Defining Success

How to define success 
I've had some ideas floating around my head for the past few months.  These ideas have come from several independent places but have stuck together accumulating in the same part of my brain.  I think it's time to finally put these thoughts down coherently (hopefully) as a post.

The ideas all center around how we define success as artists and creators.

Before getting to those thoughts, I feel like I should set a context for the "standard" notions of success that we have as Americans.  Living in a country that prides itself with the opportunity for all to live the "American Dream" (however you believe that to be actually true or not), we have very ingrained ideas about what success is, how we should define it and what it takes to go after it.

This idea of success often includes attaining goals such as getting a higher education (often for the purpose of getting a better-paying job), moving up to the middle class, having an adequate retirement fund, providing well for our families, having a nice car and the newest gadgets, etc.

There isn't anything wrong with those particular goals, but it does concern me that the primary drivers of those goals are wealth, status and security.  I'm not throwing these out, but merely suggesting that we should think about questioning our culture's definition of success and see if it really lines up with our deepest priorities, or even more importantly, the priorities that God seems to favor in the life of his people.

My first cliche about success
The first cliche I can remember concerning success was a slogan provided by my high school principal: "Success is a journey not a destination".  Normally, I tune out after hearing something trite like that, but for whatever reason, it has stuck.  So let's take a moment a dig a bit into that statement.  Does that mean the destination is not important?  That can't be right, or else what's the point of the journey?  Is this jargon based on a view of the world that says that there's nothing objectively good or worthy to strive towards.  Knowing the man that said it, I doubt that was the original intention, so perhaps there is more meaning to tease out here.

I wonder if this could  mean that if we are so focused on the destination, then we'll miss victories, successes and the beauty of life that happens everyday.  I wonder if this could mean finally arriving at our destination of success is only part of the point of traveling there to begin with.  The other part, perhaps even more important than the first, is how we live, make choices, include others and bring relationships into this journey.  

I wonder if our own character refinement along the way is what is really important.

All too typical "success" stories

I heard a guy who works for a big record label in Nashville give a lecture about the future of the music industry.  This guy had been in the thick of it for over a decade and specialized in the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) market.  Among other really interesting topics about the changing industry, he spoke about many of the artists he had personally seen come and go within the business.  In the midst of this topic, he said something that surprised me.

He said (and I paraphrase): "I don't think the quick, meteoric rise of a given young CCM artist is actually the gift from God that most think it to be."

What, you say?  If nothing else, success certainly would mean that, right?  And doesn't God want us to be successful as creators, especially someone producing art that accurately points to Him?  Doesn't He want us to positively affect large numbers of people with our works?  Wouldn't that always give Him more fame in the process?

I'm not God, so I can't definitively answer that question, but I would have to say "no".  And Nashville guy would agree.  And why?  Because how many artists have you heard of, religious and non-religious both, that have completely spun out shortly after finding initial tastes of fame, often ruining their careers, lives and families?  How many stories do we know of popular artists getting trapped into drug addictions, or an insatiable hunger for  more spotlight, or compromising on values and beliefs in heat of the moment.  The fact that there is even a cultural concept of the 27 club (i.e. a number of popular artists dying young around that age, often associated with drug use) should be indicative that something is awry.

So, if being a successful artist is not about the rise to fame, then what is it?

Tony Bennett's Answer

Katie and I had the pleasure of seeing the band Over the Rhine play their yearly Christmas show.  They are an incredible band, so I suggest to everyone to see them if they come to your town.  They have spent many years successfully working as independent musicians, so when they provide a nugget of wisdom from their experience, my ears perk up.  Part of the way through the show, Linford, the husband of the married couple duo that comprises the band, talked about a quote he heard Tony Bennett once say in an interview.  Here's what Tony said (and I paraphrase again):

 "To not work on your craft in a way that produces a long life of successful creation is to sin against your talent."

Say again?

 "To not work on your craft in a way that produces a long life of successful creation is to sin against your talent."

What do you think?

