Jeff Goins’ new book, “Real Artists Don’t Starve” will help you make the move from a Starving Artist mindset to a Thriving Artist mindset.

I didn’t think getting a new iPhone would have me making music again. I knew I wanted to make videos, but I was intimidated by the price tags of professional video gear. This was coupled with a nagging feeling that anything I invest in will become obsolete in just a few years.

Or maybe I just felt like I was light years behind other video dudes who were killing it.

But when I learned that the camera of the iPhone 6s was the same quality of a semi-pro digital camera, I was ready for a phone upgrade.

Going from an iPhone 4 to an iPhone 6s allowed me to do something new. Now I could create live online video with my phone.

Why would I want to create live online video? So I could teach about leadership and productivity. This is what I’ve been doing for the past couple of years over at my blog, adamleerosenfeld.com.

But after a while, I realized something. I love teaching about leadership and productivity. But I love making my music even more.

Another way to put it is this: for me, teaching leadership and productivity had a score of 8/10. Making my music had a score of 10/10. (Thank you Greg McKeown for this lesson in priorities.)

And now is not the time to do any less than what you love the most. To share with the world the thing that is most dear to you.

So I went into 2017 deciding that I would play one song per week live on Facebook. This process has forced me to dust off a bunch of song ideas that were lingering in my music notebook, and create whole songs with them.

Facebook is where my people are, and Facebook live is where I practice my new songs.

I practice in public.

Here are some examples of songs that were completed just in time for my Facebook lives:

Interestingly, Jeff Goins just came out with a new book, called “Real Artists Don’t Starve”. Jeff is a fresh investigative voice, with a passion for creatives. He’s like the Malcolm Gladwell of the artists.

The goal of “Real Artists Don’t Starve” is to help artists change their mindset, from that of a “Starving Artist” to that of a “Thriving Artist”. With research that stretches from Led Zepellin to  Michelangelo, Jeff presents 12 rules for becoming a Thriving Artist.

And Rule #8 of Jeff’s new book is: “Practice in Public”

When I learned that Jeff felt the same way I did about this, I was intrigued. It made me really interested to learn all the other rules he came up with for being a Thriving Artist.

To get an idea of what he has to say, here are some quotes from the book:

“Before you can create great art, you first have to create yourself.”

“We don’t fake it till we make it. We believe it till we become it.”

“You don’t need to see the whole path to know what your next move is; you just need to take the next, right risk. Small changes over time can lead to massive transformation.”

“Our success is closely related to out ability to work well with others.”

About major record label deals:

“Don’t trust the system to take care of you; that’s not what it was designed to do.”

You don’t need some other financial reality to make art. You can start now. It has to do with your mindset. Let Jeff Goins teach you what it took me over a decade to learn.

You can get “Real Artists Don’t Starve” here.1

I practice in public Mondays and Thursdays, 5:30 PM Israel time, which is 10:30 AM Eastern US time. Check it out on my Facebook page.

New release: You can check out my first 12 songs taken from my 2017 Facebook lives here on Bandcamp. It’s a great way to support my music and help me reach my goal of getting a full-length album recorded by the end of the year.
  1. That’s an affiliate link. This means that if you use that link, you’re supporting my art. High five.