If you fall down, get back up

[VitaminD]

The article linked in this post is on a photography site. However, I find this comic/graphic referenced applies to most endeavors, especially those creative (including music production and instrument playing).

http://petapixel.com/2016/03/03/comic-b ... tographer/

[incubus]

Man, I could rag/slag this to the ground

I'll just say, it's really a nice idea and probably should go up on school boards and refrigerators world wide.

[VitaminD]

Yeah, I'm sure.

I've been around way too many people who try something once, fail, then think it isn't for them.. lots of people give up way too easily. Actually, I'd say that is for most people. I think that is the societal mindset largely... that if you don't succeed at first or second try, trash it and walk away. There isn't enough patience with learning and building that level of knowledge into something functional.

That and people will also doubt that others can do what they could not or did not allow themselves to do...

In any case, hope the info hits the right people.

[cryophonik]

On a related note, it has always amazed me how people who aren't artists, musicians, photographers, etc. have no idea how often and how hard we fail. I remember when I was younger, people would hear me playing something on my bass, synths, piano, organ, or trumpet (I was no prodigy, mind you) and they would always say things like "oh, he's so naturally gifted", or "he was born with it". That BS just irritated the hell out of me because it discounted all the time and effort that I put into it and the countless failures and obstacles that I had to overcome just to be above average.

My wife and I have also been very avid photographers for most of our adult lives (mostly outdoors, landscapes, wildlife). We recently built a home studio and have been working with several models, which has presented a whole new challenge and new ways to fail that we never imagined. We've been doing test shoots with them to get better at studio lighting techniques, and I'd estimate that we're currently getting about one decent shot (i.e., good enough to share on forums for much-needed critiques) for every 25-30 that we take. We still haven't gotten any shots that are comparable to some of our better outdoor shots, and I'm sure that we're in for a lot more failure before we get there. But, we're enjoying the hell out of it and it's cool to have a hobby that we can fail at together, since she's not a musician.

[nickamandote]

they key is accept your failures, don't give up, you're one step better anyway because you've started doing what you love

[incubus]

IF you have talent.

I had to learn the hard way, if you don't have any you'll never get it just because you work very very hard at it

Wait, scratch that, I forgot about "you know who"

[VitaminD]

IF you have talent.

I had to learn the hard way, if you don't have any you'll never get it just because you work very very hard at it

Wait, scratch that, I forgot about "you know who"

You don't necessarily require talent to find success. Skill is gained through effort and learning.

I suppose I have a different (and likely rather unpopular on this site) view of this... in that God gives us talents and the ability to gain skill/equips us for whatever He wants to do through us. Our choice is to use that for selfish or selfless ways.

Even if you don't ascribe to this, I think it is still agreeable that, with enough work, one can obtain a level of skill in a trade or craft. Be it automotive mechanic, tango dancer, or music producer. But there are different levels of both skill and talent (and physical ability). A big part of this is not to obsess on others success and instead work to what is capable through you (learning from failures; growing/maturing). Sticking in the rut trying to refine the process of the rut is likely to make a well formed rut. Get out of the rut.

Growing the confines of the 'box' in which we put ourselves is an asset in learning from failures. That might come out as learning new chords, listening to/adapting from a different genre into our own sound, picking up a different musical instrument altogether, or even refocusing our creative juices into a different venture. The point is not to give up at the first, second, or even third signs of opposition.

Case in point, I stunk at Mathematics as a child. But I wanted to be a Computer programmer... setting my eyes on a college degree majoring in Computer Science (very math intensive). In mathematics course, I scraped by in grade school and I scored low on college entrance exams. Yet they accepted me, but only on the caveat that I take a remedial course before taking college level courses. After completing that course (with flying colors), my Academic Advisor told me I didn't look like a CS major and I should really consider picking a different one (a nice way of saying, hey you stink at math and you're going to wash out if you try). I insisted on CS and worked my butt off in those math classes. I failed Calc 1 the first time I took it. As a result, I failed Physics I the first time I took it too (since it uses what is taught in Calc 1). It was really, really tough for me.

In any one of these times, I could have threw away my dream saying "I don't have the talents/qualities to do this." I knew others in these classes that did. Switching majors or even dropping out completely. But I did not. I persisted. I fought. I stayed up late a lot of nights studying and learning. In the end, I did graduate and with distinction. I've been working the good part of a decade as a computer programmer and I'm rather functional in this capacity.

Now, I'm no Urs Heckmann, Jules Storer, or Justin Frankel. However, I am still quite skilled and capable as a programmer. That is because I don't compare myself to them and wallow in my 'inadequacies'. Just like any other athlete in (as example) basketball doesn't throw in the towel because they're not a Michael Jordan or Steven Curry level player. Actually, Jordan is a good example of this, not even making his varsity team the first time. He didn't give up, he practiced A LOT, he persisted.

Main takeaway point is don't try something once or twice (that you really want to do), discover it is difficult or you're not successful out of the starting gate, and then give up thinking you can never be successful in that endeavor. Sub takeaway point, some people have more ability than others. Your max skill level may be less than others. That also doesn't mean you should give up (unless you aren't enjoying the endeavor).