As an independent artist, sometimes I wish I had a manager.
I imagine her as a kind, wise, competent and courageous person, who always has my best interests at heart. She'd be a whiz at the administrative tasks I hate, and she'd intuitively know which projects and decisions are most important right now.
Most of all, she'd believe in me and the value of my work, even when nothing particularly successful seems to be going on. My manager would be patient, hopeful and matter-of-fact. She'd definitely have a good sense of humour.
From time-to-time, I ask people to help out with various tasks...and I truly appreciate their assistance. Still, nobody has emerged yet as that perfect take-care-of-everything sort of person.
Fortunately, I already have an Inner Manager.
Lately I've been checking in with her more often. I find that she's highly reliable and always on-task...which is even more apparent when I've been worried and distracted. My Inner Manager is humming along, calm and smiling, unperturbed by my anxious thoughts.
My Inner Manager knows which gigs are most appropriate for me. She confidently lines those up, while gracefully turning others down.
My Inner Manager is unconcerned with competitions, ranking or status.
My Inner Manager celebrates achievements, large and small, and shrugs off setbacks.
My Inner Manager believes in the value of regular practice.
My Inner Manager knows which songs are most important that I sing, and when I should sing them, and why.
My Inner Manager is always listening.
When I listen to her, I find that I'm calmer about my music activities, and they seem to take on a more meaningful and cohesive shape.
Not every artist is fortunate enough to have an agent, but each of us has an Inner Manager.
She's always there, ready for our call.
2 comments:
I love this post, Lynn! I have an inner manager and an inner critic. The two of them duke it out on a regular basis and the only way to shut them up is to work on my tunes. Still, it's a good reminder to acknowledge my manager as she is much quieter than my critic!
Ilana
How right you are, Lynn! Like Ilana, my inner critic has traditionally had my ear more often than my wise and loving inner manager (maybe simply because she speaks in a louder voice ..hmm...) Time to turn her volume, who is always encouraging me to write...
Bonnie
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