whether someone can or can't wholly reach their version of success. There have been many surprises during my career of people I thought not much of blossoming so quickly and vice-a-versa. Really what happens is that an artist is just suffering from kickbacks or issues around imposter syndrome. This is usually really evident in those that are starting out.
If you aren't sure if you suffer from this do you find yourself doing the following:
Questioning if you are really a songwriter, singer, musician or not.
This can be just the voice in your head or just responding to a question asked casually by a friend. Most artists don't feel like a songwriter unless they have done a course or got a cut on an album. This is not the case. Yes, to be your version of success you might need those things but the best way to become a songwriter, singer or musician is just to start. Become comfortable with your title and you will soon see your music flourish.
Not really giving it your all because of fear of failure.
This is something that is more a defence. You don't give enough energy and effort to your music as you would like because all your eggs would be in one basket if you did. This is so counterintuitive but it is a good idea to get a good trusted support system of musicians that can support your journey to help with these issues. Perhaps here is where you might need a course or some more structure too.
Fixating on your flaws & over perfecting.
Are you really struggling to get music out there because you aren't happy with the finished product? Well the good news is that everyone is always evolving and that also includes you. It is always better to start somewhere and start putting in deadlines for your music so you don't have issues with over perfecting your craft. Things might not be perfect, but that's ok, just get your music out there!
If you are struggling with any of these or just need help identifying where you might be stalling in your music then book in a 15 minute call with us for free here. We can coach you through some quick pointers to make sure imposter syndrome doesn't catch up with you and keep you accountable to your goals of success.