When You Follow The Crowd, All You See Are Assholes!
I'm going to share a secret with you: I never fit in. I always feel like I have to be "on" when I'm in a crowd. I always feel awkward at corporate parties, or when people ask me, "How's the band doing?" I think that's because when I was young, I faced a lot of rejection. I really didn't want to be at school, preferring to spend time in my imagination than the "reality" everyone around me seemed to embrace. For example, who in their right mind would want to sit in a classroom, when it was bright and sunny outside?
When I was a teen, I felt more at home with the rejects than with the smart kids who were headed to college, the jocks, or any other group of kids. But even the rejects felt like a group. Everyone smoked, drank, and wore concert t-shirts. Me? I was just looking for a bit of comfort from anyone, or anything. And this was the beginning of an extraordinary experience. I became attached to secluded spaces in nature.
Nature allows extraordinary experiences to occur, which run parallel to ordinary experiences. And because we're busy living our own lives, we seldom stop to consider anything different. But if we stop for a second and look around, we begin to notice things that don't fit right.
On a farm, for example, a lamb whose mom died lives in great anxiety looking for food and comfort. It can be painful watching it work out by itself. How to get food. How to find comfort. All that. But really, no matter the odds, it's ALWAYS better to let nature work things out for itself before we get involved.
And once you begin seeing how a lamb comes up separate from the rest of the flock, you see something very special in it.
The orphan lamb will always be an orphan. But it begins to notice other animals on the farm. While the rest of the flock moves on with the herd, our lamb makes friends with many others the flock doesn't even notice.
You see, nature allows for special experiences for one reason: to reach new awareness.
Once separated, we evolve a new sense. We simply reach beyond wanting to belong. Rejection becomes elevated awareness. And in turn, it connects us to everything else. We no longer wait to be seen. We don't give up.
The lesson you can learn from this is simple: once you stop chasing the flock, which will never see you, a new instinct emerges. An instinct to be connected.
So, Nourish yourself. Let the world be drawn to you. And don't give up. After all, if you follow the flock, all you see from that point of view are assholes.
"Why Would I Want To Be Like You?"
When I was in college, one of my professors and I had an argument He asked me when I was going to learn to play the game and just tell him what he wanted to hear when it came to homework. I told him I wasn't at college to play games, I was there to learn. And if he couldn't teach me, perhaps he either didn't know how to teach, or he didn't really know what he was talking about.
So, you can tell I was popular in college, too, right?
I don't remember what he said after that. Truly, it doesn't matter. What does matter is I needed a better teacher. You see in college, you get taught a lesson and then get tested. In real life, you get tested and then you learn your lesson. Life is a better teacher.
I separated myself from class. I ended up building the college's laboratory for Unit Operations at a little place called "Energetic Materials Research and Test Center" in Socorro with some help from a few other students. I'll tell you, I learned so much more than a book could have ever taught me by using my blue collar skills than learning the white collar skills.
Why on earth would I want to be like this professor? I'm not belittling a Ph.D. Chemical Engineer. I'm just saying there's nothing about that person I want to be like. I still wouldn't trade places for all the money in the world.
Today, because if experiments I've done in real life, I invented things nobody else could ever invent. In other words, if you want to make a great clay pot, you can't do it from reading a book. You've got to make clay pots. After you make a few hundred of them, you get pretty good.
Same with music. Same with bands. Same with gigs. Same with life. If you want to be great at anything, you've got to get out there and do it.
Stop listening to people who've never done it. Stop listening to people who've never achieved great success. Stop following the crowd.
Nurture yourself and go for greatness. Just do it. And never give up. The people you need will find you. Even then, you might not be rich and famous, but you just might end up being awesome. Not too many people can say that.
Music Industry Professionals Don't Set Trends!
When I first heard Kiss, Cheap Trick, Boston, Queen and many others, I found each of them unique. They each had a point of view I found fascinating. You see, they separated themselves from the herd of other bands by doing their own thing. Yes, I'm sure they were lonely, short on funds, and needed a bunch of comfort on bad days. But each of them resonated with me. They found that thing. An elevated sense of awareness that connected them to people they never knew. And guess what? I was drawn to them! And so where millions of other people.
Just like the lamb on the farm, I was searching for something extraordinary.
If you want to find interesting music, stop following the crowd. Only a few Music Industry Professionals can bring you great music. Talk to your friends. Find out what they listen to. Find out for yourself. Go to a concert!!
Be the lamb. Stop following the flock.
When you stop chasing the flock, which is incapable of seeing you, an instinct emerges like a whisper in your ear. "Nourish yourself and the world will be drawn to you."
Love & Rockets,
Russ