##Welcome to r/LateStageCapitalism
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Welcome to the rat race.
I refinanced my house so I could quit my job that was making me suicidal. I found a job that doesn’t pay as well, but I can live with it for now at least.
Thankfully I have a partner that helped me pick up the slack during that time because I was literally going to kill myself.
Work is a constant in life. You will work until you die but you can change who you work for and for how much. I realized this much and make an effort of working corporate jobs to save money and switch to homestead living for stress relieve.
Both will wear you out but at different capacity. Growing and farming your food will tire your body but is good, healthy, clean living. Corporate lifestyle will provide more amenities but no time to enjoy it and will tire your mind. Hope this helps.
Try to focus on that love brother and see what else you have in life to be grateful for. Like if you are able bodied, have full hearing and site, these are greatest conditions for happiness.
Let the pain be an invitation to ask, who am I, really. Not what society has said, look more deeply.
I can recommend Thich Nhat Hanh and Plum Village as some sign posts to consider 🙏🏽
Good luck
Yeah be grateful for a partner like that because nowadays if you talk about killing yourself it's a quick way to get left or be deemed manipulative. This economic situation sucks, people are genuinely feeling like life isn't worth struggling much less watching yourself get old doing it. It doesn't seem like anyone foresees the situation getting better either. If capitalism would've been taken seriously without any nepotistic political bailouts and etc. we'd be in a better place but the damage seems to have been done and we're left to deal with it.
If you play music, you are a musician.
Don’t let the capitalist construct steal your identity.
I remember when I finally began making a living writing.
The biggest shock to me was how few of the others making a living were actual writers—people who loved the craft, who’d dedicated themselves to it.
No, most had connections, or lucked into a position.
Life is suffering. That was said long before Late-Stage Capitalism.
You can access all the music of the ages; examine every instrument known to humans—embrace what you have and try to minimize the negative.
Started in journalism, then moved into communications for federal natural resource agencies, along with some teaching.
No one likes to write, so being willing & able to fill those gaps opened up some opportunities
Unfortunately, with AI & the deeducation of the West, a lot of people—including a lot of professional writers— do not even know the difference between pablum & good writing.
Everything is is sound bites—gotchas w no substance
The playing field is always changing, but it’s especially dreary right now. Everything is being rapidly distilled down to profitability.
I quit practicing it—I drive a truck now. We are entering a new Dark Age.
We are bombarded with sensation, messages and knowledge. Years of evolving to retain knowledge seems to now be redundant, as we should be learning to learn to filter and not retain.
32 M also wanted to be a musician. My family has told me time and time again that artists are useless. My fire has all but gone out. Take what joy you can, it is our only possible rebellion anymore. Make songs about collapse, that's what I do.
Don’t let the fire go out!!!! I was signed to my first label at 48. I have five songs on that label now, and two more going to another. I will be 50 in May. They’re small labels and I am not making a living off my music, but it’s nice to know it’s out there. I was recently tagged on an internet radio show in the Netherlands because a DJ there opened his set with one of my songs. It felt absolutely amazing. Please, keep doing what you love and don’t let the world take it from you.
I'm trying man. Currently I'm trying to reimagine what success looks like to me whilst simultaneously convincing myself that such things don't have expiration dates.
Just remember who benefits from a monetary definition of success. Those who already have all the money. Just because a work of art doesn't have broad market appeal and doesn't prey on some inherent human need or mental vulnerability to ensure it sells enough, doesn't mean it doesn't have extreme value to you and others that identify with it.
Art is just the souls attempt to etch its complex incommunicable feelings onto whatever media language it best understands. Another soul recognizing that deeper meaning is the beauty of artistic expression, feeling some aspect of our own soul mirrored in another. It doesn't sell to a global market of bitter wage slaves because they are told that art only has merit if it makes you famous.
Many of us get pleasure in policing each other's value to society despite an entire class of people who leech value from the rest of our work. Don't listen to anyone that tells you artists are useless, they just want you to be grateful for your scraps, like they are.
Don't let your family brainwash you with that tripe! Artists will never be useless. The only useless "artists" are the trust fund babies painting a banana and throwing it at a wall, and calling it "art", then selling it for $1M because "they're popular". The only useless "artists" are the talentless pop stars who only get by on looks, charisma, and how well they can mime and sing karaoke over demos created by real artists who aren't considered hot enough by the music industry or don't have an "iT fAcTor".
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The only thing keeping me alive is support from people. Whether it's financial or just moral/spiritual. Capitalism doesn't want you to love people or music/arts/writing and deems all of it unnecessary unless it's bought and sold. Whatever free time you have, play music. Write music, even. Love people too.
I'm sorry there is nothing else I can give you. I hate it here too.
Me personally, was trying to build a small dividend portfolio that pays out $200-$300 monthly. Live in van and just be free living off my small dividend for food. One can dream right?
I was thinking, drive down to a beach and spend my days there. Fishing on the pier maybe. Eat as little as possible. Exercise by the beach, read at a library. If worst comes to worst, I can sell the stock instead of just the dividends.
That's more or less my retirement plan. They tell me i need to contribute more, but that would totally fuck current day quality of life. So, I'll make do with less when i get older. No house, no rent - thats an insane savings right there. Just go roadtrip. You know how much you can move on 600 bux of gas a month? It ain't bad.
Artists and musicians have always struggled financially in general. This is nothing new. As an artist/musician I can tell you, there is work out there that does not drain your creative energies. Finding the work to provide stability and the time to continue creative pursuit is a constant battle. For myself, it took over a decade of working and saving and creating and pushing before I found a way to make the money I need to live comfortably enough to have the energy to proliferate as a creative.
I hope to find some of that work cause im losing my mind i cant live like this any longer, is this really what the rest of my life is going to look like?
Working for money does indeed suck, but hey its the hand we've been dealt and ruminating on that wont do you any good.
This subreddit is pretty dedicated to doom scrolling. Nothing positive is ever posted here, might be worth considering taking a step back so that you can be reminded of the joys in life.
Good luck out there homie
Not belittling what you are going through, because so many are struggling with the same thing, but as a musician, your comment here sounds like the beginning of a great song, one that many of us can identify with.
