Songwriting can seem like a tough business to be in, so having the right mindset and a positive attitude is important. A lot of people create limiting beliefs about themselves that hold them back from accomplishing what they really want. Songwriters do it all the time.
A limiting belief is something you believe that holds you back from achieving what you want. The kicker is, they aren't even true. What's so powerful about beliefs is that they're more than just ideas. They're ideas that are supercharged with our emotions. For that reason they can seem impossible to shake, if they're negative, but it's actually not that hard.
An easy way to get rid of your limiting beliefs is to ask yourself: "Was there ever a time when that wasn't true?" You'll be surprised to see that the answer is basically always "yes." Let's look at some common limiting beliefs songwriters have, and how to dispel them.
Limiting Belief: I can't make it in the music business. I don't have any connections. It's all who you know.
The Truth: Now more than ever, independent musicians are creating opportunities for their own success. Tools like social media sites, and home recording studios have made it possible for someone to create and distribute their own music with ease. It's a better time than ever to be approaching music on your own. Sites like Taxi give you direct access to submitting your music to industry professional. It happens constantly that independent musicians make a living within having an "in" in the industry.
Having said that, it's IS good to know people. For that reason, if you don't have connections, then start getting them. Start networking with other musicians. Go to open mics, songwriting conventions, and get involved with songwriting forums, and social media groups online. When you get involved with these things, don't just meet people and tell them what you want. Instead build relationships with them. Your relationship with one person can lead to another and another through mutual friends. Before you know it, you'll have a solid foundation of industry contacts.
Limiting Belief: I'm too old to start making money with my music.
The Truth: People start making money with their music at all different ages. Again, it happens all the time. Susan Boyle was almost fifty when she started getting millions of hits on her YouTube videos. What if she would have told herself she was too old to try?
Do record labels typically look for people in their teens or early twenties to be the face of pop music? A lot of times they do, but becoming a pop star in that sense is not the only road to the music business. Get great at what you do, so you can become irresistible to who you're trying to attract.
Limiting Belief: I'm too young to be a songwriter.
The Truth: I'll hear younger kids say things like "I'm trying to be a songwriter." If you've written a song, you ARE a songwriter. Period. Eliminate that word "trying" from your vocabulary, and simply do. If you think you're too young to make money with your music, there are plenty of precedents that shatter that myth. Just look at the Jackson 5. If you're still concerned about being too young, just wait a while and it'll go away.
Limiting Belief: I can't build a fan base. No one wants to hear my music.
The Truth: Things like email lists and social media sites make it easier than ever to build a fan base and maintain a relationship with your fans. Artists do it all the time. Why would you be different? If you're concerned about your songs no being good enough, an education in songwriting will help you with that. That's why you're reading this article, so don't worry -- you're already on the right track.
Now it's your turn. Make a list of your own personal limiting beliefs and then come up with reasons that they're not true. It'll help you realize you're capable of so much more than you thought. The truth is whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're probably right.
We're only bound by the shackles we put on ourselves. It's up to us to remove them. Start asking yourself these questions and then prove to yourself they're not true. Don't settle for anything less than that.
To learn more, download my free EBook here:
http://www.SuccessForYourSongs.com/freeoffer/
Anthony Ceseri is the owner of http://www.successforyoursongs.com/, a website dedicated to the growth and development of songwriters of all skill levels. Anthony's writings appear as examples in the book "Songwriting Without Boundaries: Lyric Writing Exercises For Finding Your Voice" by Pat Pattison, an acclaimed lyric writing professor at Berklee College of Music.
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