🔑 Key Takeaways
- Young artist Andrew Hosier stayed grounded and focused on his art amidst immense success, overcoming imposter syndrome by trusting instincts and prioritizing passion.
- Even successful artists can doubt their worthiness and face imposter syndrome, reminding us all to acknowledge our achievements and trust in our abilities.
- Artists can create meaningful works by focusing on their personal experiences and the meaning they want to convey, rather than trying to please or fix others' problems.
- Artists should prioritize creating music that resonates with them and find fulfillment in intrinsic rewards, while staying true to their artistic vision and values.
- Music shapes our connections and influences personal growth through subconscious engagement during formative years, making it a powerful and transformative art form.
- The pandemic's quietness can either inspire introspection and creativity or leave artists feeling lost and uninspired, depending on their perspective.
- Recognize the importance of mental health and self-love, even if it wasn't a topic of conversation growing up. Prioritize self-care to improve overall well-being.
- Embrace lifelong journey of self-discovery and healing, acknowledge and process past traumas, and understand personal motivations for inner peace and freedom.
- Acknowledge past achievements, invite inner child, align with authentic self, avoid comparison, learn to say no, increase peace, creativity, bring best self to world, create strong emotional foundation, personal and unique journey, no need to rush or share publicly.
- Mindfulness and meditation before shows help stay focused and present on stage, preventing distractions and enhancing spiritual experiences.
- Performing for diverse crowds creates spiritual experiences, staying present is essential for fresh performances.
- Trust the process, commit fully, and view art as a personal diary, not for external validation.
- Artists should focus on their belief in their work and stay true to their art, rather than being swayed by external pressures or expectations.
- Creating authentic and meaningful art, regardless of recognition or fear, is a courageous and important journey.
- Remember the value of authentic human experiences, invest in sustainable practices, and recognize the importance of love and solidarity for a more compassionate world.
- Speakers expressed concern for humanity's future but emphasized individual power to make a difference through alignment of heart, mind, and spirit.
📝 Podcast Summary
Navigating Success and Imposter Syndrome with Authenticity
Artist Andrew Hosier Burn navigated the immense success and pressure that followed his hit song "Take Me to Church" by staying grounded and focusing on his art, rather than chasing chart rankings. Despite feeling overwhelmed and experiencing imposter syndrome, he learned to trust his instincts and prioritize his passion for music. Hosier also shared that he struggled with receiving praise and remained skeptical of external validation, which helped him maintain a grounded perspective throughout his meteoric rise to fame. At just 24 years old, Hosier earned a diamond certification for "Take Me to Church," making it one of the top 30 most streamed songs ever on Spotify. Despite the early success, he remained humble and continued to create music from a place of authenticity.
Struggling with imposter syndrome despite success
The artist's initial reaction to the sudden success of his hit song was not to internalize the praise and accolades, but rather to question his worthiness and feel the pressure of imposter syndrome. This mindset likely stemmed from his humble beginnings, where he wrote and recorded the song in his parents' attic after returning home from living abroad due to financial constraints. Despite his years of dedication to music, he felt he hadn't earned the recognition and faced an internal struggle to accept the external validation. However, as time passed, he began to recognize the merit of his hard work and the importance of acknowledging his achievements. The initial imposter syndrome may have served as a coping mechanism, allowing him to shrug off the external pressures and focus on his art. Ultimately, this experience highlights the common challenge of balancing self-doubt with self-confidence in the face of success.
Exploring personal experiences in art for healing and societal impact
Creating art with the intention to heal or provide answers to society's problems can be a challenging and paralyzing experience for artists. The potential impact on others and the desire to please or fix people's problems can add pressure, making it essential for artists to focus on their personal experiences and the meaning they want to convey through their work. Humberto's song "Take Me to Church" was an example of this, as he wrote it to process his personal questions and take back what is divine in intimate experiences from a harmful institution's legacy. Though he never expected a broad audience, the song's impact went beyond his initial expectations. This takeaway applies to various forms of art and the artists' role in exploring their inner world to create meaningful works.
