The FOMO (“Fear of Missing Out”) effect, so often used nowadays, is not lost on artists. The term can be summarised as a pervasive fear of missing out on experiences, relationships or even new opportunities that others are having, while the rise of social media means that we are, in most cases, getting an accurate picture of what is happening to them. The FOMO phenomenon can therefore be explained as a sense of inevitable loss due to a plethora of opportunities, which is slightly different for everyone.
Why is this important to talk about in the art world? We don’t need to explain the concentration, preparation, whole-body and lifestyle awareness that building a career in music requires, and planning is an essential tool.
As self-branding has become essential in the music industry, you can often see on social media how a role model or competitor is spending their day, what event they are at, what music manager they met, who they are playing with. To avoid the constant feeling of FOMO and thoughts like “I should have been there, why didn’t I stay longer at the event”, it’s important to be clear about your goals.
First, define what your goals are for your music career, where you want to go. With this in mind, plan your practice time, take on opportunities, build relationships with other musicians, managers, concert promoters, so that they all support the same goal.
It’s also important to make time for creativity and personal development, and to keep a healthy lifestyle and a good work-life balance in mind. Your lifestyle choices can also affect your musical performance, so it’s important to pay attention to healthy eating, exercise and getting enough rest and relaxation.
Believe me, if you set your goals and act on them, you will be able to get rid of the FOMO feeling faster, because you will be aware of the reason why you are acting, undertaking a task or taking a break, because all these actions will point in the same direction.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBe-WAsGI0Q
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/fomo-is-destroying-your-work-and-life-drop-it-in-the/
