MADEUS
Consider Erykah Badu
for example, and her
messages of freedom,
that pair so beautifully
with her vocal talents.
Or activists like Malcolm
X, whose message was
able to survive through
his way with words, and
his ability to capture
attention, and empower.
Understanding
the Landscape
Become a student to
your craft, and industry.
It is nearly imperative
that you understand the
history of the landscape,
as well as the what’s
now. Look for the trends,
but be sure to look for
the gaps, and understand
where or how you could
fill them. Think of how
you could do things
differently than the
norm, how you could
disrupt the norm, while
moving with intention.
Understanding this
landscape, also gives you
a better positioning, to
predict what’s next, and
either create that change,
or spearhead it.
In parallel paths, study
all of the key players,
and the game changers.
Study the people in your
industry, who embody
goals, for your mission.
Here, you mainly want
to study how they are
maneuvering through the
industry. Also study how
they have gotten to the
point they’re at now, and
what steps they took in
order to get there. Across
all industries there is
usually a certain set of
things that you need to
do or steps you need to
take in order to break
into it. Determine what
those are, and if you
could disrupt them. As
you meticulously study
the landscape of your
industry, constantly
keep in mind the ways
in which you could
innovate and activate
within that space.
what you will use, in
order to create your
blueprint. Turn those
initial thoughts from
the section above into
actions or steps. From
there, look into your
research of the gaps
in the industry, and
consider ways in which
you can fill them. Maybe
even turn how you fill
that gap, into your point
of difference, or your way
of standing out.
Creating Your
Blueprint
Now that you’ve gathered
all of the information
you need, it’s time to put
your strategy together.
As you’re crafting this,
it’s important to be
intentional. Remember
back to your purpose
and mission, allow for
them to guide your
strategy. Start with what
your objective is, and
work backwards. If your
mission is to get your
music into the ears of
as many people in your
audience as possible,
consider the steps you
need to take in order to
get there, and combine
this with your knowledge
of the industry
landscape.
Your understanding
of the landscape, is
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Be sure to spend a
considerable amount of
time at the foundation,
so that no matter what
you build on top of it, it’ll
always be on rooted and
grounded. Which should
be based in intention
and purpose. For your
foundation, consider
this like the storytelling
of how you want to be
perceived.
Also, when creating this
blueprint, rest in the
spirit of take, in opposed
to the spirit of ask. You
are not asking for what
you want, but are taking
what you deserve and
what you came for. While
it may seem extensive,
carving out your own
opportunities isn’t just a
quick one step process.
Especially, if you want to
be based in purpose, and
experience longevity,
you have to play the long
game.