The New Year. A turning-of-the-corner, if you will. Yet another lap around the Monopoly board. For me, New Year’s Eve/Day has been like passing through a bottle neck. All the ease of introspection and reflection followed closely by an unspeakable sense of motivation to get and keep moving once again. The holidays are great for some down-home conscious (and often unconscious) wallowing. You know, when you make a point to actually sit down on the couch or lazy chair and decidedly shine-on any effort to move about, do things, fix shit, create. Bah!

However, when you pass over the inexplicable threshold of New Year’s, you almost can’t help but feel thrust into action. It’s the proverbial clean-slate syndrome. For some reason, this otherwise arbitrary date in time somehow provides us the perfect opportunity to think fresh, to muster up a newfound sense of purpose, get our “shit” together and move forward, let alone the temptation to prescribe a means of improving our life situation by making those ambitious New Year’s resolutions. These can be helpful, if not downright necessary. So, as this is a Do-It-Yourself indie artist blog, I thought I might share a few resolutions that have helped me over the years and a few that, for some reason or another, have remained somewhat elusive.

Organize:

Be honest, everybody likes getting organized at some point or another. Whether it’s cleaning house altogether or just buying a new filing cabinet and sorting through old piles of paperwork, getting organized can be a very empowering step towards a more productive career. Take the time to think about all the facets of your craft that could use some straightening out. Everything from your merch case to your pedal board, your contacts and fan e-mail lists, every little bit of clarity can help make your operation more efficient and thus your output more well-defined.

Discipline:

If you’re an artist, chances are there’s some major area of your career that could use a little more structure and accountability. Even though it’s a creative path that you’ve chosen, there are still plenty of aspects of it that demand nothing less than a thorough approach, even the creativity itself. Be honest with yourself, maybe even ask those close to you, where you could afford to be more focused in your efforts. If it’s networking with other artists and industry types, resolve to be more proactive in reaching out, taking meetings, coffee, going out for drinks, dinners. Feel confident in putting yourself “out there.” If it’s your repertoire that could use a little more muscle, resolve to set a specific amount of time aside each day to write, even if it’s just getting some creative ideas down on paper, make that effort and try to do it consistently. Eventually, it’ll become more and more effortless as your ideas begin to flow more freely.

Set goals (big AND small):

You’ll most likely find this one on just about any list of resolution suggestions you come across. Just because you want to be a rock star doesn’t mean you can’t decide how you want to get there. Look at what you’ve accomplished so far and decide whether or not you’re content to continue with your current trajectory or if it’s maybe time to step things up a bit. If so, set your goals relative to that which you consider to have been successful to date. If your band is doing well in a particular city but you’re looking to expand your fan base regionally, decide you’re going to reach out to 5 regional venues each week in an attempt to book an opening slot for similar national acts that pass through. As well, maybe reach out to 5 national acts a week, let them know what you’re capable of drawing in your city, what you can offer in terms of promotion, etc. Need new gear? Figure out what you need, what it’s going to cost and how you might be able to budget and or save up for it.

Decide:

Though this one’s a bit more philosophical, it may very well be the most practical. As an artist, it can be easy to feel as though you’re constantly at the mercy of an unspeakable myriad of subjective forces. Like no matter what you do, there’s always someone who’s either going to get it or not and oftentimes for no apparent reason. Regardless, it’s important to not be victimized by this. Don’t let the opinions and the decisions of others dictate what you’re going to do with your art. If you truly believe in what you’re doing and are seeing results from your efforts, if you’re receiving honest encouragement that helps motivate you to keep going, then all you need to do is decide you are going to succeed and you inevitably will. Decide you are going to improve. Decide you are ready for accountability. Decide you are worth others’ attention. Decide. Be honest, but decide.

Fortunately, one of the benefits of doing something long enough is that, eventually, humility sets in and you become able to set aside your own stubbornness long enough to honestly listen to (and in some cases, actually heed) the advice of others. Suffice it to say, I am eternally grateful to those who have either imparted their kind words of wisdom or simply pissed me off enough to decide I actually now know better. Both have made me stronger. Hopefully this blog falls somewhere in between for you and you’re able to take what you will and have a better New Year because of it. That said, I’ve got some house cleaning of my own to get to.

Happy New Year, everybody. Here’s to a balls-out 2011…

Cheers.

- Tony Lucca