tips for artists Archives - Page 4 of 5

A Curious Mind – The Book And The Thing

November 6, 2015 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Hey guys!

So, I recently had the pleasure of reading A Curious Mind by Brian Grazer, the highly-respected and spiky-haired producer behind TV shows such as 24 and movies such as The Da Vinci Code and Frost/Nixon.

Grazer attributes his success in work and life in large part to his curious nature. He’s not afraid to ask questions and he intentionally seeks out inspiration and understanding. For decades, he has made a point of finding people whom he considers to be interesting for their life experience, their knowledge, and going to great lengths to arrange meetings with those people to learn from them in some way, shape or form – from Fidel Castro to Oprah Winfey. He calls these meetings “curiosity conversations”.

While I was reading this book I thought to myself, how curious am I? Certainly, I would consider myself an intelligent person and I read a fair amount, But how often do I let myself follow the breadcrumbs? How often do I seek out information from people? And when I am engaged with others, do I really dig in and ask questions or do I just sit back and let the other person talk, sharing what they will? What could be gained from that new mindset?

And so I thought I would try really digging in and approaching every interaction with a truly curious mind and I realized that I had been missing so much! There was so much to learn that I was letting slip by because I wasn’t as engaged as I could have been.

It’s rather new development but I’ve already been inspired by it and have noticed a difference in my creativity. I have been asking more questions of people and where they come from and it gives me new ideas to think about. When I come across something that intrigues me, I’m trying not to put it in my back pocket and say, “Oh, I’ll check it out at some point,” knowing that I probably never will. I’m trying to follow up and check it out.

Could you be more curious? What do you think would happen if you saw life as an adventure, something to really explore and investigate?

When you approach life with curiosity, you can be taken down roads you never expected. And, as a creative person, the new and unexpected is always fun, isn’t it? So, let’s take a page out of Brian Grazer’s book – literally! – and begin cultivating our curious minds!

Have a great day!

Challenging Your Thoughts – Reminding Yourself About Who You Are

October 29, 2015 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Hey guys!

Okay, today’s blog is going to get a little bit deep and I’m hoping it will inspire all who need inspiring. That’s what I’m all about, after all!

So, I am currently working on some new career opportunities and have been sending out e-mails etc. as you do. As I was sending, I felt in my gut that I should actually be contacting people directly and all of that instead of the “To Whom It May Concern”, general company inbox thing but I’ll admit it, I was nervous for a number of reasons. I mentioned my activities to my sister, the fabulous life coach extraordinaire, and she, of course, brought up the fact that I should be digging deeper and making the connections.

I actually started shaking as I listened to her talk on the phone.

I told her that, even though I have read countless stories about positive interactions with big, important people, I kept hearing rejection in my head. I heard people saying, “Oh, everyone who talks to me wants something from me,” or, ”You music people, always bugging people, scrounging around for a gig,”

And it occurred to me. How much of this negative thought process, this perception of how others will react to me, is about how I might see myself and how much is a result of society’s perception of artists, or at least what I consider to be society’s perception of artists?

I felt, in my mind, that people who did not identify themselves as creators saw creators in the stereotypical “starving artist” light. Artists were the ones begging others to notice them – please listen to my album, please read my book – because what they did was of no real value – a fluffy little luxury, really – and, at any point in time, there would be millions of others trying to do the same thing. No matter how much I valued what I did and knew of its intrinsic worth in society – I can’t imagine what the world would be like without music or film or storytelling – I never thought that others, even those in the industry in a more executive capacity, would see it that way. I assumed that, in meeting with a film producer for example, I would be told, “You are the tenth person who has approached me about this today. I’m tired of all you people thinking that I’m going to give you a job.”

Do you ever feel that way? Do you feel like others may not see what you do as worthwhile so you are afraid to approach them for fear of rejection? Am I the only one?

I realized at that moment that this was the belief I had to abolish if I was ever going to get where I wanted to go.

