The first year is the most difficult…
My first year as a public school teacher was the most difficult; but it didn’t feel the most difficult.
The first year is a challenge because you lack experience, you lack lesson plans, you lack confidence. You’re going by your gut, your training, and your mentors’ advice.
Looking back on it, it didn’t feel like the most difficult because every day was an adrenaline rush, new, and full of that first year inspiration!
The first year as a professional artist is the same way. It’s the most difficult, but it won’t feel that way.
The first year, one might not know enough songs to get through a three-hour bar gig or have enough strong original material to play a full 45 minutes set. But you are riding the wave of excitement!
So year five, year ten, year 15, year 20–all these have their own set of challenges. We miss riding the wave of our youth, but we forget that we are armed with experience.
If you are year [1 + x], stay on the field and use your experience to keep making art; if you are feeling uninspired, recapturing a tiny bit of that initial inspiration you had, by reflecting on the first year.
If you are in your first year, ride the wave.
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