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How do you cope with self-doubt?

beugiea

beugiea

Member
Hi everyone!

So, it's two weeks after launching my beatmaking business and today's the first day of self-doubt. Two weeks I was just doing marketing, setting up webpage, doing some short, promo videos, graphic design, uploading my latest beats to every major platform, you know the drill.

But today I listened to somebody else's beat.
And I was like "damn, I'm so not sounding this good".

I'm just like that, and I'm fighting hard to not self-condemn myself.
So I figured out solution (other than psychotherapy, which would be the best choice, I guess).
When such thoughts come, I start focusing on "what can I do, to get better?", "what can I do, to get to the more people?", and keep trying to learn new tricks to help my beats to sound better.

I'm afraid that I will lose that confidence that I had at the beginning, when I was like "yeah, it's gonna be a long run, but I really like my beats, so just give it a time". And by the time I mean long-term, like 2-3 years from now.

I really would like to hear what do you guys think about it.

Do you guys have similiar experiences? And if so - how do you cope with them?
 
Fade

Fade

The Beat Strangler
Administrator
illest o.g.
VIP
Great question.

I've been making beats for a very long time and even I doubt myself sometimes. Same as you - I hear a beat from someone that's really dope and I'm thinking "how come mine don't sound like that?". I think it's natural to doubt your beats because you created something and it's all based on interpretation. Some might think your beat sounds better than the one you think is dope. But this is why we're always trying to fix our beats whether it be to turn down a snare or adjust some compression, because we're essentially artists (in the art sense) that create something and we're never satisfied.

I used to doubt myself with lots of things years ago but I was told by numerous people that I don't realize how good I am (at whatever it was) and I still doubted what they were saying. Since then I guess one day I just realized that yes, I am really good at this or that. So then I gained confidence.

There's always going to be someone better than you, that's a given. This is what's supposed to drive us though, at least it does for me.

So don't worry about someone else's beats if they're better than yours, just keep doing your style. As long as you know your beats are good and are told by people on here for example, and you're using any constructive criticism you receive and apply it to your beats - then you should be fine.
 
beugiea

beugiea

Member
Fade said:
I used to doubt myself with lots of things years ago but I was told by numerous people that I don't realize how good I am (at whatever it was) and I still doubted what they were saying. Since then I guess one day I just realized that yes, I am really good at this or that. So then I gained confidence.
Click to expand...

Actually, I had that flash of the self-awarness two months ago, when I decided to go for it and open my beat store. But what I didn't realize (or didn't want to) is how tough it would be to create a brand that people wants to collaborate with.

Nevertheless, life is a journey and the change is the only constant :)

Thanks for the reply, Fade
 
beugiea

beugiea

Member
Fo.Rillaz said:
My self-doubt began when i joined here. I was hoping to get feedback and tips on my beats to advance my game. When it didnt happen, i began to question myself, even my depression started to come back. I took some days off to reflect and realized its a bit of an ego issue involved too. I almost lost faith in my own game. But then i started to think: "When even i dont believe in my shit, why should others?" "When i dont give people which dont even know me something in advance, why should they put in the work to review my stuff or even give me advice?" After all every producer is trying "to make it" and its a competition at the end of the day. When my ego starts to pull me down, i try to take a day or two off to just go deep inside myself to find out if all those "problems" are getting caused by others or just my ego. And every time i do this the result is the same.
View attachment 5393

To advance further in everything you do, you often have to shut up your ego (which isnt YOU) and try to keep going.
If you dont believe in the shit you re doing, no one else will.
To shut up my annoying ego voice i often take a walk through the forest, which i fully recommend to everyone, to get my internal energy refilled. Its kinda strange, when i start to walk up closer to the forest my mind is going crazy like "what does it give to you?"why even bother, its a waste of time. go home" but as soon as im IN the forest, all those negative shit just flushes down the hole it came from. Im starting to get creative and constructive thinking starts to take place in my head.
Maybe sounds all weird ive written down here, but yea, thats what helps me atleast. :D
Click to expand...

Amen. Thank you, Fo.Rillaz, it's really heartening (had to google this one :D). Also, I have to move somewhere near forest, cause I know what you're talking about.
 
slimegreenbeats

slimegreenbeats

ILLIEN
beugiea said:
Hi everyone!

So, it's two weeks after launching my beatmaking business and today's the first day of self-doubt. Two weeks I was just doing marketing, setting up webpage, doing some short, promo videos, graphic design, uploading my latest beats to every major platform, you know the drill.

But today I listened to somebody else's beat.
And I was like "damn, I'm so not sounding this good".

I'm just like that, and I'm fighting hard to not self-condemn myself.
So I figured out solution (other than psychotherapy, which would be the best choice, I guess).
When such thoughts come, I start focusing on "what can I do, to get better?", "what can I do, to get to the more people?", and keep trying to learn new tricks to help my beats to sound better.

I'm afraid that I will lose that confidence that I had at the beginning, when I was like "yeah, it's gonna be a long run, but I really like my beats, so just give it a time". And by the time I mean long-term, like 2-3 years from now.

I really would like to hear what do you guys think about it.

Do you guys have similiar experiences? And if so - how do you cope with them?
Click to expand...
#1 I respect you a lot for putting this out there.

#2 Man, wait like 5 years lol

Don't try to compete. Just try to be your best self.

Keep getting feedback on your beats.

Right now I'm working hard on my 808s, it's the weakest part of my game, I'm working on it like a maniac, watching videos everyday.

You'll eventually be better than you could've ever imagined, just keep putting yourself out there.

Also... meditate. Trust me it works. Cheers!
 
drex

drex

superpimp trillionaire
Battle Points: 11
no matter how crappy you think your worst effort is, it is still from you. even a looped sample with nothing added, is still your slice. give yourself some credit for being an individual because no matter how many people make premo type beats there is only one premo. and there is only one you. the value of an artist is not the same as the value of a craftsman, we translate our experiences etc into a format that others can feel. it is no light task. and like anything else, practice makes better. you will improve if you keep working at it. which is not to say that you are bad at the moment, you are you at the moment. YOU are the value behind your artistic efforts, not so much the results of your efforts. keep bangin
 
M

Mahlhavoc

Freedom Seed Spreader
Battle Points: 360
Ok @2GooD Productions I know where this is coming from bro, and I am so sorry...

I should have never started sending you a beat to give advice on bro, totally my bad man. Now I feel like a heel... :D


On the really real though, I see it every day, only diff is I know my beats are trash but I got into this because I enjoy it, its fun, its a good pastime and I hear my shit getting a little less horrible each day. So now, instead of sounding like an Ice Cream truck that has feedback in the tune and a a missing muffler, I sound more like a whale trying to mate with a pig... just a little bit better ;)

So remember why you got into this in the first place and realize just because someone popped a series of sounds together and it bumps big-time, it doesn't mean you haven't had a few of those yourself... and I know we all know when its a straight banger. Learn from it and move on or I may just make a loop of a mix of my songs and force you to listen to it so you feel better about yourself. Hmmm, maybe there's a market for that I am uniquely qualified for :cool:
 
OGBama

OGBama

Big Clit Energy
I'm experiencing self doubt from the rap vocalist end, my voice isn't grating, etc. but it's the up and down nature of aiming for the ideal take.
 
2GooD Productions

2GooD Productions

Im back
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 1688
bthis!
war
bfights!
aotb!
biu!
bthat!
honestly, lose the self doubt, believe in yourself, make music for you, and run with it. There will always be people that blow us away with their talent, those people should inspire us to become ever better at our own craft.
Since I decided to believe in myself last year Ive come so far, Im almost where I want to be for now.
We are our own worst enemies as we strive for perfection when we know we are far from it, dont strive for perfection, strive for improvement every day, and see where it takes you.
 
YannFer

YannFer

The Mr Bernard Who Laughs
Battle Points: 166
bthis!
war
bfights!
skidflow said:
Taking a nice dump always help with self doubt too. Sometimes a full stomach just makes you unsure of yourself. :D
Click to expand...
It makes sense.
Always good to have the real thing at hand when you want to sort out what is shit from what is not.
So, you take that dump and go like : "oh, yeah that's what shit is...", and the self confidence is back, just like that. Because yeah, the smell of a beat is (almost always) different.
 
2GooD Productions

2GooD Productions

Im back
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 1688
bthis!
war
bfights!
aotb!
biu!
bthat!
YannFer said:
It makes sense.
Always good to have the real thing at hand when you want to sort out what is shit from what is not.
So, you take that dump and go like : "oh, yeah that's what shit is...", and the self confidence is back, just like that. Because yeah, the smell of a beat is (almost always) different.
Click to expand...
but what if its some good shit? there is shit and then there is some good shit
 
YannFer

YannFer

The Mr Bernard Who Laughs
Battle Points: 166
bthis!
war
bfights!
2GooD Productions said:
but what if its some good shit? there is shit and then there is some good shit
Click to expand...
Ok, so if we're gonna have this debate, let me give you my secret weapon when it comes to decide if a shit is good shit or bad shit.
Like I said, you need the real thing at hand to compare. So what you want to do is get a big jar and shit in it, then you always have it with you.
But beware, you don't want to shit a good shit in your jar because it would not work and ruin your jar.
So, in order to be 100% sure you hit your "baddest shit ever" target, you eat [insert whatever country here, except the one your were born in] at lunch and [insert whatever country here, except the one your were born in] for dinner. Then you drink the cheapest red wine you can find. The more the better. You sleep on it, with your jar by your side.
When you wake up, Tadaaaaa !

Or you can use an AB comparison plugin on your master bus (I use sample magic AB) and load some Drake or Cardi B song in it.

My wife threw my precious jar away when the kids were playing with it. Errr, she doesn't get music ...
 
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