To achieve great things, you must take some bold risks. You can start off slowly, taking baby steps towards your goal, but, as the momentum builds, you are going to have to do some things that scare you, like making that first phone call to somebody you really want to talk to but have felt might be out of your reach. And if I was going to do that, I had to adopt the belief that they might actually want to talk to me. I had to believe that I was worth their time, had something valuable to contribute, and that they would also realize this. True, I had to be prepared for the fact that not everyone may say yes, that my reaching out may not come at the most opportune time or my work might not be to everyone’s taste, but I had to have faith that there would be a place for me out there and there would be someone who would welcome what I had to offer.

So, if you catch yourself feeling this way, like others may not see you as being worthy of their attention so you don’t even try, I invite you to challenge this thought. I have put together a little affirmation of sorts that you may want to use when you feel those doubts creeping in. But feel free to make up your own!

I am a talented artist who creates out of love for the good of all.
I have something valuable to contribute to the world and I need not fear reaching out to others so that I may share it.
My creativity is a gift from the Divine and it will blossom in the right place at the right time with inspired action and faith.

There you go! Use as you wish, have a fabulous day and keep on creating!

Guiding Your Students Through Arts Competitions

September 30, 2015 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Hey guys!

The idea of competition and the arts is extensive and can range from the local arts festival to a national or international affair like The Booker or Nobel Prize or American Idol.

Competition is a funny thing, isn’t it? It suggests that, based on a one-time experience, a person or group of people is able to accurately declare that one person is a fundamentally better artist than all of the others. Kind of an odd notion!

But there are can be legitimate reasons to compete. Perhaps an opportunity lies on the other end – to get a recording contract, to be published by a reputable publishing house. Perhaps there is a cash prize – always helpful! And perhaps the main impetus is to have your name more recognized and to obtain the bragging rights. As far as I know, an Oscar does not come with any monetary add-on but most people in the film industry would love to have that little ®Academy Award winner attached to their names!

Of course, there are different types of competitions – those which involve real-time performances such as dancing or singing vs. those which involve pre-existing works that are presented, or even nominated, for consideration; those which involve adjudication or critique vs. those in which a winner is announced and nothing more.

So, I would like to talk about the potential pros and cons of artistic competitions, particularly when it comes to teachers who have students who may be interested in competing in real-time events.

It is just my opinion, of course, but I think it’s important to make sure your student is, in fact, in a position to handle competition in the first place. You might want to ask them if they have ever lost at anything before. How did they take it? Did they become really upset? Will they be alright performing under pressure? Can they take a certain amount of criticism?

While encouraging students to try something new can be a valuable catalyst, you might want to think twice before pushing them into something they may not be ready for. Particularly with young students, a negative experience can be damaging and turn them off any future attempts – I have had students who made a mistake during a recital, ended up in tears and were afraid to get on stage again for years afterwards – so it’s important to make sure that you set them up for as positive an experience as possible and be there to support them if things get rough. Even adults can be affected by an adjudicator who matter-of-factly points out only the things you did wrong and fails to mention anything you did right!

As I’m sure you know, as with any performance it’s critical to prepare the student so they know their piece inside and out. If you leave it at the point where they’ve gotten it right once or twice, there could be problems once the nerves set it. If possible, you might want to try creating the vibe of the competition so they feel more comfortable on the actual day by having them present in front of a few family members and pretending they are walking onto the stage and all of that, just like with any performance scenario.

Performing can be rather unpredictable. Even at your most prepared, things can still go wrong – you can get a lump in your throat, your jewelry can get hooked onto your costume, you can forget words – and younger students will likely not know what to do in these situations and might get flustered. You might want to try intentionally distracting them while they perform to dispel some fear of the unknown but be warned that it could backfire and make them even more nervous! But, at the very least, it’s a good idea to remind them that, no matter how they do, the fact that they are getting up there in front of people is a big thing in itself for which they should be commended. And doing really well or winning are just bonuses.

It’s probably a good idea to be with them at the competition, even if you don’t technically have to be there to accompany them on the piano or something like that, until they have a few under their belt and have gained some confidence. If something happens during the performance or they don’t get the results they were hoping for, they will need a supportive shoulder to cry on.

Sometimes in competition there is a clear winner. There is someone whose skill level is obviously higher than the others and everyone sees that. There are also times when there are several good performers and it’s hard to tell who the judges or adjudicator are going to pick. I present as an example the story of a vocal competition where the adjudicator chose the winner essentially on the fact that the song he sang reminded her of her childhood. She apparently came right out and said it and didn’t even disguise the fact!

