The Importance of Independence

Maintaining focus despite a lack of local support

When your friends’ don’t support your creative pursuits as much as you might hope, it can be disconcerting. This isn’t necessarily intentional but you can’t expect everyone to keep up to date with everything you’re doing all of the time, we all have thing’s to do. However, I’ve recently started noticing the difference in support from people I see regularly compared to those I’ve never met, inspiring me to air my thoughts on this with the hope of urging anyone getting disappointed by a lack of support from their friends’ to keep on grinding.

I’m a music producer and some of my closest friends’ have never bought my music, something that I try not to take to heart, but as an artist, it’s hard not too, especially when people who I’ve probably only spoken to a handful of times go out of their way to put their hand in their pocket and purchase something I’ve made.

Obviously, this won’t be the case for everyone, so consider yourself lucky if this doesn’t apply to you, but if it does, don’t get disheartened by the lack of support from those in your immediate social circle. Don’t forget, we’re now living in an era of consumerism and an extremely fast paced society and not everyone will even be aware of everything you’re doing. It’s important to notice the difference between a lack of support and a complete ignorance. I wouldn’t advise spending too much time, if any at all, with people who criticise what you’re doing, unless they’re doing it constructively, or those who completely ignore your passion, for obvious reasons.

If none of your friends’ make music (replace making music with your chosen creative activities here) they won’t necessarily identify the importance a simple Facebook like, share, or comment has to you and your progression. However, the random producer who has, like you, spent hundreds of hours working on his or her own music, facing the same struggles of getting recognition and promoting their own music, is much more likely to support you, financially or otherwise.

Try to build more intimate connection’s to those who do support you, regardless of their location or personal importance to you because these people have already shown a commitment that you can’t buy with promotional campaigns or advertising. Their willingness to support you by purchasing your EP, commenting on your new Facebook status or retweeting your new Album announcement are irreplaceable action’s that will inevitably help you reach that goal of your’s, whatever it may be.

The numbers will eventually add up and soon your following will be like a miniature army that help you promote each project you launch. So, relying on those around you to propel you forward, and them not doing so, might seem like an initial let down, but it’s not the end of the world. More than likely, when you start hitting your target’s and building a bigger fanbase, those around you will realise all of those hours you’ve put in have paid off and they’ll start contributing in whatever way they can.

And if they still don’t support what you’re doing, they’re probably not someone you want to have around you anyway.