“Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.” – William Faulkner
This morning I stumbled upon a Hot 97 interview with Ella Mai. If you don’t know the name Ella Mai, I’m sure you may have heard her Billboard Top 10 hit, “Boo’d Up”. If you’ve never heard the song, I highly recommend it. I can say with confidence that “Boo’d Up” is the Song of the Summer. It has been on constant repeat on my iPhone for the past month. After listening to the song so many times, I wanted to learn about the artist behind the hit song. My curiosity led me to a Hot 97 interview that inspired me deeply.
When I watched the Hot 97 interview with Ella Mai, she discussed how old “Boo’d Up” was and how the song caught national recognition months after she released it.
“I just put out a single, ‘Naked’ at the end of last year, so when ‘Naked’ came out, I wanted this to be the song. Then all of a sudden ‘Boo’d Up’ like, was getting its attention and I was like, this is so random. Because this is off my third EP which came out last February.”
When Ella discussed how old the song was, I was shocked. I thought that the song had just been recorded and was new. To my surprise, this wasn’t the case. Ella had already moved on from Boo’d Up and was releasing other music trying to make it.
As creatives, we often create each and every day, whether it be cover videos on Youtube, original songs or blog posts. It can be argued that every creative works tirelessly each day to create that piece of art that will impact the world. Ella expressed that she made Instagram cover videos, and studied music in college with the dreams of becoming an artist. Today she has a Billboard Hot 100 Hit, a music video with millions of views and is on a national concert tour because of “Boo’d Up”.
There are three conclusions that I took away from this story that I must share.
I Must Create
“Boo’d Up” was on Ella Mai’s 3rd EP. When she started making EP’s, Ella did not have a big major record label or backing; but she created anyway. Before “Boo’d Up”, she believed in herself enough to create art and put it out in the world. If I want to be a successful writer, public speaker or filmmaker, I must continue to create now. It is a mandate that I believe in myself firmly enough to create everyday, even if I think no one is going to appreciate it.
I Have To Do My Best
I now understand that I need to create more frequently; but it is also important that I do my best each time. With every book I write, blog post I craft, and Instagram post, it is important that I am intentional about every move. I never know what it is that’s going to captivate audiences or catch the eye of someone influential. There are so many times when I get lazy or careless with my craft and social media. These are the moments that I write a blog quickly without reading over it 15 times or throw a video on YouTube knowing that it is not my best. This kind of careless behavior doesn’t serve me. I don’t control the universe and it is important that no matter what I put out into the world that it is excellent because I don’t know who could end up seeing it.
I Can’t Forget My Previous Works
When my second book came out, I treated it as if it were my first. I kept forgetting that I had written another book a year before. Like Ella Mai with “Naked” and “Boo’d Up”, I want “College” to be the book that takes off but there’s a chance someone could read my first book “Life” and that be the book that allows me to take off. Today, I haven’t experienced any massive national success that I dream of, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t happen and that one of my previous works could be that key that gets me there. Like I said before, we don’t control the Universe and we never know what’s going to be the project that thrusts us into success.
Your Takeaway
We all are just one moment away from our lives being changed. If you’re reading this, you’re probably a writer, musician or a creative. I hope that after reading this post you are inspired and understand that:
- You must do what you do as often as possible without the approval or validation of others.
- Every time you record a song, release a fashion line, or write a book, do it with excellence each time because you never know what will catch people’s eye.
- Lastly, don’t discredit or discount your previous works.
So often I watch people cringe as they reflect on old photos, past work, or moments in their lives as if they didn’t do the best they could in that moment. Honor your previous works just as you do the new ones because it could be one of those same “old works” that transform your career into a “new light”
Be Inspired.