So, as we know, the winner of a competition may not have as much to do with skills as we want to believe and it’s important the student knows that as well.

If the performance goes well and the student wins, brava! It’s time to congratulate them on a job well done! Enjoy the moment and wait until later to let them know that there is always work to do and ways to improve.

If something goes wrong during the performance – and it may – you’ll want to discuss what happened from your viewpoint and from the student’s viewpoint. Did they get distracted by something? Did something happen musically that threw them off? You need to do an analysis to see what may or may not need to be addressed for next time. Gently let them know that these are just things to work on for the future and it doesn’t mean they aren’t good.

If there is a fellow competitor who is, as mentioned earlier, a clear winner, a student may be inclined to think well, what’s the point? I’m not as good as they are so why should I bother doing this again? I have certainly had these thoughts!

As the teacher, you can use this as an opportunity to inspire the student. Ask them what they liked about the performance and why they thought it was so good. Was the performer dynamic and theatrical? Was there a fluidity about the movement or the voice that they admired? Are there any of those elements that your student could start incorporating into their performances? How much practice do they think would be required to get to that level and would they be prepared to dedicate themselves in the same way?

Then there are the comments from the adjudicator. In theory, the adjudicator should have, in addition to their knowledge of their craft, experience dealing with the age group of the participants they are adjudicating. There are also competitions that are meant for those who just want to have fun and those who are more serious about their craft. Their comments should use language, ideas and sensitivity commiserate with those to whom they are speaking.

But unfortunately, this is not always the case. Sometimes adjudications can be overly harsh, overly complex or just plain rude! And, certainly, the organizers can be notified in such cases but, as far as the participants go, the damage may already be done.

So, once the adjudication has been given, you need to go over those comments with the student and discuss what to keep and what to dismiss – which suggestions are valid and worth incorporating and which don’t make sense. This will help retain the student’s confidence and help them discern what criticism to acknowledge.

Well, those are just a few things to look at! If you are engaging your students in competitions, good luck to them all and may they all have productive, positive experiences!

Have a great day!

The Ins and Outs of Crowdfunding

September 23, 2015 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Hey guys!

I hope you’re having a great week so far!

As you have may have seen in the last couple of posts, I have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for manufacturing a limited quantity of Ladybug Crossings CDs to start things off.

It’s my first such campaign, it has been an interesting experience so far and I’ve realized, in talking with people, that not every is aware of how crowdfunding works or where to go to participate in it so I thought I would share some insights with you this week.

Some of this info you may already be familiar with, some perhaps not so here we go!

Kickstarter and other sites like it such as Indiegogo and Gofundme are what are known as a “crowdfunding” sites. A crowdfunding site is a place where can have everyday people donate directly to your cause or project . This is a much different process from applying for government grants where your project is judged by a panel and you submit proposals at certain times of the year and you may have to wait a long time to get approved, depending on what you are engaging in, and if you do get approved there are certain rules you need to follow . I was speaking with a writer who applied for a grant to write a novel and, yes, he received the funds and, according to the agreement, he was not permitted to actually start writing the novel for almost a year. With crowdfunding, you can create a campaign today and start receiving donations tomorrow. It’s just different ways of going about things with their own pros and cons, as you will see.

Different sites will have different foci depending on who their target demographic is. Kickstarter and Indiegogo, for example, are specifically designed to support creative projects so you wouldn’t start a campaign there if you were raising money for a family in crisis, for example. That’s more of a Gofundme kind of thing.

But if you were wanting to raise money to record an album or produce a film, these sites could definitely be an option.

It works like this.

First you have to clarify the goals of the project. You need to know how much you need to raise, exactly why you need to raise it and by what date. For example, I wanted to raise $3000 to design and manufacture some CDs by the end of September.

Then you set up a page on the site with details about yourself and the project. Potential funders need to know your past experience, what you are looking to achieve, etc. If you make a film, who is involved in the production? Have you produced a film before? What are you going to do with it once it is completed? The site recommends that you use a video to really help make a connection with your audience.

