by David Andrew Wiebe | Dec 31, 2020 | Creativity
At times, I have wrestled with perfectionism.
And I know many people, even those in my inner circle, who struggle with perfectionism.
It’s okay to admit it. You’re in good company.
The question is – how can your overcome it? Can you reframe your perspective? See things from another point of view? Distinguish your fears or hang ups?
Here are three ways I’ve successfully overcome perfectionism.
Publish More
I have found one of the best ways to overcome perfectionism is to publish more.
Don’t like your voice? Record 100 podcast episodes and put them up on iTunes.
Don’t like how you look? Film 100 videos and upload them to YouTube.
Think your music sucks? Make 100 songs and distribute them through CD Baby.
I promise you will feel differently about your work if you just focus on creating and publishing for a while, without getting caught up in anything else.
I’m running a tight ship here on my blog these days, but trust me, when I was getting started, there was no form, no plan, and no intended audience. I just started writing. And my early posts are still in the archives for anyone to see.
Even though I’d had over a decade of experience building niche sites and building traffic to them, I still had to find my voice for this new undertaking.
Some will say one amazing piece of content is worth more than 100 pieces of terrible content. But what if you can’t get to that amazing piece until you’ve gone through the 100 terrible pieces first?
Trust me, all your heroes have practiced too.
If you really feel you need to create a spotless record, then publish under a pseudonym. You can always take the “greatest hits” and publish them under your real name or artist name.
One of the reasons you’re worried about perfectionism is because you haven’t published enough. Because when you publish frequently, you realize people don’t care that much anyway, and you were better off getting started yesterday to build some momentum.
Start with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Lately, I’ve been working on a new website/membership platform. I’ve spoken elsewhere about this, but for whatever reason I kept putting it off even though it represented a great opportunity.
Sidebar, I’ve recognized that there’s a big difference between unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Unfamiliar is when you’re treading into unknown territory. Uncomfortable is when you don’t know how to act in a situation.
Distinguishing the two gave me access to something I didn’t have before. I started to see that I wasn’t uncomfortable building my new website. I was unfamiliar with the new platform. And I was kind of dreading having to learn new tech.
So, getting back to the point, we often feel like we should work on something until it’s perfect before the world ever sees it. It’s amazing how much this can slow you down.
Instead of trying to get everything perfect on my website, developing all the copy, getting the graphics to sit and look right, working on all the boring disclaimer pages, I just started blocking everything in.
Logo goes here. Menu goes there. This button leads to that page. And so on.
It wasn’t perfect. I knew I would need to adjust the size of the logo, swap out the typography, add more copy, flesh out the boring content pages, and more.
But I realized there was no need to put makeup on something that wasn’t even out there working for me.
I’d heard about starting with an MVP before. I just didn’t fully understand the wisdom in that until now.
If you start with the basics, you’ll be able to bring your project to market sooner, get feedback on it, and even start making money with it, if that’s your goal.
Plus, you can still make it better later. But that extra 20% of greatness probably won’t matter to most of your audience, and it probably won’t make your project that much more appealing either. Patreon CEO Jack Conte expressed similar sentiments with me regarding his musical efforts.
Remember How Good it Feels to Finish Something
Until you make the decision to get started, stay started, and remain started until something is finished, goals and to-do items are allowed to sit on your calendar indefinitely. And the longer they stay there, the more anxiety they can elicit. No wonder we begin resenting our own projects!
It has been my own experience that, over the years, I have not always been the best finisher of projects. I have started many, and many were completed. But I’m acutely aware of the books I have yet to complete, the music I have yet to release, the courses I have yet to launch, and more.
Sometimes I overestimate what I can do in a year. Other times, I just don’t prioritize well enough (remember the unfamiliar/uncomfortable distinction from earlier – it helps!).
In times like these, I try to remember how good it feels to finish something.
My biggest accomplishment in 2020 was launching my latest book, The Music Entrepreneur Code. Although I did complete other projects, the main reason I feel this was my biggest accomplishment is because though I teed up a bunch of other projects, I never finished them (hopefully, I’ve set myself up for an amazing 2021).
My second biggest accomplishment would be publishing daily since the end of July.
The point is that you can make finishing a habit. You can learn to focus on one thing at a time (recommended), and you can get in a powerful momentum cycle by doing so. Doesn’t that sound great?
Just remember – it takes work and discipline.
Perfectionism, Final Thoughts
If there’s one thing I know about perfectionism, it’s that it can’t be overcome by sitting around and thinking about it. But it can be overcome by action.
So, the ultimate question is, what will you do next? What actions will you take today?