I say we're back to character again.  Because what better produces a long life of consistent positive activity in anything but character and discipline in our lives.

How would I define "successful creation" and "positive activity" in this context?  Well, that feels like another entry of its own to be posted soon, so stay tuned for that. .

Back to Nashville guy.  In his talk, funny enough, he actually used Over the Rhine as an example of a band who has positioned themselves for this long-term success through their years of touring, writing and building a fan base incrementally.

My new definition of success as an artist
But how does that work in our lives as creators?  Nashville guy says that for those artists, the ones who slog it out, do the really hard work, build a fan base a person at a time and a show at a time, and who get a little further each year, something happens in them.  They have time to become excellent at their craft. They have the opportunity to fail early and often in the beginning because there's not huge pressures involved.  They begin to appreciate every new fan, because each one has taken work to bring into their vision.  They see every seat filled at a show as a gift.  They see how much grace for provision for an artist there is when people aren't forced to purchase concert tickets or buy albums but choose to anyway.

In short, they gain character in their lives along the way.

And the incredible reality of an artist who journeys on this path is this: by the time they become famous, they have enough maturity to not really care any more about whether they're famous or not.  These are people who have fallen in love with the work and process of creating and positively utilizing their own gifts.  They become artists who would write music (or blow glass or form clay or write poetry, etc.) whether anyone else ever pays attention to it or not.  They create because they can't help but to create.

I think I would like to officially call that success.

And I'm beginning to realize that that's the kind of artist I want to be.  How about you?

-Michael

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Do you agree with this definition of success?  Why or why not?  Are there any examples artists you know that have careers or daily disciplines that you would like to emulate?  I'd love to hear any thoughts or suggestions you have in the comments below.

Til Next Week

After a week of travelling, visiting family and contemplating thankfulness, I didn't get to writing some thing for this Monday.  So, let's call it a holiday and I'll be back next week.  Hope to see you then!

-Michael

Power of Gratefulness

Thanksgiving 

Being that it is the week of Thanksgiving here in the States, the topic have giving thanks and gratefulness has been on my mind.  I have so many things to be thankful for, I don't know where to even start.  I live in a country that has unbelievable freedom, valiantly fought for over many generations by our heroic servicemen.  I have a great family that just so happens to all be getting together this week--something I excitedly look forward to every year.  I have an amazing wife who supports me and who loves me just as I am AND who is just as, and sometimes even more, excited about this Living (un)Explored Project as I have been.  Most of all, I'm thankful for my relationship with God and the gifts of life, love and joy He so graciously gives and I so undeservedly get to receive.

In Creative Journeys

Most of us can relate to being thankful for these kinds of parts of our lives, give or take: our families, friends, jobs, communities, freedoms, etc.  But have you thought about the part of your life that specifically involves your creative endeavors?  Who and what do we have to be grateful for in that area?

I hadn't thought much about this topic until now, but I think it's been a fruitful in my own life to think about it.  So, here are some things I am specifically grateful for in the creative aspects of my life:

1) Creator God-- I believe we've all been made in the image of God who created everything and so, we all have a unique creative destiny.  What a legacy and inheritance we have as creators!  For me, everything flows from here.

2) Creative Communities-- who do you have in your life that you can share your work with, get constructive feedback and encouragement from?  Andy Crouch stresses the importance of community in our journey to become successful creators and artists in his brilliant book Culture Making.  One of my hopes for this blog is that we can together become a healthy creative community.

3) Life Situations-- it sounds counter-intuitive to be equally thankful for life situations that are at times difficult and at other times so wonderful.  But it's in the range of emotions and the ups and downs of day-to-day life that we find sparks for the creative expressions we have.  These are also the very ways that we relate to each other and connect through.  It's often in suffering and the shared experience of our broken world that we find unity and it's in those places that walls break down between people and our perceived differences really become as insignificant as they should be.

