Sometimes I think there’s a thin line between complaining and simply venting. At some point, you have to take action to fix your problems. A few weeks ago, my friend and I discussed whether making better music alone is enough to create a buzz.

In short, I don’t believe that it’s enough. Promoting and creating awareness around your art, along with making better music, will significantly increase the chances of attracting more attention to your project.

I’m a big believer in that.

I want my music to be noticed, and I put time into creating awareness around it. However, while doing all of this, it can be very easy to lose track of what is truly important: the act of making music and having fun while doing it.

It’s easy to get lost in creating content about your art and forget that creating art is the primary reason you’re making content.

While generating content to support my art is cool, I can't become so focused on creating awareness that I neglect the actual creation of the art itself. How many hours am I willing to spend on creating engaging content and subsequently spend less time creating art?

I need to find a balance.

In the last month and a half, I’ve been following a plan to wake up at 5 AM and write. I’m doing this to increase my output and to put more intention into doing something I love, even when I don’t feel like it.

The idea is to write even if it sucks. So far, I’ve written four new songs that I’m really proud of.

If there is something I do know is that making a song and writing dope verses still gives me that same feeling of “man, this is fire” that I felt when I was a young MC. Creating something dope invigorates me, and doing it again reinforces that feeling. It’s like a drug. It also gives me a sense of accomplishment.

I believe that accomplishing tasks and getting shit done boosts confidence and uplifts the spirit.

Talking to my friend helped me realign my focus on what truly matters and why it is important. He mentioned that making more music will lead to creating better music, and I found that to be 100 percent true. It's similar to how a basketball player develops a habit of shooting; it's all about practice. The emphasis should be on the process rather than just the final result.

I'm trying to make this "Wake up at 5 AM and write" routine a habit.

Peace,

Hugo Monster