Tag Archives: Erica D'Aurora Gioia Communications

Wednesday Wisdom: How to (Finally) Do the Thing

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How many times have you wanted to do something, or wanted to chase after a big dream you’ve had, but then you just…didn’t?

Maybe fear was holding you back. Or maybe you were battling procrastination. Maybe you were overthinking yourself right out of the whole thing. Maybe this is something you’re battling right now.

It can be tough to break out of a cycle of overthinking, and feeling like everything has to be perfect before you start doing what you want to do. It can be tough to break out of that fear. But you’ll never get anywhere if you keep getting stuck in the same place.

Sometimes it’s hard to just do the thing.

Below are some of my best tips for getting started so you can finally check that thing off your list.

Ask yourself what you’re most hesitant about

Sometimes when we can’t do the thing it’s because we start overthinking. As a result, a bunch of what-if scenarios might pop up in our heads, further preventing us from moving forward.

Thoughts like “What if I fail?” or “What if I’m making a mistake?” can be pretty daunting, and self-doubt can start taking over quickly. Maybe you find that imposter syndrome is rearing its ugly head and it’s convincing you that you’re neither capable nor worthy of achieving your dreams. (More on how to combat imposter syndrome here).

If fears like these are holding you back from starting, take the time to reflect on what you think will happen if you actually do the thing you want to do. Get honest with yourself. Write it all out. Feel all the feelings.

Sometimes just acknowledging our fears is exactly what we need to do in order to realize that, sometimes, they really aren’t as big as they might seem. Sometimes just acknowledging our fears removes the fear itself and you can get moving in the right direction again.

Take one small step forward…

When we feel really stuck, and like we can’t get going, sometimes it’s actually because we’re feeling overwhelmed. 

That thing you want to do? Maybe it seems huge and impossible to you right now, but maybe it will seem more achievable if you break it down into smaller pieces.

Of course, it’s super easy to feel overwhelmed when we’re thinking about climbing a mountain instead of climbing two steps up a staircase, right? So, is there something you can do right now that can be that first step you need to get started? 

Are you dreaming of opening a business but can’t even begin to fathom how exactly you’re going to make that happen? Maybe your first step is coming up with your business name. Have you always wanted to write a song but never wrote one before? Find a local writer’s round and get your feet wet that way.

When we can break down our biggest dreams into smaller, achievable goals, and then we achieve one of those goals, it gives us an important sense of accomplishment and fills us with the excitement that’s going to help us to keep moving forward.

Or… take a step back

Sometimes we get so deeply involved and invested in something that we start losing perspective. Small obstacles might start becoming bigger in our minds than they are in reality, and we might start believing that they’re impossible to overcome. Basically, we start psyching ourselves out. Big time. 

If you’ve been thinking and thinking and thinking about the thing you’re thinking about doing, take a break and do something different. Get out of your head! Take a walk, watch a movie, go out to dinner with a friend. Anything. It will give your mind a much-needed breather, allowing you to refocus.

Meditate

Meditation is most commonly known as a coping method for stress and anxiety, but it can also be an important tool when it comes to accomplishing our goals and chasing after our greatest dreams.

Taking a moment to ground ourselves in the present moment can help shift our perspective and see that thing we want to do in a different way. Maybe you’ll realize you were approaching it all wrong and you’ll discover a new road to take that will allow you to achieve your goal even faster.

Maybe you’ll realize that everything happens at the time it’s meant to happen.

Maybe you’ll find a new sense of patience that will help you keep chugging along, rediscovering the drive within you to make your dream come true.

It’s natural to feel stuck and overwhelmed, but when there are things you want to do, sometimes it’s difficult to get them done. Don’t let a little hesitation or setback get in your way, because there’s no worse regret in life than not trying. You’ll be so glad you did.

Wednesday Wisdom: Tips for Surviving the Holidays

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Although Thanksgiving is already behind us — can you even believe it? — December is already speeding by, as we head into the winter holidays and the new year.

It’s a chaotic time full of travel, gatherings with family and friends, work events, last minute shows, and more — and it can seem like our list of obligations has no end in sight. 

As we all know, this is a stressful time of year for anybody. For those in the music industry, the last few months of the year can pile on even more pressure.

If you’re feeling completely overwhelmed, in a haze, and you find yourself wishing it was already January 2, you’re not alone. Here are my best tips for surviving the end of the year.

Prioritize

Prioritizing will be your best friend this time of year. Trust me. 

Everything can feel so important and urgent right now, but the truth is that there are some things that can wait until next year. Literally. 

Maybe you have to submit your new single to the distributor by tomorrow, but it’s hard to find the time to write that caption for the Instagram post. Or, maybe there’s an important family dinner you have to go to on Saturday, getting in the way of you designing the cover art for your new album. 

