Remember what your creative currency is, and invest accordingly

If your creative currency is not quality or collaboration, but honest expression, personal connection and meaningful process, then preciousness is absolutely essential.

Especially when you have a unique vision you want to convey to the world through your work.

For example, in addition to working my day job, I also run my own publishing company. Each year I produce books, songs, albums, movies and a host of other projects that are about as bloody as I get. Each piece of work is an artifact of my emotions, experiences, and identity.

This is art that nobody asks me to make, that few people on planet earth will ever care about or consume. But I take it very seriously. I am not messing around. And you better believe I’m precious about it. I have no interest in backing up the dump truck of compromise. I refuse to auction off my artistic integrity in the face of external pressure to conform to an imaginary standard. F

This is my soul we’re talking about here.

I’m reminded of this reality show where antipreciousness is on full display. Songland is a killer series where famous producers collaborate with songwriters to create potential hit songs for guest performing artists.

Here’s how it works. The unknown songwriters audition their songs live in a makeshift recording studio and receive immediate feedback from the producers. Three songs are chosen and developed further with each producer, and one is ultimately selected as the winner. Winning songs will be released the same night as the episode airs, showcasing the rapid process of song creation.

Songland is super inspiring, educational enjoy fun to watch.

Although there’s a small part of my heart that dies every time I see an episode. Because if you watch closely, there’s very little pushback from songwriters to the changes the producers want to me.

Now, I understand there is situational pressure, power dynamics and a live studio audience with a full production crew. I get that these producers are millionaires who have multiple gold records hanging on their office walls.

But if you’re a creative person trying to find your artistic voice, you shouldn’t be so agreeable to having your pride and joy changed from beginning to end. Trust yourself and trust the process. It’s one thing for the producer to say, let’s try speeding your ballad up so it’s under four minutes, or I wonder if can open the song with the chorus so your listeners are more engaged. Those are good ideas worth trying. They don’t seem to violate the integrity of the work.

In fact, I don’t think there’s anything morally wrong with selling your soul to the devil. I am not so pure as to be above whoring myself out to the highest bidder. Everybody gotta eat.

However, sometimes you have to put a stake in the ground, take a stand for your soul and say, no, screw you, this is my baby, we’re not changing it, and I don’t care if that lowers the quality.

Because sometimes there’s more to life than being good.

Sometimes honesty and joy have enough cash value to earn a return on the creative investment.

What’s your relationship to preciousness? Do you know when to surrender for the sake of quality, and when to tell people to go fuck themselves and stick with your original vision?

It’s a delicate balance. And the discernment can only come through decades of experience making things. You have to spend some time listening to the market, and being proved right; and you have to spend some time listening to your heart, and being proved wrong.

And vice versa. There’s plenty of time for you to be right, and there’s plenty of time for you to get it right.

Preciousness, in all of its forms, is part of the journey.

Remember what your creative currency is, and invest accordingly.

Are you too agreeable to having your pride and joy changed from beginning to end?