Top Ten list!

Was recently contacted via Twitter regarding the Morrow Stone - a reader posted their blog with a top ten list of their favorite books, and included Morrow Stone at number 10.

I'm ashamed to admit I have no words to express how delightful that is. I'm really just pleasantly gobsmacked by the idea that people would LIKE my books at all, but there were definitely times that I worried about the delusionality of it all.

Doing anything that people love doing becomes at times a contest of will - - though most often pitting your own will to succeed against your will to not embarass yourself. And through my years of music production, I really saw a lot of bands that - to channel a bit of Simon Cowell - were really kidding themselves. And it wasn't that they sucked; the quality and skill of a musician isn't so clearcut. It was usually that they weren't very good and didn't realize they weren't that good.

A failure to honestly scrutinize onesself is a dangerous thing. Check the mirror before you go out. Look to the blind spot before backing up. Do you have your keys/wallet/cell phone? Are you forgetting anything? Have you practiced your ass off to become as good as possible? Have only your parents heard what you do? Have you considered all the angles? Are you ready?

Speaking of Simon Cowell, my heart breaks watching those shows when a child is thrust before the judges' headlights, and is clearly their first time auditioning for anything. Parents? Hello? What the hell?

I'm not saying that risk is bad, or that you should never try new things, or that it's wrong to hope for the stars. But if you're going to jump for the stars, you really should try and limber up first so you don't pull a muscle. Learn all you can before getting into that situation, talk to people who've been there, practice practice practice. Perform live (if your ambition is suitably designed for such things), and get some people as friends who aren't afraid to point out ways in which you can improve.

And then, when you're pretty sure you're ready for it, jump from the lion's mouth.

Now - - granted, even after all is said and done, all these things cannot guarantee that you're going to be the next Lady Gaga or Sting or Brad Pitt or whoever - but there is great satisfaction to be found when you know you've done your absolute best, even if you don't make the big millions.

Sometimes, just seeing your name on a blog of a complete stranger is enough to make your entire journey seem worth the effort.

Have a good day, my friends. Be delicious.