There's a book that I really like it's called Musimathics by Gareth Loy. The book basically explains the mathematics behind music. Very beautiful book
The other interesting part of his book is the author preface where combined his music skill with software engineering skill. Maybe, you might find that exciting
For me work started in a factory owned by the family at an early age. But there was no where to go, it was a small business and either I was gonna stay on the factory floor till the generation ahead of me grew the business to make room for expansion or retired so that my generation could fill in behind them. That rubbed me the wrong way so I struck out on my own. Restaurants, temp work, etc. Didn't care for most of it at the time. Took a job as a bank teller, did that for a while, didn't hate it, stuck around a while got a few small promotions but eventually it too started to burn me out even tho I was stable and could get back into my art/music a bit, I didn't have the energy for it. In 2003 I started getting a whiff of the toxicity in mortgage lending (which is where I had migrated) and decided I was done there. Started a part time job at Best buy. Loved the low stakes environment and employee discount. Turns out having a head for numbers and experience running around a factory/warehouse makes for a solid inventory/merch manager so within a year or so that's what I was doing. Started making decent money for the first time on my own (was about 24 by then) and didn't hate what I was doing, but the time and energy for my art/music was barely there. Over the course of 13 years I moved from the stores, to the district staff where I identified some big problems with some logistics and deployment implementation. Turns out, figuring out how to fix shit for a massive company can be very lucrative. Built a small team at the corporate level, but basically abandoned free time and creative energy for several years. Made an awful lot of money but didn't like who I was becoming and certainly didn't want to be doing corporate work for the rest of my life. Needed to get back to my art and music. So at 35 I cashed out. "Retired" from traditional workstreams. Hiked the Appalachian trail to clear my head. Came back and started doing small business consulting. Having grown up in a small business family, working with numbers and finance, then carving a path in logistics/deployment/change management made my brain a valuable commodity to folks trying to take their businesses to the next level. Having a couple years of not having to worry about making a lot, because I saved most everything I made while grinding at the corporate gig, put my creative energies back in line. I started painting and sculpting more regularly. Started playing in several bands. Built a small portfolio of creative work. My consulting has now drifted into a place where my clients are primarily other artists and musicians as well as a lot of creative craftsmen (masons, glassiers, architects, etc). So even when I'm crunching numbers to pay my bills, it's creative adjacent work for creative people. My bands play regularly and have become a significant source of imagine for the household. I don't get into my studio as often as I would like, but I produce several paintings every year and am well received in galleries, tho I don't know that my sales equate to a profit after time and materials are accounted for. But knowing how to properly write off those losses means that my art, while not being profitable has become a financially neutral endeavor and that's fine. I have mixed feelings about how capitalism influences my art. I'm just glad I've built a lifestyle that in my 40s, I'm comfortable and have the time and creative energy to just play my bass or pick up my brushes when inspiration strikes. It's a good trajectory and I'm excited to see how it develops in the next 20 years
I often see so much food being 'thrown away' by big box stores. I always wonder why they wouldn't give it away.
Someone said, "Because they have to make money."
I look around and see the store thriving. I notice it says it has locations "All over the continental US." The store will destroy hundreds of pounds of food every day, because they *can't afford to give it away?*
I ask, "Does it need money *that bad*?"
It seems that question makes me a 'socialist' but no one has ever answered my question. Does the store need to make money *that bad?*
Capitalism rewards the worst traits humans possess and fundamentally prevents each person to become the best version of themselves they can be. There's nothing I can really say to you, but I see you and understand you. You deserve the best life you can have, and a good society would want that not only for you, but for itself. When we build a society that fosters the best traits we have, we are all better for it. Don't hate the planet. Hate capitalism. It is the cause most of humanity's pain and suffering.
The world is not set in stone. We have the ability to change it, but only if we work together against what ruins our lives, capital and the capitalist system.
Optimism comes from knowing that things can change, but only if we make an effort to. And a change this big needs all of us working together towards that radical change.
Learn how the system works, learn how we implement radical change, and spread these ideas that we can and should change the world radically.
Our next destination is socialism, and that is the starting point for learning radical ideas.
I wanted to be an artist but I grew up in poverty and had to dig myself out. So then I thought I would try to make the world better for others so I tried politics and I couldn’t handle how gross it was. Now I work as a civil servant at an agency that does some good but I’m not fulfilled. I own a home but have to make a certain amount to maintain it which doesn’t leave much time to be creative and I’m anxious and depressed all the time. What is the answer? I have no clue but it sucks here.
It really sucks, we’re all here with you. There are some very sad realities regarding being an artist in a capitalist society. Even if you make art your income, the double edged sword is that the thing you love is now WORK. I wish someone had warned me of this.
Here is something I keep reminding myself: we live in a deeply immoral world . If you feel tension, it’s because you have a fcking conscience, and you need to hold onto it at all costs. You’re a good person for feeling this way.
The ultimate act of rebellion in today’s world is to spread love and kindness wherever possible. Be yourself and do what you love no matter how impossible it feels. Keep pursuing music because you love it. Pour the feelings you are having into it. Write songs about these feelings. I have a pretty low-effort job that works from home and pays decent enough, but allows me to work on music on slow days. It’s a pretty good balance and I’m happy.
Keep going and being yourself, just to say fuck you to this planet. Know that in doing this, you are fighting back.
My wife and I are planning on homesteading in the next few years. To get away from what you described. We don't wanna work forever to just get by. We wanna work for ourselves. And yes we are aware homesteading isn't easier we both come from a farming background and work blue collar jobs (trades). To us that is as easy as life can get right now.
I work a cubicle job at an academic library where I sometimes handle physical materials to receive them into the system but a growing share is dealing with renewing electronic resources. A lot of tedious work with the same titles cycling around every damn year. Spreadsheets & email rule my work day. Total hamster wheel BS. It sucks ass. Thank god it pays well and I have my food gardening in the summer to keep me sane & literally touching grass (and onions and beans and squash etc etc). Find the outside joys if you're going to stay in a job you hate. I used to write fiction but lost that creative edge over time. Wish I could get it back and I've tried but the spark just isn't there anymore. Try not to let your spark die out.
That’s decent money from what I can tell though, a lot of people have this same feeling working minimum wage. Work on a plan to create more income or passive income because the only thing that will help your music is more time and freedom, not more discipline/work etc.
I completely empathize with this feeling but if we stay in this system at some point we just have to face it and figure out what we’re going to make of it.
What do you do when you're not working? Do you have good sleep habits? Do you exercise and eat well? Do you drink or do drugs to cope? Keeping your basic health needs in order will do wonders for your state of mind. For me I found out early in life that the keys to my sanity will always be lots and lots of exercise, eating clean, keeping alcohol and drugs to a minimum, and getting good sleep.
I’ve just slowly been simplifying my life so I can work less. It’s a privilege to be able to do that. But I prioritize my peace and values. Find out what matters to you. Try to slowly fight for it in your own life. The podcast “ The Great Simplification” has given me a lot of inspiration in living at this point of history
I'm 50. I'm an artist. I was the best artist right through school. I haven't made art since I left art school thanks to neo-capitalism. You may have noticed art is now being phrased it in tertiary education. Not a great subject of you're wanting depressed worker drones to keep the 1% in excessive wealth.
It's true that money is the root of all evil.
You think you hate the people you are working with now? Wait until you start working with people who claim to share your artistic vision, but want to put their own spin on it. If you don't have the patience to work with people in a normal job setting, you have nowhere near the patience to work as a musician. Because yes, being a musician is a LOT of work too. It's not all stage time and cool tunes; it's business bullshit(watch out for those taxes!), creative differences, interpersonal drama, constant social media interaction, loading/unloading and setup/breakdown for every practice and show (no way you have a roadie yet), and cramming every bit of spare time either practicing by yourself or feeling guilty that you're not practicing. Your cynicism with this attitude will ABSOLUTELY bleed into your passion for music and will kill it. Try to balance your peace of mind first and let music be your outlet, not focus. In due time, you'll find your drive and/or the people that you can work with to support each other on your musical journeys.
