Stardom vs. A Life Well Lived

So Seth’s (once again) brilliant post got me thinking about one of the biggest challenges you face as a musician/artist today: the draw of stardom vs. the chance to live a life well lived.

Stardom is Dying

I full expect Stardom as we know it to die in the coming years. There will still be stars, and I’m not saying the “Era of Stardom” will be over forever. But in the increasingly fragmented, global, YouTube/Facebook/Foursquare driven world we live in I believe the Michael Jacksons and Madonnas will be rare (I think Stardom will rise again in the future).

But

But that doesn’t mean stardom is any less inviting. You will want to be a star, who wouldn’t want to be? Nor does it mean that you won’t be pushed in that direction. But as Seth says, “There will always be someone telling you that you’re not hip enough, famous enough, edgy enough or whatever enough. That’s their agenda. What’s yours?”

Your Life

Two things:

• This is your life. Don’t let anyone tell you how it should be lived. Am I saying you should ignore the advice of those around you? NO! I’m saying you better have passionate and trustworthy people around you that are going with you not because of you. And yes, I mean you better have.
• The musicians and entertainers that came before you had two choices: be a STAR or stay home. You have a third choice and the response-ability that comes with it: make a deep connection with the right people and change their lives.

So what are doing with your life?