Once you have your details about you and project worked out, you need to put in some potential rewards – kind of like PBS! If someone donates $40, they might get a copy of the CD, for example. If they donate $100, you might want to give them a shout out in the liner notes as well. There are lots of options and it’s a great chance to be creative. I saw a musicians campaign where for a donation of x amount, she’d get together with you and play video games or something like that. And funders aren’t obliged to take the rewards and can always choose to donate just because. Awe!

But here are a couple of things to remember about this system.

Don’t forget the fees.

It doesn’t cost anything to launch a campaign but the organization that runs the site does take a small percentage of the money raised and they may charge you for credit card transactions etc.. It is a business after all! So, it’s important to take that into account when setting your goal amount. If you actually need $10,000 to complete your project, you might want to add another $1000 to cover fees.

Be real about the rewards.

Remember that you are trying to raise money for your project! If the cost of fulfilling on your reward exceeds the cost of the donation, you’re kind of missing the point of the whole thing.

On Kickstarter you need to indicate the scope of the reward – can you deliver on it international, locally etc.? I came across a campaign for someone trying to raise money for an album and, for a donation of $2500, they would put on a house concert. On the surface that might sound reasonable but, according to the specs on the rewards, he was willing to put on the concert anywhere in the world! So, if someone from Europe supported him with such a donation he would be committed to traveling there to perform. You add up your flight, hotel etc. and there goes your $2500!

So make your rewards reasonable to ensure that you still get something out of it.

Once you officially launch your project you need to gather all your resources and get the word out. Facebook, Twitter, ask family and friends. All of that. As you continue to work on your project – the planning etc. – you can post updates so your funders know that something is happening and you can get them emotionally invested in what you are doing.

There are companies who will, within minutes of launching your campaign, contact you offering their services, telling you that they have x number of thousands of Twitter followers and, for a fee, they will send out the details of your campaign to them.

I have not used these services as yet and I advise you to be wary of them. There may be legitimate people with legitimate contacts but you don’t always know where those tweets are going. If you can find a group that has real human followers that actively invest in creative endeavours it might be worth looking into but do your research first.

Here’s the catch with these crowdfunding systems.

If you raise enough money, you’re golden. Once the campaign is over according to the date you specified, and you have reached or exceeded your goal, the money is taken from the funders – usually through credit cards – and deposited into your account and you then go through the process of a) finishing your project and b) fulfilling on your rewards obligations. The rewards can obviously take some time because the album has to be recorded before you can send it out to anyone!

However, if you don’t reach your fundraising goal, no money is transferred and you are back at square one. That is, obviously, the potential problem.

But even if you don’t ultimately raise the money, is it still an opportunity to connect with people and get the word out there. That’s why I did it. It was another avenue to reach out to people.

So, if you haven’t already tried it, explore a little, check out the sites. You might just find it’s a new way to make things happen!

Cross-Inspiration: Learning From Other Art Forms

September 17, 2015 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Hey guys!

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about trying on other creative roles, suggesting that we often identify ourselves in a certain way and it can sometimes keep us in a box so it can behoove us, if you will, to try something new to inspire us and to see things from a different angle.

Today I’d like to talk about being inspired by art forms other than those in which we currently engage.

As a musician, for example, I am often inspired by the music I hear, by the elegant poetry of the lyrics, the unexpected chord progressions or the effective production of the recording. And, while I would never attempt to take from another’s work, it is only natural for a person to learn from the work of others in their field.

But I can also learn and grow as a musician from things that are not music-related. My musical inspiration can come from many places, and by that I do not mean seeing daily events as thematic material for my work. There’s more to it than that.

Sometimes dancing can make me think of music. Sometimes a scene in a movie can bring melodic motifs into my head. These are obvious pairings as most dance is performed to music and there is a musical score behind most films.

But it’s not even about these art forms working together in an expected way.

When I was directing a musical earlier this year, there was a character in the show who was a refined and, yet, passionate man of Russian background. I suggested to the actor portraying him that he view videos of the amazing figure skater, Victor Petrenko. I gave him this homework because I wanted him to sing and act like Petrenko skated, with that technical perfection infused with emotion that was both moving and mesmerizing to watch.

