The hard truth about balancing art and commerce

[@JamesonNathanJones]

Great video, my friend. Delayed gratification is what it's all about.

[@52Cues]

Man, did I need to hear this message. Thanks for always being authentic!

[@davidbergstrommusic3404]

I'm working on the exact same things right now, balance. 6 months after I quit my job to go full time with music my music business is starting to make money. Tomorrow I start painting a 3 bedroom condo to pay the bills for the next few months and focus on music. Balance. Thanks for opening up about this.

[@jimrogers7425]

Great video, Jon! Life is rarely easy and to hear someone on KZbin whom I respect say something like you said is very good... we all have struggles and to know this fact helps us understand the common link we share through our humanity! Cheers!

[@jimsanger]

It's something I still struggle with and I'm no good at business. I used to be way too precious about the music, I try to relax a bit while still doing a good job.

[@Jeronimo365]

Hey guys, help me out, cos my algorithm certainly isn’t. 🤷🏻‍♂️🙏 I need more channels like this and David Hilowitz etc. Quirky independent musician based content. All suggestions greatly appreciated. 🙏❤️😎

[@matthewhill54]

This is very poignant to me. I just closed two of my video production businesses and sold all my cameras. It was a decision to take a job (not in that field) that makes adult money, to give my family the life I want for them. Not easy and now I’m feeling this void of what’s next and it’s tough to settle into the idea of not knowing how that creativity will manifest in my life.

[@nemoralismusic]

John, I could listen to you chat all day. Fascinating content and your voice...(in a non creepy way)...is so easy on the ear. "Eight albums of content with all the descriptions and artwork" sounds familiar and gives me hope for all the homeless "art" I've made. I'll keep on plugging away and maybe the odd pound (UK) will come my way. For now thought I'll keep earning time for creating and see if the tides change in the future.

[@DanTremblayMusic]

Always enjoy your videos, Jon and appreciate your transparency. I can definitely relate to the all or nothing feeling of work coming in. Either it comes in all at once and you’re juggling it, or it’s a barren wasteland and there is no work to be found. The ebbs and flows of a brutally challenging industry.

[@djgawler]

Another great video with a very relatable topic

[@IceLocus]

Great video! It may be an unpopular opinion, but I found that if you want to make the art you want without the stress and loss of joy from needing to make a living from it, you may want to decouple that art from making a living, and use other income sources/jobs/projects. The catch is, that you won't be working full-time on your passion project. So I guess it's the trade offs of being an adult. 😅🙃🎶

[@compucorder64]

I've found the same. Maybe the only minor caveat with that would be that if the what you make your money from otherwise is highly skilled, in demand and well-paid, you can do that part-time. Even just 15-20 hours a week, you can still work 'full-time' on art. You'll have to spend just a couple of days a week making money. Then you have the rest for your art. And that's the opposite to most people. You won't be rich, because your income is pro-rata. But if the work is lucrative you can be as well off as your average person, but satisfied in spending most of your time doing what you want. While still not being broke. Contractors, in software engineering, construction, heck ... dentists can do this, still make a reasonable and reliable living and still have time for creating art. Some of your art can even make money, but you aren't having to force it, juggle many projects and roles many of which might not even be that artistically rewarding. You'll also have money to invest into your art.

[@IceLocus]

@compucorder64 Great point! 💯

[@LightsandMotion]

great thoughts as always

[@VittorioIannucci]

Great video! I am in the third year of my production music career and things are already super busy, with 240 published tracks and a roller coaster of royalties statements. The thing I'm not getting from the video is (and sorry to be so direct): shouldn't your royalties be big enough by now? I mean, you are in the business from a long time and I imagine that the income should be really good? I don't know, I imagine it has to do with very expensive specific needs? I'm not getting what you mean by "adult money", can you be more clear on that? Thanks, the answer could help my journey definitely! :)

[@JonMeyer]

@@VittorioIannucci my next video is a direct response to your question. I hope to release it on Friday. I will blur out your name in the video, unless you want me to mention it. Let me know.

[@Harbaksh1234]

1:56 Ronnie O Sullivan? Love the footage :-)