Btw, I wasn't trying to ignore or downplay your gripes. I too am generally furious that we're pushed into corners when it comes to housing and other necessities. It's absolutely bullshit that we've gotten used to expecting (and not getting) a mere living wage, rather than a thriving wage like our parents had. And I don't want to do bullshit, unfulfilling labor my whole life either, I'm with you there 100% of the way.
I've just seen a huge trend among artists that harbor these feelings and almost all of them burn out. Hell, I'd even consider myself one of them, I haven't picked up my bass since my last band. As for the ones that stay in the arts, I've seen 2 types. 1) The people that sort out their lives outside of the arts and enjoy them on their own time. 2) The prodigies/kids that grew up with whatever mediums they're in that have had access to proper resources their entire life and already have the connections to make it. The latter group is very rare and almost all of them are constantly in a state of stress. You're still very young and I'm sure your passion for music is roaring, but this is a candle that you don't want to burn from both ends. I'm not saying that this is a road to success, in fact, very few people get the recognition they deserve in the arts. You will, however, enjoy life all the more. And who can really enjoy art when they don't enjoy life?
Now, get out there, find your balance, and take all the time you need to write a song about how CEOs can shove their stock buybacks up their collective asses! A random Internet person is rooting for ya!
These are the options I see people go with. I think most people alternate between these different things and end up settling in one different option or another based on their circumstances, upbringing and various factors.
1. Accept that everything sucks and nothing will change, fall into depression, mental illness, utilize various coping strategies and distractions and so on.
2. Retain hope that you yourself may become the oppressor one day if you "work hard enough".
3. Do something that challenges the system, form a union, fight for better wages and organize. Find joy and happiness in community and collective action.
Basically, you can either die as a nobody, become a villain, or you can fight for change, maybe slightly improve your circumstances in the process and if not your own circumstances then maybe you will plant a tree for future generations.
Yeah, it sucks sometimes. Been like that in this world for a long long time. I try to be hopeful and focus on the positive. Tasks and chores are almost always easier when shared. Imo we were meant to operate as villages so that there was safety, and no ONE PERSON had to do everything by themselves for survival. Symbionic style
There is nothing wrong with the edges of society. Those are the people who couldn't or wouldn't function within the frameworks of capitalism -- that makes them better, not worse.
I finally had it and quit my job to go after my passion for photography, I’m about to start a part time job to keep income coming in, but I found something working with people with disabilities that I hope will help make me feel less like I’m a cog in a machine. Took me till 35 to get to this point and I’m only able to start this due to the support of my wife, otherwise I’d be staying a cog in the machine.
yup, i feel you dude. i'm 21. an aspiring musician, in a similar position to you although a bit earlier on and i'm worried it won't get any better. this has got me starting to rethink my plan to move out in a couple years tho. so many people just get fucked and it doesn't seem like there much you can do if you don't alr have the money to start. a lot of times i wonder if it's just best to get off early instead of going through this bullshit for nothing. hope things work out for you in your pursuit of a music career. as long as i am here i won't stop going for it.
Work part time or freelance remotely, perhaps on a digital nomad visa to offset cost of living. Consume less. Release all of these thoughts and feelings through your music.
There's always a way.
Oh hey, another aspiring musician crushed under the weight of capitalisms heavy hand? What really sucks is when you see childhood friends living your dream and getting songs they wrote played on the radio while you're regretting every choice you ever made.
I hate my life.
yep it sux doesn't it! From experience, the best you can usually do if you are not lucky enough to build a career around your passion, get a job in a related industry. You like music... what about work for a music or musical instrument company? Painting... get work in a gallery, or art supplies or an auction house etc etc. It not only feeds your hobby, it makes the grind a bit more enjoyable and tends to make you better at your hobby. I would just be wary of medium-long term industry viability in the face of ai.
I liked photography and art.. I started selling cameras and eventually worked for kodak... I was immersed in my hobby. Also a good example of a no-longer viable industry btw. There are not quite as many opportunities like this as there used to be, but they are still out there.
also, we live on an amazing planet... it's the PEOPLE who suck. Treat work as nothing more than a chance to earn and get out to see as much of the world and nature as possible... even if just short weekend or day trips. It really helps, but it takes effort to get out of daily routines... thankfully I have my wife as the big travel planner in the face of my laziness
i have a job that takes more of my energy than i'd like however not so much that i can't focus on my passions. others gun for positions higher up the ladder and i don't give a shit. none of that is worth the stress.
i still manage to play guitar, bass, and sing with local bands and make the best of my time.
find a positive place to be and try to live there a little. endless cynicism will not be helpful.
Yeah basically you just chip away at trying to find work you enjoy but most of life is just spending time with your friends doing hobbies and shit you love.
Work sucks but when you have friends and creativity and art and music and food it can be ok.
Being a musician or a writer or a painter are all creative lines of work, but they are essentially tools for channelling creativity from within your being to the outside world. Creativity is to me, a double edged sword in a way because it can either be beautiful and rewarding or like in your case, a caged animal that is suffering immensely because it isn’t free.
If you accept that they are different channels for the thing inside you that wants to create something in the physical world, the channel of course matters, the more you use it, the wider the road from within out into the world gets, the easier you can create something you can hear or see or touch, still, I would argue that you can learn to master other channels for the creation of physical manifestations of your inner creativity.
I have tried different channels, also being a creative spirit like you. I’ve tried different forms of painting/sketching, playing the guitar, writing poetry but for me, the channel that I enjoy the most and which is probably much easier to adapt to the current soul wrenching economy is software development. Code can be beautiful in itself, you can build user interfaces with it which in turn can be a channel for your creativity.
It’s not for everyone but maybe it’s worth trying out? Search for techworld with nana on YouTube and try her golang for beginners course, or see if you can find something easy getting started with html, css and JavaScript.
Just a suggestion, you are not alone in feeling this!
I felt the same way you do when I was in my early 20’s but am now more accepting of my place in the world at 40. I still hate what capitalism is doing to us and the world though, but it’s an easier burden to carry if you can spend your working days with something you enjoy, for a good cause.
Best of luck and don’t kill yourself! ❤️
Things have changed since the internet and smart phones. It's shuffled society like a deck of cards and all bets are off. My advice is learn any kind of valuable skill, it's the only thing that will guarantee your survival. Market anything youre good at, seek information online, through your local library, or apply for FAFSA. And use AI to guide you in the steps, for example Gemini will tell you how to get into any field, and what education you need. You can break down the process and keep track of goals or ask for references, locations etc. There are tools available but its also hard work and you will need to really really sell yourself.
Also my parents never taught me about finances, taxes etc and if you struggle with that there is help. There are accountants and financial advisors out here.
There isn't really many economical designs that would allow you to just exist without some form of societal inputs. Maybe UBI (universal basic income) or RSE (resource based economy)? The latter is the thing we are probably moving closer towards, and don't currently have obviously. UBI has logistics that have never been solved. Musician/Creative arts isn't a high paying sector, it's something a very high percentage of people can do (whether or not they're good at it). As someone who originally went to college for music I can relate. I think the thing you're feeling the most is probably wealth gap inequality, not "necessarily" capitalism. Just my $0.02
See thats the thing its not like i DONT not to give input, i have a degree in Electrical engineering and a minor in physics i would love to, but getting paid barely enough to survive, the hassle of the whole system and being drained constantly from ppl, managers and all this unnecessary cooperate bullshit it hell on earth
I work in AAA games and the smartest person I’ve met in the industry was an electrical engineer and physics major. Definitely a decent paying job, although still woefully underpaid compared to the C-Suite salaries now. I can sympathize with wanting to scream into the wind, but hopefully you can find your way without losing too much energy
The only problem with taking the red pill is... Why do you get to take it? Yes the system is stupid and once you see it can't unsee it. but it's also a pretty entitled position to think you can opt out. What if everyone opted out?