How have you overcome perfectionism? What has worked for you?
Let me know in the comments.
Shh… Don’t tell anyone. Only the cool kids are talking about it.
Get your copy of The Music Entrepreneur Code.
by David Andrew Wiebe | Dec 24, 2020 | Creativity
So, what’s the deal with blogging all the time?
Isn’t video where it’s at now?
Do you have an ulterior motive when it come to your publishing efforts?
In this post, I share my 31 reasons for blogging, some of which are for career reasons. But you will find there are many other benefits to blogging that make it a win-win.
1. Inspire Creatives & Creators
Music Entrepreneur HQ exists to help musicians create the life they love through music.
The Indie YYC’s mission is to inspire artists in pursuit of independent creativity, independent thought, and independent life.
And the reason I publish daily on my personal blog is because my mission is to inspire creatives and creators.
Do you notice a running theme?
I am under no delusion that I can inspire anyone without being inspirational. Which is why publishing daily has become even more important to me. Developing the habit, showing up, and doing the work is what turns a snowball into an avalanche. It’s also what distinguishes a pro from an amateur.
2. Build an Audience
I will continue to work on many things – music, books, courses, businesses, communities, and more. I’ve put my blood, sweat, and tears into these projects, which I believe are all worthy of an audience.
No matter what I end up doing, I will always need an audience. It doesn’t need to be large. It just needs to be engaged.
So far, though I have had some minor successes, I have not built a large audience on any platform. But looking at all the things I’ve done so far, blogging has proven the most effective activity for building an audience of any I’ve tried.
3. Build Awareness for My Projects
I have a page dedicated to my projects, which I reference often in my blog posts.
Not all projects are tied to money, and as I’ve already shared, inspiration is at the core of all of them.
But it also goes without saying that if there’s no money, there’s no mission. Projects need to be at least self-sustaining to be workable, though I typically give them plenty of time, attention, and nurturing to get to that point.
4. Develop Content
It may seem as though publishing is the final step in any creative effort, but the reality is that whatever you end up publishing could end up being the first iteration of many to come.
Musicians will publish music, only to have it remastered and re-released again later. Sometimes, they will publish live, acoustic, or even revised versions of the same music.
People vote with their attention, and you never know when you might strike a chord with an idea that’s worth pursuing further. Publishing daily gives you an opportunity to see what might have some resonance sooner rather than later.
5. Develop Product
Whether it’s blog posts, eBooks, books, podcast episodes, audiobooks, presentations, courses, or otherwise, writing is typically at the foundation of all things I develop. Some of the content is unscripted but much of it has been thought through in advance.
The things I publish could form the foundation for the products I later deliver, and in some cases, are little snippets of the product in finished form.
Most recently, I completed a series on life transitions in 16 days. This could easily be turned into a book, eBook, audiobook, or otherwise. I’m looking into this possibility.
Many years ago, Darren Rowse of ProBlogger launched an eBook called 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. All the content is on his blog, available for free. But there’s something about bundling up all that content that appealed to buyers. This has been an enduring and successful product for Rowse.
Blogging is going to appear like spinning wheels to some. The way I see it, the more strategic and intentional I can get with it, the more opportunities I can ultimately create for myself.
6. Document My Journey
I come from a family of teachers. My dad was a teacher. My mom was a teacher. My sister has taught at different times in her life. Many of my aunts and uncles are teachers.
It’s quite easy for me to go into “teaching mode,” even in my publishing efforts. But that isn’t my intention with the blog.
More than anything, I intend to document and share my journey. Because I haven’t “arrived” by any stretch of the imagination, and I don’t expect everything I’ve published to this point has been brilliant either (hopefully, it’s getting better).
I’m off to a good start, but in many ways, I’m just getting started.
7. Legacy
God willing, one day (hopefully soon), my blog will prove useful to others.
I have documented my journey through good times and bad times, through trials and tribulations, through twists and turns, surprises and shocks.
I do not plan for legacy. But if what I’ve documented proves useful to just one person many generations from now, I’ll be elated.
8. Develop a Valuable Skill
Communication is an incredibly valuable skill, and in these fast-paced, microwave, social media drenched times, it’s becoming more of a lost art by the day.
No matter how popular videos or podcasts or presentations become, the written word will continue to touch, move, and inspire people. It allows people to tap into their imagination, which is more powerful than most realize.
Writing is a valuable and rare skill, though in some ways it is also becoming commoditized.
9. I Love Writing
So, let’s keep this in perspective. My first love was arts and crafts. As a child, I loved drawing, painting, crafting… basically anything to do with creating.