4) Outlets for our Creativity-- I know not all of us share this luxury, but I'm thankful for the many places in which I have to share my art with others.
  -In my city, we have several places that host open-mic nights for sharing music.  Katie and I plan on starting to participate in those evenings once we make a little more progress in the project.
  -Also, free and useful sites like this one (http://www.blogger.com) that provide a great way to post these blog entries have been so helpful.  A site like this allows me to focus on the writing and the content and not to have to worry about getting the technical parts working correctly.
  -My local church has been a great source of opportunities to share gifts of music and other talents I've been given.  Would your local faith community be a great place to showcase your work?
  -Other random places for sharing talents have also come into view recently.  For instance, last weekend, I spent some time in New England and one really cool part of the trip was seeing street performers and artists entertain passerbys in Boston Common and Central Park and Times Square.  I was struck by the freedom we have here in the States to express ourselves publicly.  I know that many in world, if not most, do not have that same opportunity, so I desire to not take it for granted in my own corner of the planet.

The Innate Power of Gratefulness

When we're thankful for the gifts we've been given, there's something deeper going on then just celebrating a holiday like Thanksgiving as an yearly ritual.

I haven't fully put my finger on it yet, but I think part of the power is that there is a humility that happens when I truly realize that I don't deserve much, if not any, of what I have.  And there's a call to service and love that naturally flows from that place of gratefulness and humility.  And finally, remembering the things that I have and cultivating thankfulness helps lead me to places of contentment in my life and into worship of the God that loves me and graciously provides these gifts.

I think knowing that my life is primarily not about me, and earnestly desiring to live like that is true (however badly I end up doing it), is a helpful grounding reality that I'm rather thankful for...even as I pursue grandiose dreams of  writing music and changing lives.

Happy Thanksgiving to all in the States and blessings to those abroad.  I invite everyone to join me this week in focusing in on the many things for which we have to be thankful.

-Michael

What are you thankful for when it comes to your creative lives?  Do you agree with the thought about gratefulness being powerful?  Anything to add to it?

Join the discussion.  Post a comment below.  I would love to hear what you think.

Holidays and Freedoms

Right now I'm waking up in Boston, visiting east coast cities with Katie and a friend from London England.

If you ask an American what we're doing, they would say a vacation. However, if you were to ask the same of someone from most of the rest of the world, including my friend from London, they would say what we're doing is a holiday.

I like that answer much better. Holiday appears to me to be a variation of the words "holy" and "day". "Holy" meaning set apart, altogether different, sacred. Vacation is a variation of vacate, get away from, etc. 

The implications of the word vacation doesn't include any responsibilities or opportunities to make something of the days, but merely freedom from normal life.

Holiday, however, implies a freedom from the daily grind of work and weekly schedules, but also a freedom to make the days holy and set apart.

I think this applies to our daily lives as well. As we grow in freedom and in who we've been created to be. As we become free, by the grace of God, from expectations of others and the trappings of the broken parts of the world around its, we then have a freedom to do the things we have in our hearts to do. Then we're not serving and loving others from a place of guilt or performance. We realize that we don't have to, but rather we get to serve others and be served by them. That is an intense and humbling gift to be intentionally used by God in this way, not because we deserve it, but because God loves us and he loves the people he places in our path.

In the midst of some realizations happening in my own holiday, I would encourage you to set apart a moment this week to remember the gifts you have been given, including those opportunities to create and to serve.

-Michael

How do you spend for vacation time? How does that mindset also affect your day-to-day life?

Once the Shine Wears Off

This soon?
I didn't think it would happen this soon.  I had this idea to blog about my experience in exploring songs I've written in the past, get them to the next level and have some demo recordings by the end.  I was excited and I had a bunch of ideas to write about along the way.

But this past week, it happened, the project has started to feel like work.  The shine has already worn off of the original idea a little.  The initial excitement has died down a bit.  In the past, when projects and ideas would hit a point like this where I would feel uncomfortable and bothered, I would proceed to passively allow them to slowly fade.  Typically, I would then wait until the next idea would come along that would spark my interest and the cycle would start over again.

