I have heard from numerous people who have made it to a certain level of status or success, “Once things start moving, they move fast”.
It’s interesting to actually start experiencing that as my own truth.
I have been an artist for my whole life and have actively been pursuing music off and on for nearly 15 years now and I can say, that things have been moving at a pretty steady pace. A gig here, a slight momentum shift, another gig there, more momentum…
There was something very different about the month of August…. It started with Sanaa Fest.. Perhaps the largest crowd I’d ever performed my own music for. I really didn’t think anything of it aside from the fact that I’d made the most tips I’d ever made at a performance and I was proud of that.
Then we went to AfroPunk, the biggest music festival in Brooklyn that sets off the end of the summer in a really cool way.. Nothing but good energy, dope fashion, and just the right amount of freedom that lets you know it’s ok to be yourself. It’s a great place to network because all of the move-makers are typically there! TunnelVision had a booth there for the first time in TunnelVision history which was a major blessing.
That was when I realized Sanaa created a ripple effect. I was stopped over and over and over again by people who saw me perform at Sanaa and loved my performance. I started receiving gig offers that I had to turn down because there were just too many gigs to handle within a month. Good problems to have for sure!
The pace at which life picked up was crazy. It wasn’t a slight momentum shift, this one was a major one and it got me thinking. Maybe this was the beginning of the major momentum shift all of the successful people were talking about…
People are never overnight successes, but I can see how it’s perceived that way. There’s something that happens at rapid speed and suddenly everyone knows your name and what you do.
I’ve always been proud of the people I’ve kept around me because of their extreme talent and their ability to maintain their humility and balance throughout their growth and their success… I can see now how it can get difficult once things start picking up! Suddenly people are treating you differently, praising you actively, and the desire to get to know you is stronger than it was just weeks before. It’s a strange feeling to be recognized by your work. Especially as an artist, where your art is purely a reflection of your feelings.
Frankly, I feel no different than I ever have. I’ve worked hard to get where I am, but I don’t feel special, I feel focused. I’m blessed for sure, and I am grateful.
This entire month, I’ve had that antsy, butterflies in stomach feeling that I typically get right before I do something major…. This time it’s paired with an extreme peace for wherever this path takes me… And I know I’ve got work to do to make sure whatever momentum I’ve gained doesn’t die…
So here I am! In San Diego, just touching down. Getting ready to embark on a journey to once and for all finish Audiobook. Something tells me things will change once this album is done. I don’t know what, I have no expectations… And I feel that’s the best way to approach it.. One step, one task, one goal at a time..