Maynard James Keenan (Singer for Tool) said it best, and I quote “Start from the basics of what it will take you to survive. You need a roof over your head, food, and clothes. Just start there. Everything else should go into your art.” Wise words, from a smart man. Yet I find it funny, just how difficult something as simple as that can actually be. Between paying the bills and everything else that life throws at us, you truly have to be commited to constantly keep on working on your passion/art day in and day out. Although, the beauty of it is that it never feels like work.

Now I could go into bullet point details of what I think it takes to be a great artist but truthfully, Maynard sums it up quite nicely. It’s just the commitment to act on your passion and make that your number one focus, all the time. It would also be nice if we we’re able to do that thing we love and get paid for it, I think they call that a utopian society? Which begs the question of “If every one got to do what they love to do all the time, then who would clean our toilets?”

So anyway, in my experience, trying to work on music all the time can sometimes feel like a delicate balancing act. Not the work itself, but making the time and organizing schedules. Some weeks are great, but there are some where you have to walk a tight rope while juggling flaming torches and puppy dogs. It’s quite the act, but ultimately, it always works out, assuming your heart is in the right place and it’s what you truly want to do. So being a great artist in my opinion, is pretty simple, you just have to make the time and DO IT!

With that, I’m going to go get my guitar and start playing.

🙂

Shane Lamotte
shane@livingillusion.com
http://www.livingillusion.com/wordpress/