Navigating Long-Term Career Challenges for Artists
Artists, even those who have achieved great success early in their careers, can face challenges in navigating the long-term aspects of their careers. The pressure to replicate past successes and the potential for external validation to influence creative direction can be significant. However, it's essential for artists to prioritize creating music that resonates with them and to find fulfillment in the intrinsic rewards of their craft. As time passes, new audiences discover and connect with an artist's work, leading to continued success and growth. Ultimately, the key is to remain true to one's artistic vision and values, even as the external landscape and expectations evolve.
Music creates lasting relationships and memories
Music holds a unique place in our lives due to its ability to create lasting relationships and memories. These relationships can be formed at any point in time, whether we discover a song or artist for the first time or revisit old favorites. The way we engage with music, often subconsciously during our formative years, can shape our connection to it and even influence our personal growth. Music's auditory nature and the deep-rooted bond we form with it, even before we fully understand it, make it a powerful and transformative art form. Throughout our journey of success and experience, we may learn valuable lessons about ourselves, but the biggest challenge remains maintaining a positive relationship with ourselves and our work.
Confronting Creative Blocks in Quiet Times
The pandemic forced artists, like musicians, to confront their inner selves and creative blocks head-on due to the absence of distractions. For this artist, the realization came with the inability to write new music, feeling as if they had reached the end of their creative journey. However, they discovered that the voices in their head were just louder due to the quietness of their surroundings, and they were able to find a way to move past it. Conversely, touring and the constant distractions of the job kept them from fully facing their inner demons. The pandemic's impact on creativity is complex, as it can either provide a quiet space for introspection or leave one feeling lost and uninspired.
The importance of self-love and self-care
Our relationships with ourselves are crucial for our overall well-being. The speaker shared that they struggled with a combative relationship with themselves, which hindered their creativity and happiness. They realized this when they were no longer distracted by external factors, such as touring or chasing success. However, they grew up in an environment where talking about mental health and having a positive relationship with oneself was not encouraged. So, they had to learn these skills on their own in their 30s. The speaker's experience resonates with many of us who have suppressed our emotions and felt the need to conform to societal expectations of masculinity. It's essential to recognize the importance of self-care and self-love, and to prioritize our own mental health, even if it wasn't a topic of conversation growing up.
Embracing Authentic Self-Discovery and Healing
Authentic self-discovery and healing are lifelong journeys. The speaker shared their personal experience of wearing masks to fit in and belonging, but it wasn't their truest authentic self. They started their healing process in their 30s, acknowledging and healing the younger self's wounds and integrating the present self. Healing is challenging and ongoing, as it requires acknowledging and processing emotions and past traumas. The speaker also noted the similarities between artists and their need to deal with their emotions and past traumas while sharing their work with the world. Society's pressure to accelerate careers and gain success doesn't solve the underlying issues, and everyone, regardless of their field, needs to turn inward and face their fears, insecurities, and past traumas to find peace and freedom. The speaker's reflection on their own motivations and what drives them to create art also highlights the importance of understanding one's own needs and desires.
Cultivating a healthy relationship with oneself for personal growth and creativity
Cultivating a healthy relationship with oneself is a crucial aspect of personal growth and creativity. This process involves acknowledging past achievements, inviting one's inner child to witness the journey, and recognizing the importance of alignment with one's authentic self. Comparison to others and external validation can hinder this growth, and learning to say no to opportunities that don't align with one's values is essential. This journey may not always be easy, but the rewards include increased peace, creativity, and the ability to bring one's best self to the world. The speaker emphasizes that this process is personal and unique to each individual, and there is no need to rush or share it publicly until one feels ready. Ultimately, the goal is to create a strong emotional foundation that supports the work one wants to do in the world.