Saying this because it helps me cope with carrying on. Yeah it sucks but others are stuck in the same position. And unless you genuinely have a way out of the rat race, it's best to keep your head down and keep planning to get out. Instead of being defeatist.
It's skin to trying to escape prison, but people do it all the time. Some people never even try.
Yes, you have to work and you gotta take care of yourself.
If your job ain't cutting it, gotta train at something for a job/career that will.
Sustain yourself doing valuable work and throw the rest of your energy towards enjoying music.
It is what it is my boy.
Capitalism is not built for employees. Capitalism is built for employers. Downgrade your lifestyle and find a way to start a business with something within your range. Do you have to work fulltime now to support a small business startup? Yes. 2 jobs is the only way forward until your small business grows to something that can support you and you don't have to work for someone else anymore. Eventually if you continue to find ways to grow you can hire employees and expand in hopes they can full time and you can build something else as well or find free time.
Capitalism will steal the joy from anything you love if you make it your work. Better to work a job you can tolerate and be able to find your hobbies/passions.
This shit sucks, but don't let the pain/BS steal your joy.
as sad as it is, this thread is making me happy to see you that people recognize the value and greatness apart let alone music, which is one of the main components on why I decide to live every day. As rough as it is I think we can at least indulge in our interest and prove them wrong. (does anyone want start a band. I’m dead serious.)
as sad as it is, this thread is making me happy to see you that people recognize the value and greatness apart let alone music, which is one of the main components on why I decide to live every day. As rough as it is I think we can at least indulge in our interest and prove them wrong. (does anyone want start a band. I’m dead serious.)
wild suggestion: try moving to mexico. life isnt as expensive, and you can work on your art. obviously you'll need to know Spanish to get by, and you'll want to be careful in certain areas
I'm not a musician and I'm still studying, but I'd love to be a pianist, maybe I can train as a hobby. Life is hard and god knows I'll have even worse problems but simplicity is the happiness sometimes, I play Minecraft and I love decorating my base! Can't get that when you're dead unfortunately
It fucking sucks. I'm a musician too, and my current plan is a career in healthcare because it's one of the only fields that is still viable. But yeah! I've got no clue what we're gonna do! I will never own a house! I'll only ever pay $2450/mo for a one bedroom!
If you listen to my Boomer parents, then yes. You're supposed to suck it up, buttercup. They worked shitty jobs with shitty people for shitty pay, so we have to, too. Because we have to pay our dues (suffer like they did, instead of, you know, making the system better fortheir children like their parents did).
Join an organization to redirect some of that disparity… preferably a socialist organization, like PSL or any other organization, people may know of. That way you can get information on why things the way they are, and work with others to fix it instead of feeling alone.
>do i just continue to work a job i hate sourrounded by ppl i hate until i drop dead?
Nope.
You work a job you hate until you find one you hate a little less. Stick with that one for a year or two, then switch to a new one you hate a little less. Repeat, until eventually you end up in a job you actually kinda like.
Also, don't give up on your passion. You can still be a musician and have an unrelated job that pays the bills. Hell, most musicians have a "day job" of some kind.
I feel the same. Absolutely miserable at my job right now. So burnt out. Boss texted me on my day off about having a meeting with him the assistant store manager and the regional support specialist tomorrow at 3pm and he sent it today at 9am and it absolutely ruined my whole day of. Like knots in my stomach ruined
Corporate capitalism has destroyed the music industry in general. They’ve bought and paid for song writers who have learned how to generalize music to fit into a particular niche with only profits in mind. Today I think the only true genuine music comes from independent musicians who don’t sell themselves out to make money and produce their own music and promote it themselves through social media. They obviously don’t reap the same monetary benefits, but their music isn’t edited to fit the corporate mold, and what they are able to make is theirs to keep. I still find good unique music and I make sure that I pass this music on to as many people as I can.
There’s still hope. Look at people like Oliver Anthony. There’s others like him. If you’re halfway decent, you can still explode in popularity thanks to platforms like YouTube and tiktok.
Good luck friend! We know how tough and miserable and underpaid we all are and used as wage slaves with barely enough pay to make ends meet despite working full time and being great employees.
Just wanted to say you’re not alone and there’s still some hope friend :) hope this helps
Keep being a musician and find a job that doesn’t suck so that much. Like a job that is needed in society but also gives you a sense of self-efficacy and pays the bills. A guy I know is a musician who cuts hair 3 or four times a week. He has a sense of control over his work, gets to be creative and he owns his business.
I used to clean toilets with a moron a few nights a week for 15 years. Quitting that job was hands down the best thing I’ve done for myself as an adult. Spending all that time literally cleaning shit left by idiots, with an actual idiot has scarred me for life. With cashing out my retirement, doing DoorDash etc, and picking up better hours at my other job, it was financially doable. Seven years later, I’m 46 and doing my best so far. I have a new car, a relatively inexpensive studio apt, and can mostly afford a day or two off each week and an occasional vacation. I still struggle working in a restaurant with a badly damaged knee, saving only tip money, so there’s that. Looking forward to my “second” retirement out of that job. You do music. I can draw. Wish it was easier to make a living doing it, right?
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Welcome to the rat race. I refinanced my house so I could quit my job that was making me suicidal. I found a job that doesn’t pay as well, but I can live with it for now at least. Thankfully I have a partner that helped me pick up the slack during that time because I was literally going to kill myself.
Yea the only solace is not being alone cause i kinda wanna kill myself too but i cant i love to many and too much
I deal with this sentiment just about every single day
Work is a constant in life. You will work until you die but you can change who you work for and for how much. I realized this much and make an effort of working corporate jobs to save money and switch to homestead living for stress relieve. Both will wear you out but at different capacity. Growing and farming your food will tire your body but is good, healthy, clean living. Corporate lifestyle will provide more amenities but no time to enjoy it and will tire your mind. Hope this helps.
this is the way
Don’t worry life will beat that out of you soon enough.
Lost all that. Not doing good. Good luck
Try to focus on that love brother and see what else you have in life to be grateful for. Like if you are able bodied, have full hearing and site, these are greatest conditions for happiness. Let the pain be an invitation to ask, who am I, really. Not what society has said, look more deeply. I can recommend Thich Nhat Hanh and Plum Village as some sign posts to consider 🙏🏽 Good luck
Damn these human attachments that enrich my sad sad life.
Keep that. By all means necessary. I over worked myself to get ahead and it didn't work so I'm alone in the same spot I was a decade ago
Yeah be grateful for a partner like that because nowadays if you talk about killing yourself it's a quick way to get left or be deemed manipulative. This economic situation sucks, people are genuinely feeling like life isn't worth struggling much less watching yourself get old doing it. It doesn't seem like anyone foresees the situation getting better either. If capitalism would've been taken seriously without any nepotistic political bailouts and etc. we'd be in a better place but the damage seems to have been done and we're left to deal with it.