There are times when it’s actually more beneficial to push certain tasks off to a later date. I know, I know. That may sound completely insane to some (or maybe all) of you, but hear me out. For instance, maybe this year you wanted to start gardening, or you wanted to learn how to bake an apple pie so you could impress your family at Christmas dinner. Instead of squeezing these activities in before December 31, doesn’t it make more sense to tackle them when you’re not already drowning under a to-do list that’s a mile long, so you can enjoy them? Maybe you push off baking until March – that gives you plenty of time to perfect that pie so you can knock people’s socks off next Christmas!

Take the less urgent tasks off your plate for now. You will alleviate some of the pressure to not only make the holidays perfect for yourself and for those around you, but to make the end of the year perfect when it comes to your career.

If you have a routine, try to stick to it

Some people thrive in a routine, while others don’t. If you’re someone who absolutely needs a routine in order to get things done, try your best to stick to it right now. The holidays and the end of the year are chaotic enough, and if you get thrown out of your usual schedule, it can make it even more difficult to do what you need to do.

If you’re starting to feel unfocused because the demands of December are starting to pull you in different directions (and away from your regular routine), resist the urge to let it go completely until after New Year’s.

Of course, there are only so many hours in a day, so it may not be possible for you to get everything done that you’d like (that’s where prioritizing is going to come in handy!), but at least try to maintain the pieces of your day that are most important to you. For example, if you exercise every day at 5 p.m., keep doing it. If you work on your social media on Mondays and Fridays at 2 p.m., keep doing it. If you read every night before bed, keep doing it.

Although these may seem like insignificant practices, continuing to honor them as part of your daily schedule will help you to better cope with the chaos that may be swirling around you, and keep you fortified throughout the season.

Start planning for next year

December can also bring anxiety about what awaits us in the year to come. To help alleviate some of that apprehension of the unknown, why not start making a plan now?

What are the goals you’d like to achieve next year? Do you want to form relationships with certain people in your industry? Do you want to make a new album? Do you want to film your first music video? Do you want to leave your tedious full-time job to finally make a career out of your side hustle? Get it out of your head, and put it down on paper. 

If you’re already a planner, this tip will probably find you in your glory. If you’re not already a planner (which is totally valid), give this a try.

Take time for yourself

The end of the year does not only bring career stress; it can also stir up some pretty heavy emotions that can make it difficult, and perhaps even painful, to make it through the season. 

We may be reminded of those who are no longer with us, and find ourselves mourning how things used to be in the face of devastating change. 

And so, it is during these times especially that taking care of yourself should be of the utmost importance. This can mean giving yourself a 20-minute break to take a walk, taking the time to make yourself a healthy meal, planning a dinner date with a friend, or even going to sleep early. 

We need time to rest so we can perform at our best. If we’re not carving out those moments – no matter how small – to nourish ourselves in mind, body, and spirit, we’re doing ourselves a huge disservice, by preventing ourselves from being able to enjoy the present moment and continue moving ahead successfully.

In the end, the holiday season is all about enjoying – enjoying the company of the people we love, enjoying good food, and, hopefully, enjoying some well-deserved time off. So, although it might feel uncomfortable to momentarily let some things slide, it’s totally OK to put some not-so-urgent tasks on the back burner. It’s more than OK to take care of ourselves so we can not only survive, but conquer, this time of year triumphantly with our sights set on all the possibilities that 2024 holds. 

Wednesday Wisdom: Tips for Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

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Imposter syndrome. It’s a beast, am I right?

According to Merriam-Webster, imposter syndrome is “a psychological condition that is characterized by persistent doubt concerning one’s abilities or accomplishments, accompanied by the fear of being exposed as a fraud, despite evidence of one’s ongoing success.”

Does that sound relatable to you?

Of course, I’m not a licensed mental health professional, but I can speak from personal experience and observation, and I’ll let you in on a secret: Many of us—if not all of us—have likely experienced imposter syndrome at some point in our lives. And, for those of us in the music industry, it seems to be especially prevalent.

Whether you’re an artist or a songwriter, a publicist or a manager, a social media marketer or a booking agent, imposter syndrome is real — but, the good news is that you can beat it. Here are some tips for overcoming those inner hurdles that may be standing in your way.

Be kind to yourself.

We’re all hard on ourselves sometimes (okay, maybe most of the time), but it’s so important for us to remember to be kind to ourselves.

That means engaging in positive self-talk and acts of self-care.

When you think about it, you wouldn’t be harsh or cruel when speaking to your best friend, right? Of course not! So, why would you want to speak to yourself in a way in which you wouldn’t dare speak to them? Likewise, if they were going through what you were going through, would you tell them to continue subjecting themselves to madness? Of course you wouldn’t!

