Can you neutralize all your competition? Is it possible for you rise to the top in a busy, crowded field like music? Is there really room for imperfect, flawed artists like you and me when there are brilliant talents already out there?
The answer to all these questions is yes. However, understanding how this is true requires a couple shifts in viewpoint.
When you are your fully developed self, there is no competition
Let’s look at an example: When CNN hired James Earl Jones to read “This is CNN” for a station ID, do you think they auditioned him? of course not. He is who he is, and there is no competition. I have a relatively deep voice, and I could have approached CNN and offered to read that line for 10% of what Mr. Jones got, (still plenty of money) and they would have said “no.”
Me: “OK, $500: final offer…such a deal!”
CNN: “Nope.”
Of course, I realize that his voice is one of a kind, and that they wanted that identity, but this actually proves my point. When your unique talents are needed, there is nobody that can take your place. Your goal is not to be better than anybody, but rather to be your most polished, evolved, irreplaceable self.
Ever been in love? If you have, you know that nobody could ever just take the place of your beloved. Even when it is over, it takes a while to open yourself to considering another.
Perfection is not the point
In art and human expression, we don’t seek perfection. Even if perfection was possible in a subjective field, we wouldn’t choose it. What we seek is enlightened, sincere communication. This rarely comes from competition between people. We have a rather reliable gauge for the person on the other end of the conversation; what matters is the exchange of thoughts and feelings.
- When TBS decided to “colorize” classic black and white movies, the audience reaction was quite negative; they could tell that the editors were diluting the artistic value of the films with their “improvements.”
- Most people I talk to (not a scientific survey) are turned off by Auto-Tuned vocals, if they can tell. A real singer, with imperfections, is what we seek (if they are good) Even my 11-year-old has noticed this.
- Drum machines and sequencers all have a “humanize” function to make things less perfect. (though it really doesn’t sound like a real person; at low settings, imperceptible, at high settings, drunken)
- Handmade things, even when flawed, are more sought-after, even though perfect manufactured items are available for less cost.
At some point, where our talents lie and what we do well will become apparent. Some things will simply “feel right” to us and we will want to work on improving these natural gifts. For me, composing music and playing my instrument felt that way to me, and the longer I have spent on those things, the less concerned with what others were doing I have become. Likewise, I don’t feel as threatened by the talents of others; the more “me” I become, the more alive I become. This allows me to celebrate the gifts of others.
Great job kid… don’t get cocky
While all this talk of unique and human can make us feel good, this doesn’t let us off the hook. This is because being our fully-developed self is still an endless task. The difference is that there is no longer constant failure and competition in our future. What we are really doing is uncovering our irreplaceable essence through hard work.
Many people mistake the idea of unique for the idea of unpracticed, unfiltered output; they take the idea of expression to mean that whatever they put out, no matter how ill-prepared, is great. Accepting our essence doesn’t absolve us from doing the best we can.
Questions:
Do you seek perfection, or to optimize your natural gifts?
Do you feel threatened by other people’s talents?
What would you create if you could unleash your fully-evolved abilities?
Leave a Reply