Define success find your art
When artists seek guidance on their career, the questions they ask are often loaded with hope, but sometimes also frustration. One of the most common responses I receive when I start a conversation about PR campaigns is: “What three things would make this campaign a success for you?”
The answers range from the highly concrete—gaining 1,000 followers or achieving five million streams—to the deeply subjective: making a difference or reaching the right audience. Beneath these surface desires, however, lies a pervasive feeling of if only.
Artists often yearn for external validation, wishing for a label to give them a chance, a specific venue to book them, or a national tour to materialize. While these dreams are understandable, they often lead to the same pitfall: they give too much power away to people who don’t fully understand the artist’s unique journey.
The truth is, all these desires are paths to success, but the most reliable routes are those that involve taking control of your career and pursuing what you genuinely want, rather than waiting for someone else to direct the ship. It is easy to feel stuck, but the roadblock is rarely a lack of tools or support; it’s usually a lack of clarity about the destination.
To move forward, we need to stop chasing elusive, intangible ideas and start defining success with laser-like precision. This means moving past vague goals and getting down to the nitty-gritty of what success actually looks like for you.
For example, instead of simply aiming to sign a label, the real question becomes: Which label and why is it a good fit? Understanding this specificity changes the strategy entirely. Similarly, if the goal is to tour more, the artist needs to ask: Where? And why will that move them closer to their true vision?
Defining success is also about understanding the emotional core of the journey. Success isn’t just about milestones; it’s about how you want to feel. Are you chasing the feeling of freedom, creative control, or stability? If your priorities have shifted—perhaps moving from wanting to tour the world to valuing a home life—the goals must reflect that reality. This shift in focus allows you to align your actions with your current feelings, making the pursuit much more enjoyable.
Finally, success must be celebrated in small victories. It is easy for creatives, especially in a brutal industry, to miss the small wins, feeling like they must constantly leap to the next big milestone. Taking the time to acknowledge the little moments—the friendships, the supportive bandmates, and the fans who make the work possible—is crucial. These moments recalibrate how you view your craft and your accomplishments.
Ultimately, success is not a destination handed to you by an outside force. It is the landscape you create for yourself. By focusing on what you truly want, understanding your internal motivations, and appreciating the journey, you discover that success is simply what you make it.
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