How valuable are you?
Let’s talk about it.
I don’t mean in a spiritual or self-esteem kind of way. I’m talking economics. What can you do for someone else?
Writing great music is a start. However, lots of people can do that. Supply & demand causes the value of great music IN AND OF ITSELF to unfortunately be not worth that much.
Writing great music and delivering it to people in a way they want is better. Think unique live shows, creative videos, content, recordings, personal hand-written letters, whatever.
Again, many people can “create content.” Think about how you can make your content more valuable. Don’t think monetarily here. Think on a micro scale. For example, you wouldn’t pay your buddy to tell you a great joke, yet it still has value to you. Stupid memes have value. People like them. Therefore they have value.
Labels boost their artists by investing in them. It makes them more valuable to the marketplace (the fans).
We don’t have to stick to music here. Companies make themselves more valuable by hiring employees. They pay a salary, and the employees do the job, which makes the companies more valuable. They can now do more things (or do their thing more efficiently) for someone else. The employees become more valuable because they gain skills and experience and can then trade their value for money.
So, how can you boost your value without investing in yourself? I don’t mean this as a dickish criticism. It’s a legitimate question. I see no other way around it.
When you want to increase your value as a guitar player, you practice—you spend time. You buy better gear—you spend money. You study theory and learn new chord shapes—spend time and (maybe) money. All investments, by the way. Just because the return on investment isn’t immediately financial doesn’t mean there isn’t a return.
I’ve spent a few thousand dollars on courses and mentors over the past few years, and I am actually shocked at how much of an improvement I have made directly because of it—both in skills AND income. Courses I took a few years ago are still paying dividends. Books I’ve read a few years ago (time invested) are still paying dividends. (Just make sure you’re choosing the right investments.)
So, don’t be afraid to invest in yourself. The upfront cost might sting a little if you’re not used to it, but what’s the cost of not getting where you want to go? To me, it’s MUCH more expensive.