Since I grew up in Japan, when I returned to Canada as a teen, writing in English was not one of my strengths. But I started to take interest in it because I began building websites.
Before I knew it, I was obsessing over vocabulary, spending time in Reader’s Digest, dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopedias, and other sources.
It was also around that time that I began taking a stronger interest in music, which basically replaced my drawing, painting, crafting, and so forth.
But writing stuck with me through the years, and so did music and building websites.
Some people call me a writer. That’s not quite true. I am just as much an artist, musician, web designer, podcaster, presenter, teacher, and more.
But I can’t deny that writing brings me joy, even if it’s a lot like having homework every day for the rest of your life.
10. Organize My Thoughts
How do you know how you think about a specific subject? How much do you really know about it?
Here’s a good way to find out – write about it!
It has been my experience, as well as the experience of some of my friends, that we know way more about our areas of study than we realized. But it was only through blogging, writing, and content creation that this became apparent.
If you want to collect your thoughts on anything, try writing!
11. Generate & Explore Ideas
I often spend time thinking out loud. I’m sure, at times, it seems as though I have no clue what I’m talking about (which is probably true), though at other times, I hit on something that matters to others.
At the foundation of most projects and products is an idea that resonates, and by publishing daily, I get to see what you are searching for and are interested In, both in the short term and the longer term.
12. Reinforce My learning
I’ve often shared about things I’ve been learning as I continue to live out my mission. But it’s human to forget some of what you learned.
By documenting my journey, I get to look back on the things I’ve learned. I get to execute on the ideas I’ve documented and shared. I can re-presence myself to things I may have otherwise forgotten about completely.
13. There Will Always be Something to Write About
Every few years, speaker Mitch Joel announces the death of blogging. I get what he means. You can’t publish a few sentences on LiveJournal and expect 10 thoughtful comments on it anymore.
But blogging, or at least content marketing, isn’t dead. The written word still drives more traffic than multimedia content like podcasts. And depending on where you’re putting your focus, it gets more traffic long term than YouTube videos too.
You can do well on any channel. But I’ve been podcasting for over 11 years and I have never seen more than about 3,300 downloads per month. I have been publishing videos on YouTube since 2009, and I do not have a single video with over 85,000 views, or a channel that has crossed the threshold of 200 subscribers.
(if you want to help me get there, please take a moment to subscribe to my main channel.)
Now, it’s important to realize that when you make videos, the video is the product. When you blog, the blog is just the content. The product is something else.
Either way, there will always be something to write about. Just look at what unfolded in 2020. Whether it’s current events, technology, or otherwise, someone somewhere will always want to be inspired, informed, or entertained.
14. Portfolio
Over the years, your blog becomes your portfolio. And every creative and creator should have a portfolio. Not to be hired, though that could be a happy byproduct of logging your work.
Your portfolio is an extension of self. It shows who you are, where you came from, where you are now, and what you’ve done. And few things could be more human than that.
I know about all the products I’ve made that I currently support. But I’ve forgotten about the many legacy products I longer do anything with.
My blog helps me keep track of all those things, and it becomes my voice in the world.
15. Stay Sharp
A creative can become complacent at any level. I say “level” here as though there are places to get to, which is only true if there is something you aspire to. If your art or your projects make you happy, and that is enough, then that is enough.
But every day we have a choice. We can show up and do the work, or we can sit on our laurels.
No matter how much you think you’ve accomplished, no matter how much of a contribution you think you’ve made, no matter how tired you are from working on that last project, there is always something more to give within you. The creative spirit never dies.
If you want to stay sharp, show up and do the work, even when you don’t feel like it.
16. Be Generous & Give Back
It’s easy to think that anyone who publishes daily or blogs all the time has an ulterior motive. But you can dig into my archives and mine for gems at any time. Everything there will remain free, forever.
I don’t have ulterior motives. My motives are quite clear, and you can read all about them in this post.
No one in their right mind would put this much effort into blogging if there wasn’t a generous spirit behind it.
Generally, I don’t interrupt my posts to do product pitches anymore. I will passively mention my books, courses, and anything else I’m working on, but you generally won’t hear me say, “hire me for your next writing project NOW!”
See, I can’t convince you to do what isn’t of any interest to you to begin with.
Sharing is generous. Especially when you share freely, openly, and candidly about what you’re learning and what you’re doing.
17. Create Contacts
People notice when you write about them, even high-profile people.
Now, when I mention an entrepreneur, a YouTube personality, a Forbes contributor, and the like, rarely if ever do I hear from them.
But I often do hear from people who are grateful for the PR and exposure, people in the same industry, or content creators who aren’t as well-known.
