Episode 102: You're Crazy, You're a Genius
Jan 31, 2024Are you pursuing an unconventional or creative passion? This episode explores the challenges faced by all who venture into unique paths. When host Mike Meiers first set out to pursue music, even close people in his life thought he was nuts to try it; until he succeeded and got his first co-write, his first sync placement, his Emmy. Once the courageous ones start to achieve what they set out to, those awkward looks become looks of admiration.
What does it take to persevere in an unconventional career path? Tune into this week’s episode for an empowering discussion that encourages individuals to embrace their unique passion, break free from societal expectation and be amongst the supportive community of artists and musicians.
Listen here or read the (unedited) a.i. transcript below...
You're crazy. You're a genius. It's always you're crazy. When you're working at something until it actually works out and then you get You're a genius. And I admit, it's tough when you run into old friends. Or if you go to family functions and receive a question of, how's that music thing going with an underlying condescending tone, especially when you're not meeting the typical standards of success. If you were in school for literally anything else, like business, and having a tough time, most people would wholeheartedly encourage you to push through because good things can happen. But in this field, it's like surfing an inevitable wave. No one knows what you're doing with all your time. And if you stop to notice, there might not be a ton of positivity help encouragement coming from outside your music circles. What I want you to understand is you're doing things that are so different that people's minds just break, they literally just break because they can't imagine someone actually achieving something. So out of the ordinary. Sometimes you get this well intentioned concerned friend, who really just can't imagine doing it themselves. Even though you are clearly working hard, and you are tirelessly grinding away. Often if you try to explain your vision, it will go right past them. But if you are working and doing the right things, listening to people who have done it before, I 100% encourage you and give you full permission to have this thought when you encounter that resistance. You're ready. That's okay. You don't need to get it and change the subject. As it goes. We've seen this over and over in history, people who were called crazy up until the point, others saw the benefits the real transformation years later. Take David Bowie, for example, his alter ego Ziggy start us was initially seen as eccentric really bizarre, but because of his innovation when it came to music, his unique style, people now consider him a genius. Or take Leonardo da Vinci, who people deemed as nuts crazy because he made sketches of flying machines hundreds of years later before flight. My favorite one Brian Wilson, incredible album, Pet Sounds, he was faced with a ton of skepticism and scrutiny within his band, but ended up inspiring the Beatles. And his album is still seen as a masterpiece. So what's the difference between people who are told you're crazy, and the ones who are told You're genius, the people who are making it happen for themselves. Just keep going. I wish I seriously, I wish I could infuse more positive people into every single one of your lives. But people's reactions are something you can't control. We all know the type of person on the internet who have put themselves out there or tried something once and who now naysay everyone else or trying it. They didn't fully commit and stop trying to make anything bigger or unique happen for themselves. It's those people who I want you to stop listening to. In my experience, it's about listening to the right people who know you're not crazy. And who leave you feeling encouraged instead of feeling like you know, you're doing it all wrong. You have to relinquish this control over what others think and just realign yourself with what you want for your future. It is not your job to get the entire picture yet. It's not your job to know what needs to happen next, get to the next step. And then go to the right people who can help you get the things to stay consistent work at a higher level on your craft and give you feedback. That's what you have to do. Now listen, I get it. I too get this because I felt this so many times. There's a certain amount of bravery that's needed when you're going into a creative field. But it's not about proving everyone wrong. It's instead about the bravery that you have to go after a path that isn't well paved, that you're willing to undergo a process that helps you evolve, evolve the craft, evolve yourself to bring those ideas to life, and learning resilience, despite any weird looks you get from people, when you choose to pursue this passion, especially when it comes to music success is always subjective. The whole experience is subjective. It is honestly filled with so much opportunity for innovation, and a chance to have a life that you frickin love. And that you're proud of. The process of going for something that others don't understand, is a testament to your authenticity. And honestly, I think it's a celebration of being human because this is the only life that we have. We're here to explore create an Express. So the next time someone questions your crazy decisions, embrace it, recognize that you're adding your unique voice and helping to continue to create signs of encouragement on the unpaved path for musicians and artists.
And that does it for this week's episode. And hey, if you've been listening to these episodes, and you've been loving them, I'll just assume you've written us an apple podcast review, right? Right. Oh my Lord. You haven't? No. Oh, wait. All you gotta do is just find us on Apple podcasts. Scroll down, leave us five stars. Talk about your favorite episode. And that's it. Seriously, every single review helps and actually helps improve the ranking of this podcast, please, my mom can only review us so many times. And if you have left us a review, thank you so much, my friend. I really appreciate it.
And that does it for this week's episode. And hey, if you've been listening to these episodes, and you've been loving them, I'll just assume you've written us an apple podcast review, right? Right. Oh my Lord. You haven't? No. Oh, wait. All you gotta do is just find us on Apple podcasts. Scroll down, leave us five stars. Talk about your favorite episode. And that's it. Seriously, every single review helps and actually helps improve the ranking of this podcast, please, my mom can only review us so many times. And if you have left us a review, thank you so much, my friend. I really appreciate it.
