One of the biggest sources of frustration for an artist is the feeling that he or she is going slow. That results take time, that others are moving faster, or that the effort is not immediately reflected. In large part, this happens because there is a distorted idea of the real pace of an artistic career.
Most of the trajectories that today appear to be consolidated did not follow a fast or linear path. What happens is that we tend to see only the end result, not the time or the processes that came before.
THE FALSE IDEA OF RAPID GROWTH
Networks and platforms have reinforced the idea that fast growth is the norm. One-off cases of accelerated success are presented as benchmarks, when in fact they are exceptions.
Most musical projects progress progressively, with stages of slow growth, apparent stagnation and small leaps that come after a lot of accumulated work.
WHEN THE PROJECT PROGRESSES MORE SLOWLY THAN EXPECTED
Feeling that the pace is slower than expected does not mean that something is going wrong. In many cases, it indicates that the project is being built on more solid foundations: better artistic judgement, more conscious decisions and more refined processes.
Impatience often arises when expectations are not aligned with the reality of the sector and where the artist is at.
RHYTHM AS A DECISION, NOT AS A PUNISHMENT
Going slowly is not always a limitation. Sometimes it is a necessary decision in order not to get burnt out, not to improvise constantly and not to lose the sense of the project.
Many artists accelerate the pace due to external pressure and end up exhausted, demotivated or disconnected from their own work. Adjusting the pace to what can be sustained over time is a way of protecting one's career, not slowing it down.
PROGRESS THAT YOU DON'T NOTICE AT FIRST
In an artistic career, much of the progress happens before it is visible. Learning to pitch better, communicate more consistently, understand the audience or make better strategic decisions often precedes any clear rise in numbers.
When results appear, they are usually the consequence of previous work that has been going on for some time.
ACCEPT YOUR RHYTHM TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS
Accepting the real pace of the project reduces anxiety and improves the quality of decisions. It allows you to stop running by inertia and to start choosing more judiciously what steps to take and when.
An artist who understands his or her rhythm tends to move forward more steadily and with less wear and tear than one who tries to follow a schedule that does not correspond to him or her.
AN ARTISTIC CAREER IS BUILT BY ACCUMULATION
Sustainable growth does not usually come from a single key moment, but from the sum of many well-made decisions over time. Every song, every learning and every adjustment counts, even if it is not always immediately noticeable.
This assumption helps to sustain the process without constant frustration.
Understanding the real pace of an artistic career allows you to move forward with more calm, more clarity and more commitment to the project in the long term.
