Creativity meets discipline: the real journey of a professional artist
- Oct 1, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 23, 2024
The truth about being an artist is that the raw creativity pulsing through our veins must be matched with discipline—an often misunderstood yet crucial trait of a truly committed creative.
When I started my music journey, I thought all I needed was a few incredible tracks to "make it." I believed these would spring from some magical, whirlwind weekend in my room—just me, a laptop, and the spontaneous birth of the greatest EP the world had ever heard.
What I didn’t realize then was that making music is a skill, one that requires constant growth.
Instead, I saw it as an elusive force, something that happened to you rather than something you worked at. I figured great music just happened—luck, passion, and a little bit of magic thrown in.
Maybe you’re thinking something similar right now.
If you're here, you're probably looking to make better music, evolve your sound, finish that EP you've been working on, or even release your very first track that you're proud of into the world.
These are worthy goals. But they’re not unique. Every artist has these, same, aspirations—including me.
So why is it that, even though we all share these goals, only a few of us actually achieve them? Clearly, it’s not the goals themselves that set successful artists apart from those who struggle.
What does set them apart is the process. Better music is the result; the process is what gets you there.
This is where most of us crumble. We’re laser-focused on the output—on what we want to achieve—but we spend too little time nailing down the process that will actually get us there.
Great music doesn’t come from thinking about it, or endlessly watching tutorials without applying what we learn or continuously doing the exact same thing that we know is not working.
The solution is to focus on the process of making music—one that requires discipline if we want to get the results we crave.
And as creatives, the word discipline can feel almost taboo. It sounds like something for athletes, not artists.
But what about those artists who seem to release a killer EP every few months? The ones whose sound keeps evolving, making us eager to hear what they’ll release next? Or the ones with 50+ tracks released in just a few years?
These are the pros. They’re focused, committed, and willing to make sacrifices to keep growing. They’re not superhuman—they’re just professionals.
Some of these artists might have very different life circumstances from you, or me, which allow them to dedicate much more time towards music.
But the point here is for us to use ourselves as our point of reference. You might not have 60 hours a week to dedicate for music, but I'm sure that you can find more time for it than you do currently.
The professionals just keep showing up, week after week, month after month, year after year. Often with little to no immediate payoff. But their focus is on growth, not overnight success.
They don’t aim to make one hit—they aim to get better at making music each day.
They analyse what’s working, what’s not, and how they can improve.
They have routines, minimise distractions, and stick to the process.
This shift—from amateur to pro—is beautifully explained in Steven Pressfield’s book Turning Pro.
All of us, as artists, experience resistance. Whether it’s self-doubt, fear, or distractions, we all face something that keeps us from showing up and doing the work.
What’s helped me push through this resistance is clearly identifyng my why. It’s a simple question but demands an honest, thoughtful answer.
Take a few minutes—regularly—and ask yourself, Why do I make music?
Write it down or meditate on it. Keep asking yourself why.
Because I want to make great music. Why?
Because I want more DJ bookings. Why?
Because I love playing music for people. Why?
Because I love music. Why?
Because it’s how I express my creative self. Why?
Because ...
Keep going until you hit the core, the real reason that pulls you back to your laptop time after time. This might be very different for each one of us, but the importance is in clearly identifying the innate motivation that drives us to show up every time.
I found this to be the most organic source of discipline.
Once you find it, that’s your North Star, and you can keep using it for direction whenever you need it. It’s the magic button you can press whenever you need a push through the resistance.
Deeply understanding why I do music, and keeping it at the forefront of my mind allows me to overcome the resistance. Whenever I feel doubt, frustration or procrastination, I can come back to my North Star that reminds me why it's all worth it.
From there, you can take deliberate steps to become a pro. You identify what needs work and make intentional adjustments. If you're going to commit to being an artist and dedicate yourself to your craft, you need to have the discipline but also channel that discipline in the most effective way.
If you want different results, you have to do something differently.
Don’t have time to make music? Make the time for it.
Don’t have a supportive circle? Find like-minded people and connect with them.
You know you need to finish more music? Finish one today.
Not sure how to improve your sound? Find someone who can help you.
Every artist faces these issues, and the resistance, the amateurs complaining about them and keep doing the same thing while the professionals find a way to overcome them and learn from them.
If you really want your creativity to thrive, feed it the discipline it needs to grow.
Big love
Eryk
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