Written by: Loriana Valente, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Listening to diverse international music has never been as easy as nowadays. The music is only one click away. But how easy is it to produce your song? What do you do when your passion for music becomes so big that you would like to create and publish your own songs? What steps do you need to take in this digital world and what do you do if you don't play any instrument or you think you are too old to become a published artist?
Here are 3 main keys to how to develop your artist's journey.
Key No.1 Surround Yourself by Artists That Have What You Want
Artists don't choose to be an artist. Artists are artists because art (no matter which forms of art) is coming to them. They don't have a choice. It's like listening to music and naturally dancing to the groove. It's a natural flow. You just go with the flow. If you want to learn more about music, surround yourself with musicians. Take vocal lessons, take singing lessons, connect with your body and breath and take dancing lessons or simply make any kind of sport that brings joy and fun into your life. That's the flow of creativity. Everyone starts somewhere, somehow. Check out where the next jam session is taking place — learn from the musicians by simply observing them on stage. Ask questions — go into a rehearsal room, observe and interact. Take your first drum lesson to learn about beats and grooves. Feel the beat and groove that you are producing with your own hands. Listen to the music that your teachers around you are playing and listen to them what they have to teach you and always be grateful for every uncomfortable advice they are giving you. Most importantly, have fun like a child on the playground. You never know where the game is starting and where it's ending and where it's leading to. The only thing you know: You have to surround yourself at least once or twice a week with creative people from who you can learn and who inspire you. Absorb as much as you can. Watch documentaries of your favorite artists, read the books they have written, watch interviews they have given, and always learn from it what you want to learn. It's all about going with the flow and filtering out the information you need. Collaborate and bring in your ideas. You are soon going to see, that there is no limit in creativity and there are no boundaries. You can create whatever you want to create. Open-minded artists support artists who are just starting their careers. They help and give advice. You just have to communicate openly what you imagine and what you would like to create. The other creators will help you with mini-steps to achieve your goal. Even if it's only about connecting you with the right person. Every connection, every person is leading you to the right path of being a published artist. Never stop learning and growing and never stop creating your opportunities.
Key No.2 Journaling In The Morning The best way of getting in touch with your creativity is to write your thoughts and what your heart is telling you into a diary. Every morning, before you start your day, you should write your thoughts into your diary (Not a digital one!). You need real paper and a pen. The first lines you write in your morning diary are affirmations. Between five to ten affirmations are good. Your day starts with affirmations in the morning about your voice: My voice is beautiful. My voice is powerful. I can release my voice easily and sing whatever I want to sing. I sound good….and so on. Whatever comes into your mind. Don't think too much and don't judge yourself while writing those affirmations. After empowering your voice and your mind and your heart, you start to write at least three pages. Write about whatever you want. It doesn't have to be perfect and it doesn't have to make sense. Spelling mistakes are allowed, as well as grammatically incorrect sentences. You never look back at what you have written. You just write without getting disturbed. So, turn off your mobile phone, turn off everything that could distract you from writing fluently, and enjoy the time of the writing process. It is your time and you deserve to focus on yourself because at the end of the day it's all about owning it! Own your time, own your space, own your voice. Build a routine. This writing technique by author Julia Cameron strengthens your mindset, makes your vision clearer and clearer, and helps you to stay focused. This is what singers need: staying focused on all the emotions they encounter and feel. Allow the creative process to grow and get used to writing down all your thoughts you have: the next chorus or bridge or verse or hook might be written down somewhere between your morning journals or little post-it notes that you have written down. But don't focus on writing, just because you think you want to write a song. Write because it's a meditation and it's your time. Write, because you trust the Universe is guiding you and showing you what to do next. Have faith. The right lyrics will come to you during your next vocal coaching session or your next jam session or during the next instrumental that you have created.
Key No.3 Get rid of naysayers and negativity
You cannot publish your music, because you're too old, you haven't studied music, you sound awful, you don't play an instrument, you have to play like Beethoven and you need to look like J.Lo and Kylie Minogue at the same time with the salt and pepper of Billie Eilish's last look and because you live on a small island, called Spitsbergen (yeah, this is the largest and tiniest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway) and then also because you don't sound like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey together in their best years and you don't and you don't and you don't. And so what?! You're too loud, you're too ugly, you're too much. And so what?! But you can't, because I have a cousin who has a child who has a friend who tried to go to The Voice Of Germany... And so what?! But you...THERE IS NO BUT! It's that simple dear reader. There is no 'no' and there are no buts. Just because those negative naysayers and so-called experts haven't accomplished what you would love to accomplish, you shouldn't listen to their pieces of advice. They haven't made the choreography of Michael Jackson's music video? They were not on tour with someone we know from the show business? They haven't worked closely with certain artists? They don't know anything about the music business or the work it takes to stand on stage in front of an audience? They have never recorded something or have never published anything themselves? So do your creative heart and soul a favor and keep your distance from people who project their beliefs onto you. During the creative process, especially when it comes to releasing your voice, which means you are releasing your God-given truth and your potential to inspire other people around you, your whole social contacts might and probably will change and shift very naturally. It's because when you are working on your voice, you start to see things differently from your normal surroundings and you start to stand for yourself. Once you find your voice, you will never give it back again. The journey goes on and you love to learn new things, find new opportunities, see new places, and all of a sudden you see yourself in a completely different setting with very like-minded people who all have one goal: to serve other people with their songs. When you want to publish a song, you find a way and you get in touch with the right people who lift you just at the right moment at the right time.
Now that you have the 3 keys to how to become a published artist, I invite you to embrace your human emotions and feelings. Take a pen and paper and start writing, go and connect with other artists and teachers and coaches and listen to as much music as you can.
The world always needs and loves new and inspiring music.
Every second and every last Wednesday of each month, I hold a free live webinar on How To Become A Published A.R.T.I.S.T. and monetize your talent. Art is essential for human beings and the planet. The registration link to my webinar is always available in the link of my Instagram bio.
Online seats are limited. So grab your free ticket as soon as possible.
If Thursday evenings are good for you, you can join the A.R.T.I.S.T. Lunch Room on Clubhouse at 7 pm UK time. A safe space for everyone who loves or makes art in any form. A great and completely free space to connect.
Yours,
Loriana
Loriana Valente, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Loriana Valente is a multidisciplinary artist who found back to music after her child died during pregnancy 6 years ago. She released her pop debut album, which she dedicated to her child in April 2021, called "HEARTBEAT MATTERS!“. The songs are released on major platforms like Spotify, iTunes, Deezer, Napster, Amazon Music and many more. On top, Loriana is the founder and CEO of the A.R.T.I.S.T. FORMULA. She helps singers and music lovers to form their dream into reality on how to write their own songs, produces music videos, become published artist and get paid for their special talents within 12 weeks. Loriana learned from top people from the show business who coached/collaborated with Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Cameron Diaz, Red Man, Method Man and who worked on films like Star Wars, Star Trek, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Desperate Housewives. Loriana's mission: Create art and show your unique talent!