Is my attention span really that small?  Yes, yes it is.

I can't be the only one
I don't think I'm the only one who feels this way.  I think we all have full lives of jobs to work, family engagements to attend, kids to take care of and the like.  After all of that, who really has time and energy to stick with a dream?  Isn't it enough to just get by on those things that have to get done and then enjoy a little veg-time in front of the tv in the remaining spare moments?

That's certainly a valid choice you can make and has been mine in the past.  However, I would argue that the kinds of dreams that I'm talking about, the album you always wanted to record, the poetry collection you always wanted to pull together and publish, the areas of service you always wanted to be more faithful to, are often the things that really make life the adventure that it is.  These goals of stepping outside of our comfort zones and beyond the day-to-day will actually produce more life and more excitement than the "rest" we think we get by mindlessly watching another sitcom.

Now, don't get me wrong.  Occasionally, I'm zonked from a long day of work and at that point there's nothing better than to chill on the couch in front of a good movie with my wife.  But, are we using this down-time as an excuse to be lazy or as an occasional, intentional means of relaxation?

This time it's different
But despite my realization this week, I feel different this time around in making progress with The Living (un)Explored Project.  Why?  As I reflected on that question this week, I came up with several things that I have done differently than in past projects that I think has made a difference.  These weren't really conscious things that I read in a step-by-step manual.  They just kind of happened, though I think these decisions have been influenced by some of the great books I've been reading lately.  I hope that maybe they will encourage you or give you ideas in your own creative journey to keep going once the initial shine wears off on your dream.

So here's a list in no particular order.

1. I named the project.  There seems to be a certain legitimacy to giving a project a name. See my first post for an exploration of that idea.
2.  I promised to post something every Monday. Yep, one reason I wrote in the header of this blog that I will post something every week was to help make myself actually do it.  While it's no one's favorite thing to do, we all know that it really works to have accountability to our promises.
3. I intentionally partnered with my wife, Katie.  Katie and I are working to together on the project so that we could encourage one another and so that we could spend quality time together working on it.  More accountability!
4. We agreed on ambitious goals.
   Katie and I made a particularly challenging goal for the overall first phase of the project.  In addition, we laid out milestones, or smaller goals along the way, that will ultimately make way to the overall goal.  More details about that in a future post, but suffice to say, it lights a fire under you when you know you have to work something consistently in order to achieve the timing of your goal.
5. I've tried to make the project and this blog about others.When we come to place of realizing that our lives are not really about us, there is a freedom to then do the things we were meant to do all along.  If my goal is only about my own selfish desires, then my own laziness will win out most of the time.
6. I've made it about discipline as well.One focus of this project is to use it as a means to develop healthy, productive patterns (aka discipline) in our lives.  So, succeeding in fulfilling our goals will not only produce the recordings that we're excited to make, and the body of writing that I'm geeked about with these blog entries, but it will also mean that we have made more progress in our desire for discipline in our lives.  
7. I feel commissioned to put time and effort into this project.In all of us, there are things in our lives we feel like we are supposed to do.  It' so easy for the many "good" things I have to do to get in the way of the "great" things that are for me uniquely to do.  The primary way I try to figure out which are the "great" things is through spending time with God in prayer.  In addition, I believe we've been designed such that we can look at the unique talents and gifts that we have and can often see how those can be used to serve others and make a difference in those around us--i.e to find our commissioning. 

Bottom Line
We owe it to ourselves to work hard to excel in the gifts and talents we've been given.

I've been given many great things.  And I know now more than ever that I didn't do anything to deserve them.  I  see these gifts to be my unique talents, inspiration and support from friends, great examples of hard work from my parents, and most importantly, my relationship with God.  Anything I do from now on won't ever really warrant me deserving of these gifts, but at the same time, I have a deep desire to work, persevere and create FROM the place of having been given these great gifts.

And so I will continue writing and creating and doing and singing and playing and believing and praying that others will be touched with a gift of hope and encouragement along the way.

