Piggybacking on the previous post’s topic (finding your own voice and making your own market), it’s critical that anyone with a specialized craft (be it music, art, writing, comedy, technology, etc.) evaluate not only their hopes, goals, and progress, but also what they are already capable of. I am a faithful, daily listener of the Adam Carolla Podcast. Comedy aside, I really enjoy his regular discussions of the craft of standup comedy and acting with the various comics, actors, and directors he interviews. In an episode I listen to time and time again, he interviews actor David Koechner and makes the following insight: “Don’t think of what you can do, think of what you do do.”

Say what you will about comedians (I consider great comics to be true artists), but the above statement is quite profound. As musicians, we’re always chasing some elusive goal. First, there are the purely technical aspects, or what can be written on the page: I need to play faster, cleaner, louder, softer. Then, there are the musical considerations, which cannot be notated: I want to develop an original interpretation, create an original phrase, apply subtle nuance. I may not have all of my 10,000 hours logged yet, but I’m far enough along to start applying my own personality, philosophy, and approach to the music I’m attempting to create.