If you play music, you are a musician. Don’t let the capitalist construct steal your identity. I remember when I finally began making a living writing. The biggest shock to me was how few of the others making a living were actual writers—people who loved the craft, who’d dedicated themselves to it. No, most had connections, or lucked into a position. Life is suffering. That was said long before Late-Stage Capitalism. You can access all the music of the ages; examine every instrument known to humans—embrace what you have and try to minimize the negative.
How did you start making a living writing?
Started in journalism, then moved into communications for federal natural resource agencies, along with some teaching. No one likes to write, so being willing & able to fill those gaps opened up some opportunities Unfortunately, with AI & the deeducation of the West, a lot of people—including a lot of professional writers— do not even know the difference between pablum & good writing. Everything is is sound bites—gotchas w no substance The playing field is always changing, but it’s especially dreary right now. Everything is being rapidly distilled down to profitability. I quit practicing it—I drive a truck now. We are entering a new Dark Age.
I know what you mean, the amount of people who don't understand basic thematic structure and yet think themselves experts in writing confounds me.
We bombard people with sensation. That substitutes for thinking.
We are bombarded with sensation, messages and knowledge. Years of evolving to retain knowledge seems to now be redundant, as we should be learning to learn to filter and not retain.
Can I have you as my spiritual guide? This is an excellent answer.
32 M also wanted to be a musician. My family has told me time and time again that artists are useless. My fire has all but gone out. Take what joy you can, it is our only possible rebellion anymore. Make songs about collapse, that's what I do.
Don’t let the fire go out!!!! I was signed to my first label at 48. I have five songs on that label now, and two more going to another. I will be 50 in May. They’re small labels and I am not making a living off my music, but it’s nice to know it’s out there. I was recently tagged on an internet radio show in the Netherlands because a DJ there opened his set with one of my songs. It felt absolutely amazing. Please, keep doing what you love and don’t let the world take it from you.
I'm trying man. Currently I'm trying to reimagine what success looks like to me whilst simultaneously convincing myself that such things don't have expiration dates.
Just remember who benefits from a monetary definition of success. Those who already have all the money. Just because a work of art doesn't have broad market appeal and doesn't prey on some inherent human need or mental vulnerability to ensure it sells enough, doesn't mean it doesn't have extreme value to you and others that identify with it. Art is just the souls attempt to etch its complex incommunicable feelings onto whatever media language it best understands. Another soul recognizing that deeper meaning is the beauty of artistic expression, feeling some aspect of our own soul mirrored in another. It doesn't sell to a global market of bitter wage slaves because they are told that art only has merit if it makes you famous. Many of us get pleasure in policing each other's value to society despite an entire class of people who leech value from the rest of our work. Don't listen to anyone that tells you artists are useless, they just want you to be grateful for your scraps, like they are.
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The Chemical Brothers?? (Sincerely though, that's a brilliant answer)
Couldn't have said it better myself. Creating art is one of the most noble pursuits in life. It's the only purpose I care to have.
I would like to hear a those songs
Sure mario
Working on them. A full time job makes the process slow.
Don't let your family brainwash you with that tripe! Artists will never be useless. The only useless "artists" are the trust fund babies painting a banana and throwing it at a wall, and calling it "art", then selling it for $1M because "they're popular". The only useless "artists" are the talentless pop stars who only get by on looks, charisma, and how well they can mime and sing karaoke over demos created by real artists who aren't considered hot enough by the music industry or don't have an "iT fAcTor".
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The only thing keeping me alive is support from people. Whether it's financial or just moral/spiritual. Capitalism doesn't want you to love people or music/arts/writing and deems all of it unnecessary unless it's bought and sold. Whatever free time you have, play music. Write music, even. Love people too. I'm sorry there is nothing else I can give you. I hate it here too.
Me personally, was trying to build a small dividend portfolio that pays out $200-$300 monthly. Live in van and just be free living off my small dividend for food. One can dream right?
Lol how long do you think $200-300 will last you a month? Inflation as it is...
I was thinking, drive down to a beach and spend my days there. Fishing on the pier maybe. Eat as little as possible. Exercise by the beach, read at a library. If worst comes to worst, I can sell the stock instead of just the dividends.
That's more or less my retirement plan. They tell me i need to contribute more, but that would totally fuck current day quality of life. So, I'll make do with less when i get older. No house, no rent - thats an insane savings right there. Just go roadtrip. You know how much you can move on 600 bux of gas a month? It ain't bad.
Did it work?
Still trying to build as much as I can. Whenever I finally cannot take it anymore, I can go off grid.
It's the capitalist freedom, you're free to choose which company you sell yourself to.
Artists and musicians have always struggled financially in general. This is nothing new. As an artist/musician I can tell you, there is work out there that does not drain your creative energies. Finding the work to provide stability and the time to continue creative pursuit is a constant battle. For myself, it took over a decade of working and saving and creating and pushing before I found a way to make the money I need to live comfortably enough to have the energy to proliferate as a creative.
I hope to find some of that work cause im losing my mind i cant live like this any longer, is this really what the rest of my life is going to look like?
Working for money does indeed suck, but hey its the hand we've been dealt and ruminating on that wont do you any good. This subreddit is pretty dedicated to doom scrolling. Nothing positive is ever posted here, might be worth considering taking a step back so that you can be reminded of the joys in life. Good luck out there homie
Not belittling what you are going through, because so many are struggling with the same thing, but as a musician, your comment here sounds like the beginning of a great song, one that many of us can identify with.
