The other day on my Facebook timeline, a friend made a post. He angrily stated how he should never have tried breaking into the music business, and how he should have stuck to sports.
As a person who has looked into and failed at starting up entrepreneurial ventures, I feel exactly what he was saying. I’m mainly sticking to this current writing venture, because I have a degree in English, plus other proof showing I’m great at putting clarified thoughts on paper. Not to mention with little to no promo, I’ve made a few bread crumbs so I have more than just hopes.
Prior to learning and putting in work in the literary game, I was, like so many of us from the hood, trying to be a rapper. I wasn’t whack, my style was solid after a while, and my flow progressed with time. But I didn’t want to sign a bulls**t deals, I didn’t have a solid game plan, and the crews I was with were just as lost. I had to make a change, or keep chasing my tail like the rest of us around my way.
MAKE THE CHANGE
While seeking financial gain through music, I stayed in school part-time just in case. While in junior college, I took classes toward an AA in English and an AA in Philosophy. I also took a ton of courses in business, law, science, criminology, and even wine while at university. Not to mention the many books I’ve read for my own personal growth.
When I saw that music had too many players going for that brass ring, I later decided to look into what a professor suggested I do. Her confidence in my writing skills was solidified, when classmates told me to try out for an event called Lips Service Miami.
I submitted a short story I called “Daddy’s Home”, they (Lip Service) later renamed‘Furious’, which I read at their event they recorded with intent on putting it on PBS South Florida. They didn’t get the money yet (at the time it was $50,000 for PBS SoFlo to edit it), so I don’t know if it’ll ever be seen, unless I do something about that later upon success. Nonetheless I decided to pursuit what I can do with my skills.
So far on this journey:
– I’ve learned how to format the inner parts of a book
– I found out what copy writing is, and how to break into that field
– I’ve taken sales and marketing courses
– I’ve learned how to write a better blog
– And I’ve learned how to edit my words, keeping at bay the grammar Nazi’s of the world
I must attain more information to implement, plus more money for certain projects to take off but I’m happy. In time, once all the stars align from all the hard work, I’ll be even happier because then I’ll be making a solid, if not amazing living from putting my thoughts (or others’ thoughts) on paper.
UNLIMIT YOURSELF
In the communities I’m from, too many brothers and sisters with melanin rich skin are looking into the same hustles. They are businesses that make money when done correctly, but there are too many doing them. How many barber shops can we build? How many nail salons are going to pop up? And how many car washes (mobile and otherwise) will be formed? Don’t get me wrong, I respect people making money honestly, but where’s our representatives in other fields?
To rap or sing, play ball (sports in general), or sell dope is the wicked stereotype many believe are the only routes out of being broke. It’s highly limited in scope, and is a destructive mantra to live by. The next manual, after the one I’m creating now for at-risk youths, shall be dedicated to showing how there are many ways to get rich (if not wealthy) when you’re willing to put in work, and us your imagination.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” – Albert Einstein”
Albert Einstein once said, “imagination is more important than knowledge.” We have an imagination problem where I’m from. To mentally see what others can’t, and then formulating these ideas into reality is a science those in the ghettos of America aren’t in touch with. You have some with great ideas, but they never act on them because of fear of failing.
They don’t know that many who I’ve researched came up with new ideas, and failed many times until they became successful. And once these people made their way, that’s when everyone else wanted to follow what that person has done.
CHANGE NOW & NOT TOMORROW
Many great people made changes in their lives or careers in order to progress. Some athletes chose one sport over another, some lawyers found their way into politics, and some tinkered on inventions that are now on store shelves. Last I checked, so-called Blacks are human beings. And within human beings, we have the capacity to think, ponder, and create.
We need to create more, think & formulate better, and stop with the same old same. We are in a cycle that needs retooling, because with what it is I’m doing, people think I’m wasting my time. But what they fail to realize, I’m just a little over a year into learning this field. There are more moves I must make, now that I’ve learned what I know now. But do know, thanks to my change into this field, I have a future to build; and hopefully writers to hire in need of work, so they too can move ahead toward changing the world.
Companies like Domino’s Pizza changed their secret sauce and menus. And like this pizza place, a change into what you’re doing, and how you think may be needed. Just don’t be afraid to make a change, and to remember that with change, comes new challenges so don’t run if and when things get tough.
– Nicholas Brown, co-author of So You Want To Be A Stripper? The Comprehensive Guide To Go From Girl-Next-Door To Pole Dancing Diva
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