When you watch a great new film or one of your existing favorites, notice the pacing of the action of the dialog. Notice the setting. Can you use any of the stylistic or linguistic techniques to enhance your own work? What would the bold colours of a film from the 1960’s look like as a musical piece? Does a brush stroke in a painting make you think of a haunting cello line? Does that small statue of a little girl in the museum inspire a poem or, perhaps, an entire novel telling her story?

This is all about creating a kind of artistic synesthesia, if you will, whereby the different art forms inspire and fuel each other. More about synesthesia in a future blog post.

In Swimming Tigress Music news,

We are now well into September, the new lesson season. So, if you or anyone you know is looking to experience the joy of learning to sing, I am currently accepting students in person and via Skype for the upcoming year. You can find more information on the Music Lessons page on this site and then contact me through the Contact page if you have any questions.

Well, that’s all for now. Have a fabulous day!

Don’t Let The Tech Get You Down!

September 11, 2015 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Hey guys!

So I had a blog post already to go for this week and then something happened. In my attempt to lift my laptop off of my ottoman on Wednesday, I managed to drop it. My foot broke the fall but, apparently, it was enough of a jostle to cause the back light to go out so it would boot up but the screen was completely black. I brought it in and, because of a few other issues that were already present, the fellow told me it wasn’t worth fixing and I should just get a new one.

So, for the time being at least, I was unable to post the blog but that’s okay because this scenario inspired a new topic altogether!

Now, this might get a little woo woo but I’m all about the woo woo so stick with me here.

Most of us use technology to create or at least support our creativity. Whether you write or compose music on a computer or you use social media to let your fans know about your next art show, technology is a part of what we do.

And sometimes things go wrong. Sometimes things go wrong at a critical moment when they really need to be going right. Your hard drive crashes just before your album’s about to drop. Your audio software won’t let you make the mp3 files that you need to send to a voice client asap.

At moments like that, thoughts can be going through your head like, “Maybe I’m not meant to do this. The universe is giving me a sign that I need to change my direction.” Trust me – I have had those thoughts many times!

But here’s the thing. The universe is not giving you a sign that you should quit.

If you have the desire to keep on, then you’re supposed to keep on. What the universe is telling you is it’s time to upgrade so things run more smoothly for you in the future. The universe is telling you to release the album next week when it will be better received because of some event that will make it the perfect time for your music to get out into the world. The universe is telling you that you might want to listen to that audio file again because you somehow failed to delete some profanities that you dropped after you made a mistake while you were recording.

And sometimes these things just happen because they happen.

When I was studying music at university, one of my professors said something I will never forget. He told us to not let our work be limited by technology. In that scenario, he was referring to the capabilities of certain software and how we can always find a way to do what we want to do but that advice applies here as well.

When you experience those crisis moments, after you’ve shed the necessary tears and cursed the gods above, sit still for a moment and ask yourself, if this wasn’t happening right now, do I still love my work? Do I love creating music/writing/making films? If you can say that, if you acknowledge that you still love the essence of the craft, than you are still supposed to be doing it.

Maybe there is a way of working that uses less technology if that’s more comfortable for you. Maybe it’s about upgrading your tools so you can work more effectively. Or maybe it’s about learning to be patient, keep calm, know that these things happen and you can work through them.

In Swimming Tigress Music news,

It’s September, the start of the new lesson season. So, if you or anyone you know is looking to experience the joy of learning to sing, I am currently accepting students in person and via Skype for the upcoming year. You can find more information on the Music Lessons page on this site and then contact me through the Contact page if you have any questions.

Well, that’s all for now. Have a fabulous day!

Muse TV – How To Address Expectations And Questions From New Students

September 4, 2015 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Hey guys!

So, this week I would like to present another episode of Muse TV!

If you haven’t see it before, Muse TV provides tips and tricks for musicians and music teachers.

This episode is called How To Deal With Expectations From New Students. As music teachers, we are presented with students who want to take music lessons for a variety of reasons and each student comes with their own expectations of how lessons should go and what they are looking to get out of them – the stories are really as numerous as the number of potential students!

I wanted to present some scenarios that I have encountered personally so help those beginning teachers who may not quite know how to respond to these expectations and questions – like, what can you say when a student tells you they just want to be famous? Or what if they don’t want to do warm-up exercises?