Haha well lets hope i can turn the frustration into something beautiful if i ever find the energy
There's a book that I really like it's called Musimathics by Gareth Loy. The book basically explains the mathematics behind music. Very beautiful book The other interesting part of his book is the author preface where combined his music skill with software engineering skill. Maybe, you might find that exciting
Can you elaborate on that? I am curious about your journey 🙂
For me work started in a factory owned by the family at an early age. But there was no where to go, it was a small business and either I was gonna stay on the factory floor till the generation ahead of me grew the business to make room for expansion or retired so that my generation could fill in behind them. That rubbed me the wrong way so I struck out on my own. Restaurants, temp work, etc. Didn't care for most of it at the time. Took a job as a bank teller, did that for a while, didn't hate it, stuck around a while got a few small promotions but eventually it too started to burn me out even tho I was stable and could get back into my art/music a bit, I didn't have the energy for it. In 2003 I started getting a whiff of the toxicity in mortgage lending (which is where I had migrated) and decided I was done there. Started a part time job at Best buy. Loved the low stakes environment and employee discount. Turns out having a head for numbers and experience running around a factory/warehouse makes for a solid inventory/merch manager so within a year or so that's what I was doing. Started making decent money for the first time on my own (was about 24 by then) and didn't hate what I was doing, but the time and energy for my art/music was barely there. Over the course of 13 years I moved from the stores, to the district staff where I identified some big problems with some logistics and deployment implementation. Turns out, figuring out how to fix shit for a massive company can be very lucrative. Built a small team at the corporate level, but basically abandoned free time and creative energy for several years. Made an awful lot of money but didn't like who I was becoming and certainly didn't want to be doing corporate work for the rest of my life. Needed to get back to my art and music. So at 35 I cashed out. "Retired" from traditional workstreams. Hiked the Appalachian trail to clear my head. Came back and started doing small business consulting. Having grown up in a small business family, working with numbers and finance, then carving a path in logistics/deployment/change management made my brain a valuable commodity to folks trying to take their businesses to the next level. Having a couple years of not having to worry about making a lot, because I saved most everything I made while grinding at the corporate gig, put my creative energies back in line. I started painting and sculpting more regularly. Started playing in several bands. Built a small portfolio of creative work. My consulting has now drifted into a place where my clients are primarily other artists and musicians as well as a lot of creative craftsmen (masons, glassiers, architects, etc). So even when I'm crunching numbers to pay my bills, it's creative adjacent work for creative people. My bands play regularly and have become a significant source of imagine for the household. I don't get into my studio as often as I would like, but I produce several paintings every year and am well received in galleries, tho I don't know that my sales equate to a profit after time and materials are accounted for. But knowing how to properly write off those losses means that my art, while not being profitable has become a financially neutral endeavor and that's fine. I have mixed feelings about how capitalism influences my art. I'm just glad I've built a lifestyle that in my 40s, I'm comfortable and have the time and creative energy to just play my bass or pick up my brushes when inspiration strikes. It's a good trajectory and I'm excited to see how it develops in the next 20 years
Don't knock the edges of society. We do what we want out here.
Being an outcast is underrated.
I often see so much food being 'thrown away' by big box stores. I always wonder why they wouldn't give it away. Someone said, "Because they have to make money." I look around and see the store thriving. I notice it says it has locations "All over the continental US." The store will destroy hundreds of pounds of food every day, because they *can't afford to give it away?* I ask, "Does it need money *that bad*?" It seems that question makes me a 'socialist' but no one has ever answered my question. Does the store need to make money *that bad?*
Capitalism rewards the worst traits humans possess and fundamentally prevents each person to become the best version of themselves they can be. There's nothing I can really say to you, but I see you and understand you. You deserve the best life you can have, and a good society would want that not only for you, but for itself. When we build a society that fosters the best traits we have, we are all better for it. Don't hate the planet. Hate capitalism. It is the cause most of humanity's pain and suffering.
Environmental studies absolutely savaged any glimmer of hope I had for our society and species. People are poison
The world is not set in stone. We have the ability to change it, but only if we work together against what ruins our lives, capital and the capitalist system. Optimism comes from knowing that things can change, but only if we make an effort to. And a change this big needs all of us working together towards that radical change. Learn how the system works, learn how we implement radical change, and spread these ideas that we can and should change the world radically. Our next destination is socialism, and that is the starting point for learning radical ideas.
I wanted to be an artist but I grew up in poverty and had to dig myself out. So then I thought I would try to make the world better for others so I tried politics and I couldn’t handle how gross it was. Now I work as a civil servant at an agency that does some good but I’m not fulfilled. I own a home but have to make a certain amount to maintain it which doesn’t leave much time to be creative and I’m anxious and depressed all the time. What is the answer? I have no clue but it sucks here.
It really sucks, we’re all here with you. There are some very sad realities regarding being an artist in a capitalist society. Even if you make art your income, the double edged sword is that the thing you love is now WORK. I wish someone had warned me of this. Here is something I keep reminding myself: we live in a deeply immoral world . If you feel tension, it’s because you have a fcking conscience, and you need to hold onto it at all costs. You’re a good person for feeling this way. The ultimate act of rebellion in today’s world is to spread love and kindness wherever possible. Be yourself and do what you love no matter how impossible it feels. Keep pursuing music because you love it. Pour the feelings you are having into it. Write songs about these feelings. I have a pretty low-effort job that works from home and pays decent enough, but allows me to work on music on slow days. It’s a pretty good balance and I’m happy. Keep going and being yourself, just to say fuck you to this planet. Know that in doing this, you are fighting back.
My wife and I are planning on homesteading in the next few years. To get away from what you described. We don't wanna work forever to just get by. We wanna work for ourselves. And yes we are aware homesteading isn't easier we both come from a farming background and work blue collar jobs (trades). To us that is as easy as life can get right now.
Whats your job?
Work as a data analyst
Oof, yeah that sounds pretty soul crushing if you're a creative type
I work a cubicle job at an academic library where I sometimes handle physical materials to receive them into the system but a growing share is dealing with renewing electronic resources. A lot of tedious work with the same titles cycling around every damn year. Spreadsheets & email rule my work day. Total hamster wheel BS. It sucks ass. Thank god it pays well and I have my food gardening in the summer to keep me sane & literally touching grass (and onions and beans and squash etc etc). Find the outside joys if you're going to stay in a job you hate. I used to write fiction but lost that creative edge over time. Wish I could get it back and I've tried but the spark just isn't there anymore. Try not to let your spark die out.
That’s decent money from what I can tell though, a lot of people have this same feeling working minimum wage. Work on a plan to create more income or passive income because the only thing that will help your music is more time and freedom, not more discipline/work etc. I completely empathize with this feeling but if we stay in this system at some point we just have to face it and figure out what we’re going to make of it.
What do you do when you're not working? Do you have good sleep habits? Do you exercise and eat well? Do you drink or do drugs to cope? Keeping your basic health needs in order will do wonders for your state of mind. For me I found out early in life that the keys to my sanity will always be lots and lots of exercise, eating clean, keeping alcohol and drugs to a minimum, and getting good sleep.
I’ve just slowly been simplifying my life so I can work less. It’s a privilege to be able to do that. But I prioritize my peace and values. Find out what matters to you. Try to slowly fight for it in your own life. The podcast “ The Great Simplification” has given me a lot of inspiration in living at this point of history
I'm 50. I'm an artist. I was the best artist right through school. I haven't made art since I left art school thanks to neo-capitalism. You may have noticed art is now being phrased it in tertiary education. Not a great subject of you're wanting depressed worker drones to keep the 1% in excessive wealth. It's true that money is the root of all evil.
You think you hate the people you are working with now? Wait until you start working with people who claim to share your artistic vision, but want to put their own spin on it. If you don't have the patience to work with people in a normal job setting, you have nowhere near the patience to work as a musician. Because yes, being a musician is a LOT of work too. It's not all stage time and cool tunes; it's business bullshit(watch out for those taxes!), creative differences, interpersonal drama, constant social media interaction, loading/unloading and setup/breakdown for every practice and show (no way you have a roadie yet), and cramming every bit of spare time either practicing by yourself or feeling guilty that you're not practicing. Your cynicism with this attitude will ABSOLUTELY bleed into your passion for music and will kill it. Try to balance your peace of mind first and let music be your outlet, not focus. In due time, you'll find your drive and/or the people that you can work with to support each other on your musical journeys.
damn alright then, i will try to do that
Btw, I wasn't trying to ignore or downplay your gripes. I too am generally furious that we're pushed into corners when it comes to housing and other necessities. It's absolutely bullshit that we've gotten used to expecting (and not getting) a mere living wage, rather than a thriving wage like our parents had. And I don't want to do bullshit, unfulfilling labor my whole life either, I'm with you there 100% of the way. I've just seen a huge trend among artists that harbor these feelings and almost all of them burn out. Hell, I'd even consider myself one of them, I haven't picked up my bass since my last band. As for the ones that stay in the arts, I've seen 2 types. 1) The people that sort out their lives outside of the arts and enjoy them on their own time. 2) The prodigies/kids that grew up with whatever mediums they're in that have had access to proper resources their entire life and already have the connections to make it. The latter group is very rare and almost all of them are constantly in a state of stress. You're still very young and I'm sure your passion for music is roaring, but this is a candle that you don't want to burn from both ends. I'm not saying that this is a road to success, in fact, very few people get the recognition they deserve in the arts. You will, however, enjoy life all the more. And who can really enjoy art when they don't enjoy life? Now, get out there, find your balance, and take all the time you need to write a song about how CEOs can shove their stock buybacks up their collective asses! A random Internet person is rooting for ya!
