Never Underestimate Small Beginnings
Taking the leap into new territory can be uncertain and exciting. This is exactly what I experienced in the moments leading up to creating my music blog. After the experience of writing for two publications and interviewing indie artists, I took everything I learned and combined it into a blog that I named Music Love Harmony on June 28, 2014. I was hesitant about creating it at first, but once I leaped, I never looked back.
We've all heard the saying "follow your passion." Following your passion isn't easy, but the journey can be exciting and full of surprises. Music Love Harmony combines two of my passions — music, and writing. When I created the blog, I had no idea what the future would hold. I knew I wanted to feature and interview music artists because I enjoyed this experience in my previous position as a staff writer. Gone were the days of meeting deadlines and being assigned artists to interview. This blog was my own; therefore, I was responsible for finding artists, and I had to hold myself accountable to make sure interviews were posted promptly.
The first interview for Music Love Harmony took place outside of a Starbucks on a chilly November afternoon. The artist I interviewed that day was local to my hometown. We were both excited, and I was ready to put my transcribing skills to the test. On that day, I recorded the entire interview on the voice memos app on my iPhone. The artist loved the interview after it was published. I was grateful to her for allowing me to post her story on the blog, which was in its early stages and nowhere near perfection. From that day on, I was determined to feature and interview more artists for the blog. As the years went by, one interview led to another. Finding artists wasn't always easy, and I struggled with being consistent. I was slowly building the blog while voices in my head told me I wasn't qualified to do it. I was also working towards a degree in music production. I didn't have a degree in journalism or a background in website design, and at times I wondered if I would be taken seriously.
I work well under pressure, so it was normal for me to work on an artist feature or interview late at night. I would always put a lot of pressure on myself to find the right words and come up with the right headlines for articles. I've gotten frustrated during those times, but I've grown accustomed to this process over the years. As writers, we can be our own worst critics. In addition, we also tend to overthink things and let writer's block stop our creative flow.
A few years ago, I got an idea to take the blog in a new direction. I thought about creating merchandise. I was unsure about it at first, but after a new logo idea for Music Love Harmony came to mind, I wanted to see how the logo would look on a t-shirt. The new logo consisted of a music note, a heart, and a peace sign. Each symbol was in correspondence with the words music, love, and harmony. A music note for music, a heart for love, and a peace sign for harmony. After the logo was printed on the t-shirt, I realized I wouldn't say I liked the font. I changed the font and created a new logo that I was satisfied with. I decided I wanted to create merchandise, and for the first time, I viewed Music Love Harmony as a brand and business. This was the start of my entrepreneurial journey.
When I chose the name for my blog seven years ago, I thought the words music, love, and harmony fit well together. At that time, I didn't realize the significance of those words. In recent years, I realized the words music, love, and harmony don't just fit well together; it's also three things I believe are needed in the world. It's wonderful to know that there are people who feel the same way. I now realize it's no coincidence that these three words came to mind when I named the blog. Music is known as a universal language. Music is also known for its healing power. The purpose of Music Love Harmony is to share artist stories and celebrate the universal language of music.
Last year, things took a slightly different turn when I felt nudged to start a podcast for the blog. The encouragement of my wonderful mentor, Erika De La Cruz, pushed me to start a podcast. With her encouragement and tons of preparation, I set out to do another thing I was hesitant to do. It's important to notice the resistance that may come along when you feel nudged to do something aligned with your passion. It's a good sign. It means you're taking new ground and being pushed outside of your comfort zone. Exploring new avenues can be exciting, but it can also come with feelings of fear, worry, and doubt. I experienced all of those feelings when preparing for the podcast. The podcast was new territory for me, but I chose to start it anyway.
As we all know, the entrepreneurial journey is not easy. It comes with ups, downs, setbacks, and frustrations. This is the journey I'm currently on, and I'm enjoying every moment of it. I've learned to embrace progress over perfection. I've also learned when it comes to pursuing your passion, the best way to start is just to start. If you feel nudged to start a passion project, don't be afraid to take the first step, whether that's writing your first blog post, taking a course, or connecting with your ideal client.
It's been seven years since the launch of my blog. I've learned so much since then, and I'm still learning to this day. My blog is imperfect, and I don't consider myself an expert, but I'm so grateful for how far Music Love Harmony has come. I'm also thankful to all the artists for sharing their stories over the years. I've learned so many lessons throughout my blogging journey, but the most important one has never underestimated small beginnings. If you're considering starting a creative project, the best time to start is now! Don't be afraid to take the leap. You never know where it will take you.