Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
After a degree? An album release? Critical acclaim?
In a recent coaching call, one of my mentorship clients—an incredible musician with training, releases, and loads of external accomplishments—confessed he still couldn't see himself as a ""real musician.""
It was a powerful moment of recognition. Despite checking all the external boxes, something still felt missing.
The tricky thing about basing your creative identity on external milestones is that it can become a never-ending chase to level up, with the goal posts constantly moving further away.
Here's another way to look at things:
What if being an artist isn't about what you've achieved, but about the practice you engage with every day?
My definition: an artist is someone who engages with a creative practice in some way. Simple.
There are a million ways to BE an artist. A million ways it can take form. And someone else's measurement of success doesn't need to be your benchmark.
When you base your identity on external validation, you're waiting for someone else to recognize you. Focusing on a daily practice instead, means showing up and deciding, again and again, that your creative voice matters—regardless of who's listening.
Fall in love with the PROCESS, and the rest will fall into place. ❤️
@moogsynthesizers #synthesizer #creativemindset #electronicmusic #sounddesign #modularsynth #experimentalmusic
After a degree? An album release? Critical acclaim?
In a recent coaching call, one of my mentorship clients—an incredible musician with training, releases, and loads of external accomplishments—confessed he still couldn't see himself as a ""real musician.""
It was a powerful moment of recognition. Despite checking all the external boxes, something still felt missing.
The tricky thing about basing your creative identity on external milestones is that it can become a never-ending chase to level up, with the goal posts constantly moving further away.
Here's another way to look at things:
What if being an artist isn't about what you've achieved, but about the practice you engage with every day?
My definition: an artist is someone who engages with a creative practice in some way. Simple.
There are a million ways to BE an artist. A million ways it can take form. And someone else's measurement of success doesn't need to be your benchmark.
When you base your identity on external validation, you're waiting for someone else to recognize you. Focusing on a daily practice instead, means showing up and deciding, again and again, that your creative voice matters—regardless of who's listening.
Fall in love with the PROCESS, and the rest will fall into place. ❤️
@moogsynthesizers #synthesizer #creativemindset #electronicmusic #sounddesign #modularsynth #experimentalmusic