You can create many connections by blogging, and you can double and even triple your results by leaving thoughtful and insightful comments on other people’s social media posts.
I’ve booked many a podcast interview by interacting with others on social media.
Today, I know people all over the world – Canada, U.S., U.K., Japan, Finland, Australia, New Zealand, and more.
Blogging can broaden your world in a big way.
18. Promote My Friends
I have been very intentional in sharing about my friends (fellow creatives and creators) in blog posts, podcast episodes, books, and more. I even did this in my latest podcast episode.
I don’t know how much they benefit from my mentioning them. But even if it results in one new follower or fan for them, I think it’s worth it.
This is a part of my ongoing efforts to be generous, supportive, and inspirational.
19. Share The Love
Whether it’s mentors, coaches, my Dream 100 or otherwise, I get to honor all the great people that have shown me the way by showing up daily. I get to give away credit and put a spotlight on those who have been beyond generous to me. And I get to pay that forward too.
20. For My Future Self
Today, I might hate sitting down to write (I don’t – but occasionally, such as when I’m not feeling my best, it’s not a walk in the park). But I know my future self will thank me if I stay consistent and keep doing the work.
I have not reached the level author Derek Sivers is at. He says he does everything in service of his future self. Wow.
But I know I will thank myself later for the effort I’m putting in now. That makes it worth doing.
21. Build Trust & Credibility
I’m aware that many entrepreneurs use various psychological tactics to sell. And that’s their way. My way is to build long-term trust and credibility with my audience.
I know that my way takes longer. But that’s okay because I know it leads to better long-term results.
22. Build Authority
With regards to Music Entrepreneur HQ, I’ve had several people tell me “your presence in this space is hard to ignore.”
That tells me I’ve been able to dominate a niche and build authority in it. And because of that authority, when anyone needs anything as applied to modern music entrepreneurship, they’re going to come to me first.
23. Generate Traffic
Blogging helps you build traffic to your website. You’ve probably heard that before.
But as with anything else, it will do nothing for you if you don’t stick with it.
My goal is to generate a large amount of targeted, engaged traffic over the long haul.
24. Grow Social Media Following
Because of the goings on in 2020, I could see myself ditching Facebook and Twitter completely. I might even minimize my use of YouTube.
But I will continue to leverage different platforms like Medium, and to that extent, I will always be looking to build my following.
Again, a targeted and engaged following is more valuable to me than an artificial one, which is why I’m not relying on being a flash in the pan.
25. Marketing & Promotion
As I’ve already shared, I concentrate on this less, because I know it’s a long-term byproduct of the short bursts of effort that go into blogging.
But there’s no beating around the bush with this. Whether you call it building a following or sharing your works, ultimately marketing and promotion is at the heart of it. It’s just the terminology that may not sit well with some.
26. Generate Money on Medium
I’ve made it clear that I would like to up my Medium game, and I have been doing exactly that over the course of the last five months or so.
(I’ve been experimenting with the platform for much longer than that, but I’ve been taking it more seriously here in 2020.)
My efforts are starting to pay off, as I’ve effectively tripled my income from Medium, but right now that doesn’t amount to more than a cup of coffee.
Still, I’m constantly exploring and trying different things, and there are new platforms popping up all the time. Medium is just one among many now.
27. Take Advantage of New Opportunities
Medium is just one opportunity. Apparently, Quora has a partner program too.
I’ve been messing around with Tumblr, Blogger, and HubPages for years.
I’m also a little curious of News Break, Weebly, Ghost, and so forth.
And I’ve experimented with many others over the years, like InfoBarrel.
So long as I’m writing, there will always be new opportunities, and I will always be able to take advantage of them fast.
28. Make Money from Self-Publishing
A great deal of effort goes into everything I write. This post, for example, is about 3,200 words in length.
Tell most people to sit at their desk and write 3,200 words, and their eyes will glaze over.
I like to leverage my writing wherever and whenever possible. Syndication and distribution is just the beginning.
Content can also become eBooks, books, audiobooks, courses, presentations, and a great deal more.
Inspiration and generosity are at the foundation of what I do, but I believe in being shrewd about repurposing and leveraging the things I’ve created, too.
29. Create an Income from Writing
I have been making a healthy income from writing in different capacities since 2016.
But it certainly can’t hurt to maintain a presence online. My services may not be for everyone, but there will always be those who want it. And if I keep writing, those people will find me. I have a lean stable of high paying clients, so generally, I don’t need to go looking for more work. I can let it come to me.
If you want to see examples of my writing, all you need to do is go through the blog archives.