Being kind to ourselves can do wonders for our spirits and mindsets. It can help us claim our worth, it can make us stronger, and perhaps most importantly, it can help us transform our perspective.

Yep. That’s right. When we treat ourselves with kindness and respect, we can become more secure in who we are, have more confidence in our abilities (no, you are not a fraud just because you feel like you don’t everything there is to know in the world; the knowledge and skills you do have are valuable), do our jobs better, pursue our passions with more enthusiasm, love more, and get more out of life.

Never stop learning.

One of the most incredible parts of life is that we have the ability to learn. We are constantly learning throughout our entire lives, from the moment we open our eyes, until our time on Earth comes to an end. And best of all, no one can stop us from learning. The right to education is number 26 under Amnesty International’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We actually have the right to learn.

As we all know, the creative space grows and changes at what seems like the speed of light, leaving many of us feeling like we just got whiplash as new social media platforms, streaming platforms, and new universes pop up. We can so easily feel left behind, and like we can’t keep up with how fast trends and technology are evolving around us. This sometimes results in us feeling “not good enough” or “unworthy” of our current or dream positions.

As fast as our industries move, we can learn, and we can grow, and we can always keep cultivating the foundation on which we are basing our careers.

Staying on top of your game by consistently attending events and learning the latest news will help quell the voice convincing you that you don’t know what you’re doing. It will nurture your roots, simultaneously helping you to enrich your skill set and develop confidence, so you can claim your power. Taking action is key to moving forward, and it will help you avoid remaining a slave to those pesky lies that your brain is trying to deceive you with.

Stop your obsession for perfection.

Perfection is a slippery slope. If you’re an artist, you know the struggle is real. Your work probably never quite feels finished to you, and you feel like there will always be ways to make your creative output better. Trust me, I’ve been there.

Of course, you always want to do your best, and make your art the absolute best it can be. However, it’s important to remember that constantly striving to achieve perfection is like fighting an uphill battle. It’s exhausting and will hold you back, without a doubt.

Trying to be perfect — and then beating yourself up when you feel that you have fallen short of achieving perfection — is totally not fun, and it’s just not productive. What may seem “imperfect” to you can knock someone else’s socks off. So, instead of getting caught in a downward spiral of questioning your choices and the quality of your end product, think about all the things you’re doing right and all the successes you’ve achieved so far — no matter how big or small they may feel to you. Has your recent single hit 1,000 streams on Spotify? Incredible! Have you racked up 5,000 streams on your new music video? Amazing! Did you get five new social media followers over the weekend, or pen the last verse of the song you’ve been working on? You deserve a round of applause!

Never lose sight of how amazing you are.

If there’s anything you take away from this post, always, always remember how amazing you are. You were put on this planet for a reason, and you deserve to be here. As an artist, you’re pursuing the purpose that you know aligns with the core of who you are. In following that purpose, you are touching the lives of others. You have value. Your work has value. Mistakes or “imperfections” don’t change that. Don’t forget it.

Imposter syndrome sucks, but with just a few simple tweaks to your mindset, like those I’ve shared above, you’ll be able to tame it—if not completely overcome it—in no time.

Wednesday Wisdom: What to Do When You’re Feeling Uninspired

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Anyone who creates regularly knows that creativity ebbs and flows, and inspiration is constantly found and lost.

It’s great when you’re hitting your stride and you can’t keep up with all the great ideas that are coming to you, pushing you forward as you continue working towards your goals. But, what happens when the well from which you draw your best ideas runs dry?

It happens. I’ve been there. When it seems like there’s no inspiration to be found anywhere, it can be hard to create anything, and it can feel like you’ll never be able to produce anything worthwhile again.

But, I’ll tell you a secret: that inspiration that so quickly (and sometimes dramatically) disappeared into thin air always comes back. Always.

If you’re desperate to fill your cup again, here are some tips for unearthing the inspiration you need, in order to get back to doing what you do best.

Watch a new movie

Watching a movie is like escaping into a different world, isn’t it?

So, what better way to give your brain a much-deserved break, than by entering a world you’ve never been to before and watching a new movie?

This can be a film in your favorite genre or, if you want to really push the limits of your comfort zone, you can choose something in a genre that you’ve never dared to explore before. (For example, if you usually watch rom-coms, try a thriller, or vice versa).

It can be so easy to get stuck in a routine, and when you find something you love, it can be really easy to continue . After a while, though, doing the same thing over and over again can result in boredom, which can lead you to hit those dreaded kinks in your creative process, because your brain isn’t absorbing anything new.

Sometimes, your mind just needs a simple switch of the old gears to unkink that chain. Watching a new movie can be one of the easiest ways to do that.