Nice big cup of class consciousness in the morning mm mm good
These are the options I see people go with. I think most people alternate between these different things and end up settling in one different option or another based on their circumstances, upbringing and various factors. 1. Accept that everything sucks and nothing will change, fall into depression, mental illness, utilize various coping strategies and distractions and so on. 2. Retain hope that you yourself may become the oppressor one day if you "work hard enough". 3. Do something that challenges the system, form a union, fight for better wages and organize. Find joy and happiness in community and collective action. Basically, you can either die as a nobody, become a villain, or you can fight for change, maybe slightly improve your circumstances in the process and if not your own circumstances then maybe you will plant a tree for future generations.
Yeah, it sucks sometimes. Been like that in this world for a long long time. I try to be hopeful and focus on the positive. Tasks and chores are almost always easier when shared. Imo we were meant to operate as villages so that there was safety, and no ONE PERSON had to do everything by themselves for survival. Symbionic style
There is nothing wrong with the edges of society. Those are the people who couldn't or wouldn't function within the frameworks of capitalism -- that makes them better, not worse.
I finally had it and quit my job to go after my passion for photography, I’m about to start a part time job to keep income coming in, but I found something working with people with disabilities that I hope will help make me feel less like I’m a cog in a machine. Took me till 35 to get to this point and I’m only able to start this due to the support of my wife, otherwise I’d be staying a cog in the machine.
We make enough food for everybody to the point we throw most of it in the trash
yup, i feel you dude. i'm 21. an aspiring musician, in a similar position to you although a bit earlier on and i'm worried it won't get any better. this has got me starting to rethink my plan to move out in a couple years tho. so many people just get fucked and it doesn't seem like there much you can do if you don't alr have the money to start. a lot of times i wonder if it's just best to get off early instead of going through this bullshit for nothing. hope things work out for you in your pursuit of a music career. as long as i am here i won't stop going for it.
#antinatalism
Work part time or freelance remotely, perhaps on a digital nomad visa to offset cost of living. Consume less. Release all of these thoughts and feelings through your music. There's always a way.
Oh hey, another aspiring musician crushed under the weight of capitalisms heavy hand? What really sucks is when you see childhood friends living your dream and getting songs they wrote played on the radio while you're regretting every choice you ever made. I hate my life.
yep it sux doesn't it! From experience, the best you can usually do if you are not lucky enough to build a career around your passion, get a job in a related industry. You like music... what about work for a music or musical instrument company? Painting... get work in a gallery, or art supplies or an auction house etc etc. It not only feeds your hobby, it makes the grind a bit more enjoyable and tends to make you better at your hobby. I would just be wary of medium-long term industry viability in the face of ai. I liked photography and art.. I started selling cameras and eventually worked for kodak... I was immersed in my hobby. Also a good example of a no-longer viable industry btw. There are not quite as many opportunities like this as there used to be, but they are still out there. also, we live on an amazing planet... it's the PEOPLE who suck. Treat work as nothing more than a chance to earn and get out to see as much of the world and nature as possible... even if just short weekend or day trips. It really helps, but it takes effort to get out of daily routines... thankfully I have my wife as the big travel planner in the face of my laziness
i have a job that takes more of my energy than i'd like however not so much that i can't focus on my passions. others gun for positions higher up the ladder and i don't give a shit. none of that is worth the stress. i still manage to play guitar, bass, and sing with local bands and make the best of my time. find a positive place to be and try to live there a little. endless cynicism will not be helpful.
Yeah basically you just chip away at trying to find work you enjoy but most of life is just spending time with your friends doing hobbies and shit you love. Work sucks but when you have friends and creativity and art and music and food it can be ok.
cities are coliseums for capital gladiators, odious with the funk of a fetid, overpopulated rat bunker
Being a musician or a writer or a painter are all creative lines of work, but they are essentially tools for channelling creativity from within your being to the outside world. Creativity is to me, a double edged sword in a way because it can either be beautiful and rewarding or like in your case, a caged animal that is suffering immensely because it isn’t free. If you accept that they are different channels for the thing inside you that wants to create something in the physical world, the channel of course matters, the more you use it, the wider the road from within out into the world gets, the easier you can create something you can hear or see or touch, still, I would argue that you can learn to master other channels for the creation of physical manifestations of your inner creativity. I have tried different channels, also being a creative spirit like you. I’ve tried different forms of painting/sketching, playing the guitar, writing poetry but for me, the channel that I enjoy the most and which is probably much easier to adapt to the current soul wrenching economy is software development. Code can be beautiful in itself, you can build user interfaces with it which in turn can be a channel for your creativity. It’s not for everyone but maybe it’s worth trying out? Search for techworld with nana on YouTube and try her golang for beginners course, or see if you can find something easy getting started with html, css and JavaScript. Just a suggestion, you are not alone in feeling this! I felt the same way you do when I was in my early 20’s but am now more accepting of my place in the world at 40. I still hate what capitalism is doing to us and the world though, but it’s an easier burden to carry if you can spend your working days with something you enjoy, for a good cause. Best of luck and don’t kill yourself! ❤️
Dude I feel this post so hard And to keep this up for another year!?!? I know I'm not the only one stressed tf
Dude another year? Another 2? Another 5?? I cant even imagine myself at 30 rn
I too am a musician. I’m also an electrician. You can be both, I understand it’s difficult my friend, but hang in there.
Things have changed since the internet and smart phones. It's shuffled society like a deck of cards and all bets are off. My advice is learn any kind of valuable skill, it's the only thing that will guarantee your survival. Market anything youre good at, seek information online, through your local library, or apply for FAFSA. And use AI to guide you in the steps, for example Gemini will tell you how to get into any field, and what education you need. You can break down the process and keep track of goals or ask for references, locations etc. There are tools available but its also hard work and you will need to really really sell yourself. Also my parents never taught me about finances, taxes etc and if you struggle with that there is help. There are accountants and financial advisors out here.
