DEAR ASK A PUNK -
I decided 2009 was the year. If I didn’t feel like my music and my band really got somewhere or at least moved up a notch in the punk rock food chain, that I would hang it up and do something else. So of course 2009 was a bad year for everyone and everything anyway and I had it no different. Band personnel issues, money troubles and overall lameness at all of the few gigs we managed to book anyway. I’m done. I’ve had it. Time to do something else. I don’t even feel all that bad about it, just sort of empty or more like rung out. I guess I would feel better about it if I felt like I had nothing left to prove to myself or other people, but I just think enough is enough. And even though I’m 33 it isn’t even about getting older or wanting to “make money” hell, I don’t even know what I’m going to do job wise anyway. I’m just trying to figure out what those next new steps are and how to take them. Any ideas? - Not Anvil


DEAR N-A
We all hit that wall, and not just once. Anyone engaged in any creative pursuit asks the same question every time they strap on the guitar or sit down at the keyboard etc… The whole “What the hell am I doing?” and “Is it worth it?” question sheet. It is much much easier to answer these questions in the affirmative if you also happen to be getting paid (and paid well) for doing that creative thing… but when the reality hits you that instant success or ‘stardom’ would have had to happen years ago… You have to reexamine why you’re doing what you’re doing.


Do you love music, or do you love the idea of being successful? The artist will keep creating, keep doing their thing, whether anyone is watching or not. If you’re not finding joy in the process, but rather only hoping joy will come when you’re recognized and successful (whatever that may mean.) then you might be in for a rude awakening: “success” when defined as “recognition and big fat paydays” might never come, regardless of your talent and commitment. …So that simply can NOT be the only reason you pursue it.


But also, hey, 2009 was an ass-kicker of a year. I know it kicked my ass. Maybe you’re just burnt out (as so many of us are) from the bad news, the economic troubles and all of that. When times are tough, it seems that everything seems to irritate us juuuuust a little bit more. We’re less tolerant of bandmates and iffy friends and everything tends to rub the wrong way. Maybe you just need a little break from it all, maybe you don’t need to hang it up completely. Don’t make any grand pronouncements, don’t ritualistically burn your guitars in the back yard.. Just find something else to do that interests you for a while - whether that is a job or another creative outlet - and then, in a few weeks (or months) check in with yourself and see if you MISS what you’ve put down. If you do, you can pick it back up… and if you don’t, well, then new challenges and vistas await.

 A friend of mine recently posted this quote from Calvin Coolidge... Now I'll grant you that ol' Cal isn't exactly the first (or even the 900th) guy you might think of when it comes to inspiring messages, but give this a read and a think: