Marathon Runners Are 'Effing Insane 🏃🏼‍♂️

Have you ever wondered why the hell people run marathons?

I just found out that every year there’s over a million people that complete a marathon around the world. And some events are so popular that they have waiting lists just to race, just for people to put themselves through 26 miles of torture! This is my idea of hell LOL.

Oh, and guess how many people win each marathon race? 

.... One.

So, do the thousands of people that come across the finish line actually care if they were the 1st? No, nearly all of them do it for the race itself, and not because they need to be first.

They run marathons for the run itself. Because it's there, it's their community, it’s uncomfortable, it's a challenge, it brings out their best, it makes their bodies and minds sharper, it allows them to see their potential, etc.  Fun fact, most people signing up for these races are not professional, world classes competitors. They are moms and dads, college students, aunts and uncles, blue and white collared professionals.

The marathon is just like our practice of making music. 

Music making is our Marathon running.  

We do the work for the work itself. It’s not for the “client”, although it might make a client happy (and this is a great way to keep us on the hook). It’s not for the money, although the better we get the more people will pay us. And it’s not for the fame, even tho it could have that result if we keep at it.

The music itself is the client. We revere the craft and feel honored to take part making it with others, attempting something new and original. The practice of making new music calls us to work hard and to try our best. It calls us to show up and give something new to the world. 

I have a personal goal of working on making new music every single day. Seven days a week, without exception. This is one of the ways I keep myself on the hook, and to not fall out of practice.

In the second half of 2021 I was so preoccupied with other projects and personal life challenges that I fell out of practice. I wasn’t creating music, either by songwriting or producing. And if I were honest with myself, I would have to admit that during that time I was NOT an artist. 

We can only can call ourselves artists IF we are making art. Or put another way:

We don’t make music because we are artists, we are only artists BECAUSE we make music.

This is something I’ve learned the hard way, and recently had reiterated to me through Seth Godin’s book The Practice, that I highly recommend you read.

If you want to join myself and other like minded music makers who do the work FOR the work, and who make music like crazy marathon runners, I strongly suggest joining On the Hook. Each week we get together and make new music through playing games that I set out, under a limited amount of time. This has been extremely instrumental in helping us all get into the rhythm of making new music in a consistent fashion.

Join us, we have a new game starting tomorrow morning at 10am PST. Register here to get the zoom link and info:

YoureOnTheHook.com

I'd love to see you there. 😁

Zion