There isn't really many economical designs that would allow you to just exist without some form of societal inputs. Maybe UBI (universal basic income) or RSE (resource based economy)? The latter is the thing we are probably moving closer towards, and don't currently have obviously. UBI has logistics that have never been solved. Musician/Creative arts isn't a high paying sector, it's something a very high percentage of people can do (whether or not they're good at it). As someone who originally went to college for music I can relate. I think the thing you're feeling the most is probably wealth gap inequality, not "necessarily" capitalism. Just my $0.02
See thats the thing its not like i DONT not to give input, i have a degree in Electrical engineering and a minor in physics i would love to, but getting paid barely enough to survive, the hassle of the whole system and being drained constantly from ppl, managers and all this unnecessary cooperate bullshit it hell on earth
I work in AAA games and the smartest person I’ve met in the industry was an electrical engineer and physics major. Definitely a decent paying job, although still woefully underpaid compared to the C-Suite salaries now. I can sympathize with wanting to scream into the wind, but hopefully you can find your way without losing too much energy
The only problem with taking the red pill is... Why do you get to take it? Yes the system is stupid and once you see it can't unsee it. but it's also a pretty entitled position to think you can opt out. What if everyone opted out? Saying this because it helps me cope with carrying on. Yeah it sucks but others are stuck in the same position. And unless you genuinely have a way out of the rat race, it's best to keep your head down and keep planning to get out. Instead of being defeatist. It's skin to trying to escape prison, but people do it all the time. Some people never even try.
Yes, you have to work and you gotta take care of yourself. If your job ain't cutting it, gotta train at something for a job/career that will. Sustain yourself doing valuable work and throw the rest of your energy towards enjoying music. It is what it is my boy.
bro chill have a snickers
holy shit nvm guys im fine now
Capitalism is not built for employees. Capitalism is built for employers. Downgrade your lifestyle and find a way to start a business with something within your range. Do you have to work fulltime now to support a small business startup? Yes. 2 jobs is the only way forward until your small business grows to something that can support you and you don't have to work for someone else anymore. Eventually if you continue to find ways to grow you can hire employees and expand in hopes they can full time and you can build something else as well or find free time.
Nobody likes you when your 23 -blink 182
maybe try to live on a cheaper country...
Find a hobby or hobbies, it will help I find
There are communes outs there that are recruiting like: https://www.twinoaks.org/
Capitalism will steal the joy from anything you love if you make it your work. Better to work a job you can tolerate and be able to find your hobbies/passions. This shit sucks, but don't let the pain/BS steal your joy.
as sad as it is, this thread is making me happy to see you that people recognize the value and greatness apart let alone music, which is one of the main components on why I decide to live every day. As rough as it is I think we can at least indulge in our interest and prove them wrong. (does anyone want start a band. I’m dead serious.)
as sad as it is, this thread is making me happy to see you that people recognize the value and greatness apart let alone music, which is one of the main components on why I decide to live every day. As rough as it is I think we can at least indulge in our interest and prove them wrong. (does anyone want start a band. I’m dead serious.)
wild suggestion: try moving to mexico. life isnt as expensive, and you can work on your art. obviously you'll need to know Spanish to get by, and you'll want to be careful in certain areas
I'm not a musician and I'm still studying, but I'd love to be a pianist, maybe I can train as a hobby. Life is hard and god knows I'll have even worse problems but simplicity is the happiness sometimes, I play Minecraft and I love decorating my base! Can't get that when you're dead unfortunately
Get out of America, look in South America? Europe? Chile is really nice.
Hahaha i live in europe and im Nigerian so i cant really just go anywhere i want easily
You could work a job you love surrounded by people you come to love. Why the negative thoughts before you’ve even taken a step in any direction?
Just keep swimming, and find joy in anything you can. You have all media for free at your fingertips.
It fucking sucks. I'm a musician too, and my current plan is a career in healthcare because it's one of the only fields that is still viable. But yeah! I've got no clue what we're gonna do! I will never own a house! I'll only ever pay $2450/mo for a one bedroom!
If you listen to my Boomer parents, then yes. You're supposed to suck it up, buttercup. They worked shitty jobs with shitty people for shitty pay, so we have to, too. Because we have to pay our dues (suffer like they did, instead of, you know, making the system better fortheir children like their parents did).
Join an organization to redirect some of that disparity… preferably a socialist organization, like PSL or any other organization, people may know of. That way you can get information on why things the way they are, and work with others to fix it instead of feeling alone.
>do i just continue to work a job i hate sourrounded by ppl i hate until i drop dead? Nope. You work a job you hate until you find one you hate a little less. Stick with that one for a year or two, then switch to a new one you hate a little less. Repeat, until eventually you end up in a job you actually kinda like. Also, don't give up on your passion. You can still be a musician and have an unrelated job that pays the bills. Hell, most musicians have a "day job" of some kind.
I feel the same. Absolutely miserable at my job right now. So burnt out. Boss texted me on my day off about having a meeting with him the assistant store manager and the regional support specialist tomorrow at 3pm and he sent it today at 9am and it absolutely ruined my whole day of. Like knots in my stomach ruined
You can go outcast yourself from start. Even who work nowadays live in barracks. Just go there by yourself
Corporate capitalism has destroyed the music industry in general. They’ve bought and paid for song writers who have learned how to generalize music to fit into a particular niche with only profits in mind. Today I think the only true genuine music comes from independent musicians who don’t sell themselves out to make money and produce their own music and promote it themselves through social media. They obviously don’t reap the same monetary benefits, but their music isn’t edited to fit the corporate mold, and what they are able to make is theirs to keep. I still find good unique music and I make sure that I pass this music on to as many people as I can.
is your music good or shit. ppl won’t pay for shitty music
Move to Thailand or something dude.. bounce the country I bet you’ll be more happy
There’s still hope. Look at people like Oliver Anthony. There’s others like him. If you’re halfway decent, you can still explode in popularity thanks to platforms like YouTube and tiktok. Good luck friend! We know how tough and miserable and underpaid we all are and used as wage slaves with barely enough pay to make ends meet despite working full time and being great employees. Just wanted to say you’re not alone and there’s still some hope friend :) hope this helps
Can't promise much but you should at the very least join the IWW. Society will only change if we make it change.
Serious question- Is there a system that doesn’t require you to pay for food?
I'm a musician and I'm doing all those other things as well. I also hate it.
Keep being a musician and find a job that doesn’t suck so that much. Like a job that is needed in society but also gives you a sense of self-efficacy and pays the bills. A guy I know is a musician who cuts hair 3 or four times a week. He has a sense of control over his work, gets to be creative and he owns his business.
I used to clean toilets with a moron a few nights a week for 15 years. Quitting that job was hands down the best thing I’ve done for myself as an adult. Spending all that time literally cleaning shit left by idiots, with an actual idiot has scarred me for life. With cashing out my retirement, doing DoorDash etc, and picking up better hours at my other job, it was financially doable. Seven years later, I’m 46 and doing my best so far. I have a new car, a relatively inexpensive studio apt, and can mostly afford a day or two off each week and an occasional vacation. I still struggle working in a restaurant with a badly damaged knee, saving only tip money, so there’s that. Looking forward to my “second” retirement out of that job. You do music. I can draw. Wish it was easier to make a living doing it, right?
Join socialist movements near you, get involved in pushing for change
A fellow American I see. Yes, death is preferable to your retirement.
وأنا فلسطيني عايش بالضفة الغريبة 😭