Tag Archives: day job

Muse

Does having a day job make you a failure as a songwriter?

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Man vs Row

You’re a songwriter.  You’re passionate about writing songs.  Maybe you’re pretty good.  Maybe you’re even excellent.  And maybe you feel called to do music- called by God or by “the universe.”  But you have a day job.  You haven’t been able to transition to doing music full-time.

Are you a failure?

We’ll get back to that in a second.  First, let me tell you about a guy named Paul.

Maybe you’ve heard of the Apostle Paul.  Paul was passionate.  He was also very, very successful- widely considered the greatest Christian missionary in history.  He was literally called by God to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.  If there’s one guy who should’ve been able (and deserved) to follow his passion full-time, it’s Paul.

But Paul was also a tent-maker.

He made tents to help make ends meet.  At times, he’d work his day job during the week and chase his dream around it.  Sound familiar?

Tentmaker

Was Paul a failure because he didn’t pursue his passion full-time?

Of course not!  He was relentless in following his calling.  He went about it with passion and intelligence.  He never quit.  Even as he lived out his last days in a prison, he was writing letters to churches- letters which would become much of the New Testament.  And you can bet his jailers were getting an earful of the gospel!

paul prison

He was faithful to his calling, and that made him successful.  The results, he understood, weren’t in his control.  God didn’t “deliver” Paul from his day job (I sometimes wonder if that was the “thorn in the flesh” Paul talked about.  But that’s probably just my personal issues showing.).

God used Paul’s day job to fund some of his missions work.  There was a reason it was best for Paul to step back at times and make tents. (Read my blog post: “Day Job: A Songwriter’s Prison or Patron?“) What was God doing in his heart and mind during those hours that made him even more effective when he was preaching?

So if Paul, the greatest missionary in history, was not a failure in spite of his day job, you probably shouldn’t see yourself as a failed songwriter based on your day job status.  Maybe being a full-time songwriter isn’t the plan for you.  Or maybe this season is to prepare you for full-time writing later.  It’s sure not for me to say.

The question isn’t, “Am I able to write full-time?”  The question should be, “Am I being faithful to my calling?”

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.  Please leave a comment!

1-to-1 Coaching

Want some personalized help and guidance for your songwriting journey?  I’ve just opened up some spots for 1-to-1 coaching.  I’m happy to be your “personal pro”- to give feedback on your songs, answer any questions I can, help you develop your song ideas, and discuss goals and “next steps.”  I also have some coach-writing spots open.  This is when you and I actually write a song together!  If you’re interested, CLICK HERE.

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.

Man vs Row

Biz, Muse

The Shawshank Songwriter

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Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.

If you feel trapped in your day job- if you feel like you’re locked in a prison, I recommend watching “The Shawshank Redemption.” There is an important lesson in there for folks trying to escape their day jobs for the freedom of their dream jobs.

After years behind bars, Tim Robbins’ character, Andy, was finally able to tunnel his way out. No, I’m not suggesting you sneak a breakroom spoon into your cubicle and dig when your boss isn’t looking. The lesson is not about the tunneling itself, but how Andy went about it.

He was extremely patient and radically persistent.

You see, Andy knew he couldn’t just make a break for the wall and try to climb over. He would’ve gotten shot. He also knew that he couldn’t tunnel out in one night. There was just an impossible amount of work to do.

Andy knew he could only dig and remove a little bit of dirt a day without getting caught. So that’s what he did. Day after day, month after month, year after year, he dug a little dirt and spread it around the prison yard.

I’m sure there were times he must’ve been so frustrated that he was tempted to scream and hammer at the tunnel wall, desperate to finally get out! But he knew that would only lead to him getting caught- and getting caught meant, at the very least, changing cells and having to start all over.

And maybe that’s how you feel at your day job. You’re frustrated because you feel trapped, yet you can only do a little at a time to escape. Some days you want to walk into your boss’s office quit your day job right then… but you can’t. Maybe you don’t have any savings built up. Or maybe you have a family that is depending on you to bring home a steady paycheck, and you know you can’t let them down.

Or instead of quitting, you’re tempted to lock yourself in your writing room every night after work and polish your songwriting chops or stay out late at songwriter nights every night to network. But you have a spouse and children who need you, so you can’t.

So what do you do?

You do what Andy did.

You plan your escape tunnel. Decide how much and how often you can dig without causing certain financial or family ruin. (Notice I said “certain” not “possible.” There will always be risk in chasing your dream, but you don’t have to be suicidal.) Then you start digging at that pace- day after day, month after month, year after year. Dig as long as it takes.

Yes, it’s going to test your patience. Yes, it’ll feel like it’s taking too long. But be patient. Yes, it will take longer than the mad scramble up the prison wall, but it’s worth it to dig a tunnel big enough to bring your family and a little money with you on your escape.

God Bless,

Brent

A GIFT FOR YOU

I’ve recently released my 1st book on Amazon- and thanks to those of you who made it a bestseller in the Songwriting and Music Instruction categories!  If you’d like to get your own copy of Hit Songwriting- How A Songwriting Coach Can Fast Track Your Success, it’s available for FREE, IMMEDIATE DOWNLOAD at GiftFromBrent.com.  Or you can click on the image below.  Thanks!

Gift From Brent Songwriting 3

Money, Muse

Day Job: A Songwriter’s Prison or Patron?

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Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.

Prison Patron

If you have the dream of being a full-time songwriter, singer/songwriter, or other type of creative, I know it can be easy to think of your day job as a prison. You feel chained to your desk, or the sales floor, or the job site all day. You feel imprisoned by the 8-to-5 because you aren’t free to do what you love all day. This view of your day job as a prison understandably breeds resentment and despair.

But what if there’s another way to look at it?

What if, instead of being your prison, you day job is your patron?

It’s never been easy making a living from art. Way back when, artists used to find a rich person to provide financial backing so they could work on their art. This person was known as a “patron.”  Of course, these days I wouldn’t expect to find someone to give you room and board just so you can write songs. (Of course, there are a few publishing deals out there, but they don’t usually pay enough to feed a family.)

So let your day job be your patron.

Let your day job pay for the roof over your writing room and the coffee in your mug. Let your job during the day fund your art on nights and weekends. Get paid while you build connections in the music business. Let your boss pay for your demos- he won’t even ask for your publishing!

I know, I know. It’s easy to resent that your day job doesn’t allow you time to write as much as you want. But, in reality, your day job DOES buy you more time. It buys you time to learn and get better while there’s very little to lose by failing.

Relying completely on songwriting to feed your family is extremely difficult- I know from experience.

So use this time to improve your songwriting, build relationships, and start growing your business.

Turn your prison into your patron.

God Bless,

Brent

THE PRO KNOWS

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro. In this complimentary report, learn the mindsets that help the pro songwriter get cuts, earn respect in the industry, and maintain long-term success in the music business. Just click on the picture below to download this complimentary report today!

The Pro Knows

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