Being fully present during performances leads to spiritual experiences
Pushing oneself to put in extra effort and focus during tasks can lead to productivity and engagement, but it's important to be mindful of the potential for exhaustion and the importance of staying present in the moment, especially during performances. The speaker shares that they have experienced spiritual moments during performances when they are fully present and connected with the audience energy. However, distractions such as emails or worries can hinder the performance and take away from the experience. The practice of mindfulness and meditation before shows has been helpful in staying focused and present on stage. A spiritual experience for the speaker was performing in Mexico City, where they were fully immersed in the beautiful surroundings and the wonderful energy of the people.
Connecting with non-English speaking audiences
Performing for non-English speaking audiences, specifically in Mexico, has been a uniquely fulfilling experience for the artist. The connection and energy from these crowds have left lasting impressions and brought him back to the moment of writing and performing his songs for the first time. Despite singing the same songs for over a decade, staying present is key to making each performance feel fresh and meaningful. The artist's words have traveled far, transcending language barriers and creating spiritual experiences for both the performer and the audience.
Embrace the creative process as a personal expression
Creating art, whether it's music or any other form, requires being fully present and committed to the process, regardless of external feedback or criticism. The artist should view their work as a personal expression, akin to a diary or journal, and not be overly concerned with how it will be received by others. Releasing art can bring up feelings of unease and even fear, but it's important to trust that the work needs to exist and to have absolute commitment to bringing it to life. Parallel thinking and the possibility of others having similar ideas are natural, but the important thing is to tap into the inner resource that drives the creative process and bring the work to fruition. The feelings before releasing a hit versus more recent works may vary, but the commitment to the art and the need for it to exist remains constant.
Stay true to the art and let the audience decide its worth
Maintaining the mindset of an underdog artist, even with increasing success, can help keep creativity and passion alive in the music industry. For the speaker, the early stages of their career were filled with excitement and a sense of winning every inch gained. However, as they released more music and faced higher expectations, they found it important to focus on their belief in the work and let the audience decide its worth. The speaker emphasized the importance of staying true to the art and being at peace with its reception, whether it's widely popular or not. They also shared how the early successes, such as reaching new audiences and being discovered on Reddit, were significant milestones that fueled their passion to continue releasing music. Overall, the speaker's message encourages artists to stay true to their art and not let external pressures or expectations dictate their creative journey.
Focus on the quality of your art and be true to yourself
The quality of an artist's work is paramount, regardless of the number of sales or recognition it receives. Pride in the art and its representation of oneself should be the focus, even in the pursuit of a career or business. Additionally, artists have a significant opportunity to inspire and impact others, but they are not required to be perfect role models or say all the right things all the time. Instead, being true to oneself and sharing art with the world, even with fear or nerves, is a courageous and commendable journey. If given the hypothetical scenario of living forever and taking all one's work with them on their last day, the importance of creating authentic and meaningful art becomes even more evident.
Recognizing the importance of love and solidarity
We should remember the authenticity and depth of every human experience, and acknowledge the importance of love and solidarity in the face of suffering and adversity. We live in a limited world, and it's essential to view it as a shared commons, investing in sustainable practices for economics and resource management. The world remembers us through the lessons we leave behind, and these lessons should include recognizing the authenticity of others' experiences, and the importance of love and solidarity in creating a more compassionate and sustainable world. We can bear witness to both the horrors and the kindness in the world, and it's crucial that we do not forget the latter.
The future of humanity and the importance of living in alignment
The speakers expressed deep concern for the future of humanity and the state of the world, while also emphasizing the importance of living with alignment of heart, mind, and spirit to achieve greatness. The sadness expressed over the potential loss of societal progress and the possibility of extinction events was balanced by the belief in the power of individuals to make a difference through their actions and commitments. The definition of greatness offered was one marked by good faith and grace, and the ability to bring that alignment into everyday life. Ultimately, the speakers encouraged listeners to find inspiration in those who embody greatness, whether through their work, community engagement, or personal relationships.