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Epic Fail (How Failure Can Lead to Success)
Metadata
- title
- Epic Fail (How Failure Can Lead to Success)
- description
- I just had to trash a song I was working on. It hurts, but failure is a good way to know you’re taking risk. Failure is a teacher, so let’s unpack how to listen to it.
- status
- complete
- date
- 2025-06-03
- kind
- solo
- guestSlugs
- —
- listenUrl
- https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lovemusicmore/episodes/Epic-Fail-How-Failure-Can-Lead-to-Success-e33kboj
- appleUrl
- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/epic-fail-how-failure-can-lead-to-success/id1567355195?i=1000711060911&uo=4
- spotifyUrl
- https://open.spotify.com/episode/21m5bfPsSTaTVzBIx7d2Ee
- topicsDiscussed
- Failure
- Creativity
- Self-assessment
- Overcoming negative self-talk
- Creative risk-taking
- Navigating opportunity costs
- The importance of reflection
- The creative process
- Finding your unique sound
- Balancing ambition and safety
- hostNote
- I made a bad thing. I'm not going to release it. That's where this episode starts, not as a metaphor, but as the actual situation I was in when I sat down to record. The thing about scrapping a song is it robs you of nothing except the song itself. Every lesson inside it travels forward. I get into the two failure modes: cutting loose too early (before the process has taught you anything) and holding on too long (after you already know it's not working). The diagnostic I use is simple, go to bed, even just a nap, come back and listen as a critic instead of a creator. Sometimes I've surprised myself. The deeper principle: if you aren't failing, you might just be operating in too narrow a band of expression. What you leave with is a practical after-action framework for creative setbacks, how to separate what went wrong from what you learned, and why the nonlinear path is the only path there is.
- selectedMoments
- label
- Introducing the theme of failure
- startSec
- 46
- note
- I discuss a darker side of music making, emphasizing that failure is a normal part of the creative process.
- label
- The emotional impact of scrapping a song
- startSec
- 136
- note
- I describe the difficulty of letting go of a song that isn't working.
- label
- Key lesson on timing in the creative process
- startSec
- 236
- note
- I explain the balance between cutting something loose too early or too late.
- label
- Importance of personal style
- startSec
- 270
- note
- I emphasize the need to embrace a unique vocal style rather than conforming to trends.
- label
- Trusting the creative process
- startSec
- 317
- note
- Discusses the importance of letting the process unfold and not rushing to judgment.
- label
- Utilizing reflection to improve
- startSec
- 403
- note
- I share the idea of conducting after-action reports to learn from experiences.
- label
- Embracing failure as a stepping stone
- startSec
- 451
- note
- I highlight how failure can indicate that you're pushing creative boundaries.
- label
- Recognizing the nonlinear nature of creativity
- startSec
- 588
- note
- I discuss the unpredictable path of creative success and the importance of flexibility.
- excerptQuotes
- text
- It just doesn’t very good. You know? I made a bad thing. I’m not going to release it.
- startSec
- 97
- reviewed
- true
- text
- There are two things that I want to take away from it... it would have robbed me of all the lessons that I’ve learned from this song that I can apply to the next song.
- startSec
- 181
- reviewed
- true
- text
- ...if you aren't failing then you might just be in too narrow of a band of expression.
- startSec
- 457
- reviewed
- true
- text
- ...the best way is to go to bed, even if it's a nap, even if it's 30 minutes, but like literally reset the brain, come back, listen to it, and now you can be a critic because sometimes I've surprised myself.
- startSec
- 365
- reviewed
- true
- text
- Everybody's got other things going on and you need to be flexible, risk-taking, always assessing and napping a lot when you can.
- startSec
- 583
- reviewed
- true
- faq
- question
- What are the key lessons from failure in music production?
- answer
- Failure can provide invaluable lessons that enhance the creative process, leading to personal growth and better artistic outcomes.
- question
- How can artists effectively assess their work?
- answer
- Going through a reflective process, such as conducting after-action reports, enables artists to understand what went well and what can be improved.
- question
- What role does self-reflection play in the creative process?
- answer
- Self-reflection allows artists to separate their inner critic from their creative instinct, facilitating better decision-making in their craft.
- transcriptPublished
- false
- draft
- false
Content
No body content; see metadata above.