I hope you find this episode illuminating in some way! And if you have any other scenarios that you have experienced, feel free to share the story and how you handled things in the comments below! I’d love to hear what you have to say!

Well, that’s about all for now. Have a fabulous day!

The Beauty of Creative Cross-Inspiration

August 20, 2015 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Hey guys!

So, a couple of weeks ago, I talked about trying on other creative roles, suggesting that we often identify ourselves in a certain way and it can sometimes keep us in a box so it can behoove us, if you will, to try something new to inspire us and to see things from a different angle.

Today I’d like to talk about being inspired by art forms other than those in which we currently engage.

But I can also learn and grow as a musician from things that are not music related. My musical inspiration can come from many places, and by that I do not mean seeing daily events as thematic material for my work. There’s more to it than that.

But it’s not even about these art forms working together in an expected way.

This is all about creating a kind of artistic synesthesia, if you will, whereby the different art forms inspire and fuel each other. More about synesthesia in a future blog post.

In Swimming Tigress Music news, I am excited to announce our that I have just finished the last track for the Ladybug Crossings album! The lyric video for Mr. Willywallywolowitz will be out shortly and I’m expecting the album to be released at the end of September!

Speaking of September, it is almost the start of the new lesson season. So, if you or anyone you know is looking to experience the joy of learning to sing, I am currently accepting students in person and via Skype for the upcoming year. You can find more information on the Music Lessons page on this site and then contact me through the Contact page if you have any questions.

Well, that’s all for now. Have a fabulous day!

Who Are You Talking To? Knowing Your Audience

August 12, 2015 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Hey guys!

Some time ago, I posted a blog called “Who are you as an artist?” which looked at what we want to represent as an artists and the message we wish to send.

Today, I would like to add to that conversation by asking the question, who are you talking to when you create? What type of person you are looking to reach with your artistic expression? The answer to this question will affect the way you create your art as well as the way you market it and release it into the world.

Of course, who we are talking to , or our “demographic”, may change from year to year or from project to project as we are constantly seeking growth and new experiences, which can also mean trying on new methods of creative expression. The point is, a performer of children’s music who decides they want to try their hand at writing a book for young adults will likely approach the work in an entirely different way.

You may not always have an anticipated audience in mind at first. When you first conceive of a book, you may simply have a vision of a character or a situation and not be quite clear as to how the story will evolve.

However, over time, you will hopefully recognize the story that you are trying to tell and have some concept of who that story is for, whether it be adults, teens, or children. You might also want to look at the specific type of adult, teen or child who will benefit from your work. Is it directed at a particular type of person – say, someone interested in sports or someone interested in spirituality? We can often be be inclined to think big and say our book or our music will appeal to everyone so as to cover all the bases and gain the widest possible audience but you are really doing yourself and the work a disservice and run the risk of the work being unfocused and, ultimately, not appealing to anyone.

Knowing who your audience is can clarify the language you use, the themes presented, the complexity of the work and much more so once you’ve got that figured out you may want to go back and make some adjustments.

This is not to suggest that you need to squelch your creativity or that you have to cater to anyone, per se. Rather, it is an understanding that certain language may not be appropriate for, or understood by, young readers or a song with many key changes may be complicated for younger ears. Or realizing that a certain demographic will appreciate subtle nuances, subtext and plot twists whereas another might be completely baffled.

It’s not giving in or selling out. It is creating something that people will enjoy and find meaningful. And that’s the goal after all, isn’t it?

As a singer and composer, I have a rather diverse musical background and I have enjoyed it all. But I have to remember that my style of writing in an operatic aria will be different in many ways from my style of writing of a pop song or a children’s song. The chord progressions will be different. The melodic lines will be different. I have had family members listen to a pop song I had recorded and tell me there is just “too much” in there – too many words, too much going on musically. It took some time for me to realize that, while some unique twists are fun and interesting, I was writing a song, not a symphony.