30. Repurpose & Monetize
I’ve hinted at this already, but so long as you’ve got content, there will always be new opportunities to repurpose and monetize it.
Monetization is secondary to all other things mentioned here, but as I said, I believe in being shrewd when it comes to exploiting copyrights. I feel it is the responsible thing to do as a creative or creator.
31. Sell Services & Products
I’ve mentioned some of my services and products throughout this post in passing. But you won’t find a single sales pitch.
It’s a dead horse now, but as I’ve said, leveraging your works is the responsible thing to do as a creative or creator.
If the occasional person decides to work with me, that’s more than enough for me.
Final Thoughts
Depending on where technology goes, perhaps there will be no reason to write in the future. I’m not discounting that possibility.
But for the time being, I can think of more reasons to blog than not. And because it’s fun to me, and there are still opportunities to tap into, I see no reason to stop.
Maybe blogging isn’t for you. That’s okay. The message is to follow your heart, be generous, and exploit your creative works to the greatest extent possible. It’s your responsibility.
Do you blog or create content? Why or why not? What have you learned and gained from your publishing efforts?
Let me know in the comments below.
Shh… Don’t tell anyone. Only the cool kids are talking about it.
Get your copy of The Music Entrepreneur Code.
by David Andrew Wiebe | Nov 26, 2020 | Entrepreneurship
I’ve shared about the fact that I’ve been publishing daily since the end of July.
And if you’ve been keeping an eye on my Medium feed, then you already know what’s up.
But why prioritize publishing? Don’t I have better things to do? Don’t I have higher priorities?
Here’s why I’m publishing daily.
I’m Sharing My Story
We’ve all got a story to share.
I’ve experienced all kinds of things in this lifetime – major earthquakes, the death of my father, writing five books, and a great deal more.
There’s no value in a story never told. But there’s always value in stories shared, even if they only ever touch, move, or inspire one person.
Stories can be instructive, insightful, entertaining, educational, and more.
My story may never be told to large audiences. But if some aspect of it resonates with a few people, that’s more than enough. And if it can make their lives better, nothing could possibly make me happier.
I’m Putting What I Know into Practice
Author of Show Your Work! Austin Kleon suggests artists set up a website with a custom domain and blog every day about their creativity.
Author Seth Godin talks about showing up. And true to his word, he shows up daily. Publishing daily is not a decision for him (more on that later).
Marketer Russell Brunson claims publishing daily will solve all your business problems. I don’t know whether that’s true, but I do like the sound of it.
So, I’m putting something I know to do into practice. Because I’m an artist. And love creating. And I can’t imagine not creating.
I need a portal where I can share everything I create. That’s what this is.
I’m Documenting My Journey & Answering Questions
Hopefully, by documenting my journey and answering your questions, I’m adding value to you. That’s the idea, know it or not.
I can gather that you’re not going to read everything I publish. That’s a given.
But publishing daily gives me a presence. So, you’re less likely to forget about me completely.
And if I’ve added value to you, you’re likely to return for more.
It’s not strictly about building traffic or a following, though that might be a desirable byproduct of publishing daily.
It’s just a way of saying “this is what I’m doing – if you want to, you can do it too.”
I have a vague sense of my purpose in this world, and that’s to inspire people. But you can’t be inspiring without being inspirational. And that means showing up and doing the work.
Being prolific or not isn’t the point. Because I’ve written a few garbage stories since I started publishing daily.
It’s about being available. Being a source of information. Helping people see new possibilities.
I’m Sharing My Works
I have many creative works I think are worth sharing, and many people don’t know about them.
I’ve written five books.
I have two albums, two EPs, and six singles.
And I also have eBooks, courses, a YouTube channel (or two), a podcast, and more.
These things are worth sharing. Not in a “look at me – I’m awesome” kind of way. Not even in a “buy all my stuff” kind of way. More in a “here’s something you might enjoy” kind of way.
Publishing Daily, Final Thoughts
Seth Godin often talks about the fact that certain aspects of his life are “not a decision.”
Each of us have limited willpower and it continually diminishes throughout the day. So, when he says it’s not a decision, he’s saying he doesn’t have to think about certain decisions in his daily life. He just goes and does what he’s chosen to do. This keeps his life optimized.
That’s why publishing daily is not a decision to me. I’m going to do it. And it might seem crazy, or irresponsible, or unreasonable, or unnecessary. The great news is I will enjoy myself either way! And I hope you will too.
Shh… Don’t tell anyone. Only the cool kids are talking about it.
Get your copy of The Music Entrepreneur Code.
