25/04/2026
I have a theory about the artist’s journey.
The new artist, between 18 - 24, very entitled, selfish, being talented alone is enough to justify the bookings and compounding early wins. Don’t ask them to build anything they don’t directly benefit from right now, It’s been a 2 - 3 year career, mostly trial and error, but also, don’t you dare try son them, you old heads!
Then the seasoned, battled-scarred artist, 35 - 55/60, it’s been 15 - 25 years at it. The compounded smaller wins have long been eclipsed by some huge milestones and moments, some that they still hold onto dearly. At this point resentment permeates, toward the industry, toward the young entitled ones who only think of themselves. At this point, they’ve tried and maybe failed to help everyone win. It feels thankless, it gets to “F**k it. F**k ya’ll.” That intergenerational thread rips.
Then there’s the middle child, 25 - 34. The one holding the bristly thread between the two generations. The one with capacity. The one balancing being self-serving and being of service. Here, the timer starts, this window doesn’t stay open too long. Disgruntlement is on the horizon, assuming you haven’t shed large parts of the entitled. You still need a little of it, to power hope and self-determination. You look ahead, and you glance back, it doesn’t look good, it’s not sustainable. So you pause. You lower the entitlement frequency that would’ve had you hastily busting through doors–head first–a one way trip into a concussed and confused state, like “This should’ve worked. I gave it my all. I gave everything.”
The bruises younger you still has begin to read like signs, cautions, “Drive slow, homie. There’s another way.” The timer hasn’t paused, but it feels much slower now, a little quieter, you even forget about it while you redesign and redefine success–long term, sustainable success. You enter the hyperbolic time chamber. Just be careful, don’t become the infrastructure guy, this isn’t a pivot. It’s a checkpoint, a time to save yourself. Take it. Do it.
Younger you and older you will be grateful for that day that you secretly switched their energy drink with water.
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