Selling your Artistic Soul

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Hey everyone, I need you to vote, it's very important!

I'm struggling with full time employment at the moment, to cut a long story short I was in the same office job for seven years then they moved into a different company and thus has rocked my delicate interaction boat...so as of next Thursday i'll be unemployed unless I find a minimum wage Kitchen Porter job

Meanwhile, in my head, on the net and burnt on some cds is a unique talented solo singer/songwriter/visionary etc etc. who could have a career as an autistic rock superstar (ish)

So...

VOTE NOW!

So what's the argument against getting into the music business? Are you concerned about supporting something you don't agree with or being exploited or humiliated?

It sounds like you're trying to choose between a 9-5 job and a multi-million dollar contract with a major label. It's very unusual for people without established careers in music to be offered a significant amount of money by a major label. Or to be offered anything by a major label - even a meeting.

Usually, musicians start out by playing gigs in their local area while working a regular job. Usually, if they are hoping to make a career out of music, any income from those gigs is invested in the music - better equipment, better recordings, advertising, etc. Usually, you have to do this for at least a few years, tour, establish a following, and put out at least one full-length record before a major label will take interest. If you're successful enough to get a major label interested, you might be just as successful doing it all independently. Once you reach that point, you have a lot of different options.

Have a job to pay the bills. Make music with the rest of your time. Isn't that the obvious choice?

Indeed. The interesting part for me is the huge dynamic between these options - I am fairly confident and high functioning autistic person but recently I have that feeling of being 'unemployable', I live in Cambridge UK and there's this sense in the world of office jobs that it's a 'rat race' and there can be scrutiny about personality and employability. I guess it's a case of finding a 9-5 (being lucky enough to find one) that is friendly and more 'open arms' to personality diversity.

When I read back the poll question I just find it quite funny that some people like myself have artistic potential and on the other hand be 'happily' working minimum wage. The gulf of career aspirations is extreme.

You realise it's possible to try both at once? Work 9-5, but at the weekends do gigs, open mics, record...

I don't even have a job right now, and I've dropped out of college. But I'm getting a job soon. I just want something to live off of that doesn't take up too much of my time, so that I can do what I really want to do outside of work, which includes making music.

I work, go to school, and play music. On top of that, I manage to get 9 hours of sleep every night, take care of 3 animals, and waste plenty of time on here. It's all possible.