-Michael

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What works for you to keep moving on a project even when the initial excitement dies down?  What are some support structures you could put in place right now to help you through those times on your current project?

Hearing Classical Music in a Bar that used to be a Church

Katie and had the great opportunity to see the band Gungor play live a couple weeks back.  It was an incredible show: the songs are epic, the dynamics of the music were huge, the hearts of band members are clearly focused on God and the unified celebration of everyone there was a sweet picture of eternity.

But, oddly enough, the moment that has been on my mind and I have most often shared with friends when they asked how the show went was this:

The lights went down on stage and then came back up.  All that was left was Michael Gungor with a classical guitar doing some strange stretching exercises.  We soon found out why.  In the course of mere moments, the whole rock club was silenced and transfixed on one man on the stage quietly and brilliantly playing a solo classical piece.  No light shows or pyrotechnics, no gimmicks, just a talented artist playing a song demonstrating excellence, beauty, and order.

In that moment, we were in a 120 year old church, turned into a bar, watching a man, who clearly loves God, play a 300 year old movement of classical music, originally written by the beloved composer, who famously stated that "The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.".

And as Michael finished the piece, there was a hushed silence in room.  With a slight smirk but a genuine love, he simply states "Bach just doesn't get enough stage time these days."

To the glory of God and refreshment of the soul, indeed.

-Michael

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Can music and art truly point to the glory of God while not using specific words to say it?  What are  examples you've had with experiencing the presence of God through instrumental music?

Starting from Scraps of Paper

Lies we've all heard
When I think about creating things, I often have to push through flows of thought like the following:: "who are you to think that you have something to say?" or "what makes you special that sharing your work could actually benefit others?"  But over the last few years I've begun to realize that those are lies.  Lies meant to keep me from expressing myself in ways I've been meant to all along..

I think we all experience some form of those lies.  And it ultimately seems seems to boil down to an identity issue.  Who are we?  What are we meant to do?

The truth
I've been reading several great blogs from writers and songwriters and one of the interesting suggestions that these bloggers and writers have been saying over and over is this: Say out loud "I am an artist".  (See David's blog here for one great example.)  Why are these suggestions used to help people get past these difficulties and fears?  Why is something so simple as repeating a phrase to yourself even helpful?  Because it gets to the core of the issue, which is to say it speaks truth about our identities.  And in a deep place, this resonates with us, so we are encouraged and spurred on because of it.

Because the truth is that we are creators.  That is our inheritance as being creating in the image of a creative God, so I would encourage you to embrace it, say it, live it, do it, repeat it and don't ever feel like you need to apologize for it.

So, once we're able to embrace that at a conceptual level, what then could this look like in practical terms?  There are an infinite number of ways that embracing this truth can positively affect our day-to-day creating.  Here is just one way we are trying to do this in the Living (un)Explored Project:

First steps
The first steps we're taking  is to explore some of our past work and then to take it seriously enough and to respect it enough to write it down in more than just scribbles on a paper.  You know what I mean: those old writing notebooks that have been gathering dust in storage or on slips of paper you've dumped into a shoe box, in text file sitting on your desktop among a thousand other things.  It was time to do some organizing, some critiquing and some discerning to pull out the better pieces and gather them together into more useful formats.

What I noticed, that rather surprised me, was that something changed when we did this.  In our case, the songs we intend to record are now laid out in a "lead sheet" format-that is each song is in it's own file, with lyrics and chords laid out so that it could be easily printed and played.  They are now easier to read, easier to follow, easier to see how they can be improved, and now they "look" like this project is more of a legit thing.  There is an emotional side to our creating that we need to take into consideration even if it's not always logical.  In this case, beginning to organize the project has an boost in our spirits that say, "we can do this".

Small Steps
Much of this getting over our fears in creating is knowing ourselves enough to understand what it takes to get over the next hurdle.  And these steps need to be small ones.  Looking forward, we still have some big hurdles and decisions to make.  How are we going to record?  How fleshed out do we want the arrangements?  Do we want live recordings or tracked ones?

