Get clear!

Last post I mentioned having a clear vision of where you're going in your race toward success, but I wanted to kind of revisit that again. It's a hard thing to get that vision and hold onto it, in fact I struggle with it daily. So I thought I'd mention some of the little tactics we use around here to keep it in the forefront of our minds.

1. Our Mentor board. We have a spot in the studio here where we've placed pictures of all of our favorite Producers, and if we get stuck on something, we just wonder out loud what would Quincy Jones do?

2. For Christmas a couple years back Dana made a box of cards for me. The cards are a series of ideas, tactics, and tricks created by Brian Eno. His thing is that if you don't know which way to go, just pull a card and do whatever it says, even if it means scrapping the last two days worth of work. What this does is makes us remember that it's the process that is important, not the destination.

3. We use lots of photos. We hang them on the bulletin board in the studio to remind us of the great times we've had along the way, which in turn reminds us of why we're doing what we're doing.

4. We've framed up copies of all of our releases, you know, like Gold Records, to remind us of our successes and our passion for making great music.

5. This one is my favorite. Dana wrote and printed out a mock Rolling Stone interview with her at the height of her success. Nothing like just looking up at the bulletin board and reading about how you're already where you want to be, and the wonderful things you're able to accomplish with your success.

It's our imaginations, as artists, that separate us from the average joe at the grocery store. Use that imagination, get clear about who you are and where you're going, and see your future. Just remember to have fun along the way.