And I have found myself using a somewhat different singing voice with my children’s work. I feel young ears will relate to a sweeter sound rather than a big, booming opera voice. Not that the styles never influence each other but singing Doodley Doo with an operatic tone? I’m not sure how that would fly. 🙂

Similarly, if you are an artist who has been asked to create paintings to hang on the walls of a fine dining restaurant, the subject matter you explore might be different than if you were working on painting for a children’s hospital. You are setting the tone for that space and must be cognisant of how that space is being used and by whom.

If this is not a work for hire, which would already have a pre-determined home, once the project is complete it is a matter of knowing how to reach those people for whom your work is intended. An entire book could be devoted to the topic of marketing alone, of course, and certainly that has been done. But for the purposes of this discussion, I would like to suggest that if you have, for example, written a book on spirituality, you may find that there are many other ways to reach your audience outside of libraries and bookstores.

When you know who your work is for, then you can find creative ways to get your work out into the world. Does your audience use social media? Does your audience go to farmers markets? Does your audience attend Com-Con every year?

So, as you work on your next song, story, painting etc., think about who you want to reach and see if that changes anything. When you know who you’re talking to, they’re more likely to listen!

In Swimming Tigress news, I’ve just put up what will be the last lyric video from Ladybug Crossings for Loud! So much fun! I hope you enjoy it!

Sometimes It Just Takes a While – Give Your Dreams Just a Little More Time!

August 5, 2015 by tprochera Leave a Comment

Hey Guys!

So, most of us, when we take on a creative career, want to reach as many people as possible. As humble as we want to be, on one level we would love to have people all over the world singing our songs, reading our books, enjoying our paintings.

So when we put something out there, when we release our child into the world, we can become discouraged and dismayed if there isn’t an immediate response – if we don’t have Hollywood directors or major publishing houses beating down our door the day after the launch. I myself have boxes of books and CDs that I’m actually pretty proud of but, for a variety of reasons, have not as yet been commercially successful, though they certainly have inspired those who have been exposed to them. 🙂

I say they have not “as yet” been successful because I am well aware that circumstances can change. I was recently watching an interview with the lovely Rachel Platten, the singer/songwriter behind the inspirational hit of the summer, Fight Song. She spent years working regular jobs and playing gigs until the wee hours of the morning and was on the verge of giving up when she came upon one of her old journals from her childhood and found herself inspired by this young girl who had such faith in herself. And now she’s performing in front of thousands of people every night all over the world!

Check out the clip from the show and I bet you’ll be ready to make your dreams happen!

I also want to share a tasty tidbit from Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday when she interviewed the fascinating Paulo Coehlo, author of the inspiring philosophical novel, The Alchemist.

Now one of the most popular books of all time, having sold 65 million copies, Coehlo will be the first to admit that The Alchemist was hardly a phenomenon when it was first released. The book had a slow start, to say the least!

After selling next to zero copies of the book over several months, he went on the search for another publisher..

Then, when the book was reissued, the word started to spread like wildfire, with A-list celebrities singing its praises, and history was made!

I want to say this. Certainly people can change paths and there may come a time when it would be best to move on to something else that will ultimately prove to be more fulfilling for you. But if you truly believe with all your heart that you are doing what you are here to do on this earth, do what you need to do to make sure you have a roof over your head and all that and give your dream just a little more time to percolate! You’ll be glad you did!

And don’t forget to add your two cents or a nickel to this conversation. Did you have a dream come true just when you were ready to quit? Did you just know something was meant to be even though you weren’t seeing the results you wanted right away and then suddenly it all came together? Let us know!

In Swimming Tigress Music news this week, I’ve posted a bunch more fabulous and fun material on Pinterest, including sheet music, demos and more, so check it out and enjoy!

Have a fabulous day!

A Curious Mind – The Book And The Thing

Challenging Your Thoughts – Reminding Yourself About Who You Are

Guiding Your Students Through Arts Competitions

The Ins and Outs of Crowdfunding

Cross-Inspiration: Learning From Other Art Forms

Don’t Let The Tech Get You Down!

Muse TV – How To Address Expectations And Questions From New Students

The Beauty of Creative Cross-Inspiration

Who Are You Talking To? Knowing Your Audience

Sometimes It Just Takes a While – Give Your Dreams Just a Little More Time!

WORK WITH STM

LET’S CONNECT!