I can easily be overwhelmed by these decisions which is why I'm not focusing on them yet.  I'm choosing to focus on the next little steps, having faith that lots of little steps in the right direction will always get me to my goal faster than staring at the big steps I feel like I "should" be taking, which usually leads to not doing anything.

I pray that you will have wisdom and perseverance to determine and follow through with whatever those next steps are for your creative endeavors.

-Michael

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What are some ways you have respected your work enough to take it to organize it and take it to the next level of excellence?  What is the next small step in front of you now to take with your art?

In a Name

Seriously?  Coming up with the name of this blog was one of the most difficult things about starting it.  I realize that I'm good at making excuses for not starting new projects, especially ones that involve vulnerability or possibility of failure, but this seems ridiculous.

So, when I started on an endeavor to consistently write blog articles around a new project my wife and I have cooked up...ok, it was totally her idea, I just loved it and ran with it...the first and so far most difficult thing was to name the blog associated with the project.  Especially when the name is embedded into the name of the web address to get there.  That's serious stuff.  I can barely decide which shirt to wear to work in a given day and trust me, I don't have many.  You can ask Katie.

I think the bigger reason for the difficulty, beyond a being a good excuse to procrastinate, is because the task is so important.  Why is that?  If nothing else, the primary task that God gave the first man, Adam, according to the Hebrew book of Genesis was to name the different parts of his creation.  The very first creative task given to man.  Seems serious to me.

But what is in a name anyway?  Something's name gets to the heart of what that thing is supposed to be.  In many cultures, a name is much more than a label used to refer to a person or place, but rather it seeks to ascribe the essence and even in some instances the destiny of that person or place.  If you want some examples, refer to how many instances in the book of book of Genesis you have footnotes that say something like "the Hebrew pronunciation for the name Jimmy actually sounds a lot like the word 'runny soup'".  And inevitably, the story of Jimmy that you are reading at the moment will involve ladling out some seriously runny soup.  You think I'm kidding, check out Cain, Nod and Seth..and that's just the fourth chapter of Genesis.

So, without further ado, we have chosen to name this blog The Living (un)Explored Project (but you already knew that, because it's in the web address) but more importantly, here is why: I wanted an excuse to start writing and creating on a regular basis.  I also wanted to write about something specific that could perhaps be of some help to others who are in a similar space in life.  I believe that as people, in which the bible describes as having been created in the "image of God", that we have an inherent job/duty/dna/desire/etc to at some level create in the way that are Creator does.  That seems like a reasonable part of what being created in the image of our Creator could mean, right?  But one thing I've been noticing is how so many excuses, fears and roadblocks seem to get in the way of our creative endeavors.  This is just as true in my own life.

This blog seeks to capture the journey of Katie and me choosing to break from living our lives unexplored and making the choice to travel down familiar roads of memories, feelings and histories, together, and organize that into a collection of art and music.  This is somewhat a selfish pursuit in that it really helps me to process through my own life by writing it down, but I hope and pray that it will also be of benefit to others as well.

There are plenty of others who have probably thought about this topic much more than I and most likely can speak much more eloquently to it.  However, I feel like we have each have something unique inside of us that we have been destined to express and different perspectives from which to communicate those ideas.  I'm choosing to talk about life, God, relationships and the creative process through the narrow lens of this project.  I think is a unique perspective, written not as one who has arrived and is telling others the way, but rather as one who is feeling the longing and just starting out as well.

So, I've started with the creation of, and now the naming of this blog.  That's the first step, with many more to come.

Here's to a new adventure in creativity!  I hope you'll join us on it and maybe together we'll enjoy a conversation about our creative destinies and maybe even a little bit of community.  But hey, that's what we've been created to do, right?

-Michael

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Have you ever stopped to think about the creative things you do in your everyday life?  Do those tasks cause stress or fear, like they do to for me?