Read a book

Reading is a powerful tool to have in your arsenal. Besides the fact that it’s one of the greatest sources of learning and entertainment that humankind has to rely upon, it can also revive your vocabulary, expose you to different sentence structures, allow you to “meet” new people (i.e.; characters), and bring you to encounter new places and different themes with which you don’t have personal experience.

In short, if you’re a (song)writer, reading can do wonders for your writing and composition skills.

Personally, I’m not always able to get around to reading for fun as often as I’d like. But, I find that every time I do, I’m more inspired, feel more excited, and just have a better attitude toward writing in general.

Whether you’re writing a song or a musical, an advice column for fellow musicians, or keeping up your own blog, you will encounter moments when you’re too burnt out to string even one sentence together. And, when you’re writing regularly, this might be happening more often than you’d like. Stop forcing yourself to squeeze words out of an empty well, and read a chapter or two from a book. Any book, no matter if it’s fiction or non-fiction, or even a couple of magazine articles. Many times, it can be just what you need to get the juices flowing in the right direction again.

Observe the world around you

From songwriters, to authors, to filmmakers, so many creative minds have found their greatest inspiration when they’re observing everyday life.

If remote working has had you cooped up in the house for too long, take the time to venture out and go somewhere new. Go to the beach, the coffee shop on the corner, the new restaurant that just opened up downtown—anywhere that’s new to you.

Experiencing a new environment is extremely beneficial for our mental health and well-being. It breaks us out of the monotony which keeps us in an unproductive drought. And, you never know what snippets from conversations you’ll overhear, or interactions between strangers — or with strangers, if you’re an adventurous extrovert — that you’ll find. Just a simple phrase can spark an overflow of ideas.

When you get out and experience the world—when you get out and really live—that’s when the magic happens. So, search for and savor those moments that can reignite the fire within you. Those moments can lead you to your next big idea, whether it’s the subject of your next song, or the concept for a new album.

Take a shower

If you’re a fan of Stranger Things, you’ve learned a thing or two about sensory deprivation. However, you don’t have to immerse yourself in a scary water-filled tank to benefit from its effects.

In addition to being a nice break from the chaos of the day — not to mention, the constant bombardment of news and technology — a hot shower sometimes seems to hold the keys to the universe. Especially when you’re stuck in a rut.

The heat and the noise of the water rushing over you can be enough to separate yourself from the hectic madness of daily life. This may give your brain the space it needs to refocus and find the answers it’s looking for.

Heck, they even make waterproof notepads now. You can jot down those brilliant ideas that come to you while you’re washing your hair.

It’s great to have a never-ending flow of inspiration, but we all know that isn’t realistic. Unfortunately, the inspiration we need to produce our work can sometimes run away from us and go into hiding.

It won’t be lost forever, though. You just have to know where to look to find it again.

Wednesday Wisdom: How to Rediscover Your Passion When the Industry Gets You Down

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The music industry is tough. I get it. Anyone you meet in this industry isn’t likely to argue with you.

Choosing to pursue a career in music comes with a plethora of unique challenges which, if we’re all being honest with each other, can really get to a person. And if you’re an artist, the demands on you can be extraordinarily overwhelming.

For those days when things feel just a little too hard — when you lose sight of the light at the end of the tunnel, and you start questioning why you’re pursuing your dreams in a field where it can be so difficult to break into and succeed — here are some of my favorite tips for helping you to rediscover your passion, and restore your faith that you are on the right path.

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Wednesday Wisdom: Tips for Managing Stress as a Musician

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Stress.

It touches us all, and it affects each of us in different ways.

When you’re a musician, that stress can reach absurd levels that can make you feel sick, tired, and plain burnt out. It is critically important that during those moments — when the stress reaches its peak — that you take care of yourself and bring it back down.

Although I’m not pursuing my own artistic career, I’ve definitely felt the stress of working in this industry myself. So, here are some of my favorite tips for managing stress while growing your career and fulfilling your dreams.

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Wednesday Wisdom: How to Keep Your Goals on Track This Year

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It’s almost the end of March. You may or may not have already forgotten your New Year’s Resolutions at this point, and the pressure is on to make the best of 2023. But how?

Goal setting is so helpful in life and career, but it can be hard to bring those goals to fruition without a game plan. Here are some tips for knocking those goals out of the park, and making 2023 one of your best years yet!

Read the list!

Wednesday Wisdom: 4 Tips for Creatives to Combat the Winter Blues

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Winter is great. Honestly, it’s my favorite season. But with all the good that winter brings also comes shorter days, less sunshine, and more gloom. And it can be especially difficult for the most creative of us to stay afloat in the midst of it all.

However, there are a number of great strategies to combat the melancholy moods we might find ourselves falling into during this time of year, and I’ve included some of those that I’ve found most helpful below.

Read the list!