Most, if not all, artists have fallen victim to the self-imposed missing of plans due to a need to feel productive. It only gets worse during the summer. The sun is out, the birds are chirping, your friends are meeting up for an afternoon in the park and you’re dying to go, but there’s a little voice inside your head telling you to stay home because you have music to make.
We fail to remember that productivity can take many forms, and they don’t all require you to miss out on your summer plans. There are a number of ways to use your time wisely as an artist and move forward in your career while enjoying the outdoors and getting some much needed r&r. Just as people often plan out their following day when winding down before bed, artists can use their summer to do just that for when work picks back up come September: PREPARE.
Here’s how to feel productive by planning ahead, and simultaneously taking advantage of vacation time like everyone else.
1. Prepare your schedule and strategy
Plan out your next moves. Many independent artists forget the importance of outlining a strategy for their next endeavor, whether it be a release, social media move, rebrand, new gig, you name it. Anything on the horizon should be detailed and written out so you can follow your own steps as you go. Doing it on the fly can get messy, and you may lose sight of what your initial trajectory was.
This is a great way to work without doing the work – you’re simply planning it out. For example:
Social Media Activity
Is your goal to post more often on social media? Make a realistic schedule for yourself for later that will be genuinely doable. A common mistake in organization is putting too much on your plate, which can lead to discouragement and a bruise to the self esteem if things don’t go as expected.
Here’s what a realistic but disciplined schedule of your music-related social media might look like:
- Week 1
- Monday: Grid Post
- Wednesday: Reel
- Friday: 2 TikToks
- Week 2
- Monday: Carousel photo dump
- Tuesday: TikTok
- Thursday: Go live on IG
When the time comes to start posting more regularly, you’ll know exactly what to do.
Collabs and Studio Time
Since most people are on vacation at some point during the summer months, make a point to plan recording and/or writing sessions with friends and peers for when everyone gets back to work. Reach out to new potential collaborators as well. If you have a producer you’d like to work with, shoot them a DM or email proposing a call in a couple weeks time. Summer is a great time to initiate plans with others because they will generally feel less overwhelmed by work, and are thus more open to discussing new ideas and projects for the near future. You’re catching them in a good mood.
New Gigs
If you have an upcoming release or have just released something, maybe it would be wise to plan a performance of it. Think about local venues that you could contact and discuss a booking with.
Things to remember when planning shows:
- Check your analytics on Spotify for Artists to see where most of your listeners are – if you can afford it, book a gig there!
- Try to gauge how many people would be able to attend your show and look for venues of that size – big venues that do not sell enough tickets will cancel, so you’d definitely prefer a full house in a smaller space
- If you’re having trouble contacting venues or aren’t sure how to negotiate a contract, consider getting a booking agent to help you
Get in touch with booking agents 👇
2. Create Your Future Content
A perfect combo of fun and work is getting outside to shoot content with your friends, whether it’s a music video, funny TikTok, or new photos for an album cover or website.
Though “content creation” sounds daunting and tedious, we mustn’t forget that everything is content these days, so whatever you’re doing, document it. Collect a pile of photos and videos to add to your vault that you can pull from whenever you feel like your socials need more activity. Even better if you’ve outlined your social media schedule as we did above, so you know exactly what you need.
When your only guideline is “make a video” and you’re out with friends, it’s hard not to have fun. Take advantage of the weather and warm light to get ahead on your future social media tasks.
3. Look for Inspiration
This is truly a win-win as you go about your summer and enjoy your free time. If you look for it, inspiration is everywhere. The more you observe your environment, the more details you notice and can write about in your songs. As you navigate your town or city, you may hear an interesting noise worth recording on voice memos and sampling in a new beat. If you’re traveling, new sights, sounds, and smells might spark an idea for a song that you may not have otherwise had. If you stay attentive, you’ll end the summer having come up with an extensive list of new experiences to pull from when making your music.
If you’re inspired to write right away, consider joining a songwriting camp. Many camps are hosted over the summer and allow you to live in a new place with fellow artists for a set period of time. Collaborating with others may be exactly what your songwriting needs to evolve and provide a new direction for your music. If not, prepare for your future recording sessions by writing ahead of time, whether it’s a line or two, or a full song idea. Whenever inspiration strikes, get it down before you forget.
4. Record Covers
Not in the mood to write? Maybe you’re learning a new instrument? Why not film a few covers to post as you hone your other skills. They’re a great way to practice your craft, add a song to your repertoire, have a new video to post, and keep followers listening.
What’s more, you can get real traction on TikTok if your covers sound original and interesting. The ability to take a song and add a personal twist or rearrangement to it while preserving its original message is a key difference between artists and performers. Which one are you? Let the people know!
5. Rest
Possibly the most effective way to be productive and sharp is to get some rest. As cliché as it sounds, you must allow yourself the recovery time you need to maintain your motivation; that means prioritizing sleep and the things that recharge your battery.
If you’re an extrovert, spend time with the people who make you feel good. If you’re a homebody, take a self-care day and build your energy back up in your own space. Forcing creativity will take the joy and ease out of it, so if it’s not coming, let it be. Your music will benefit from a clearer mind and healthier body.
—
