- Find some time to practice daily. Shorter focused practice sessions are always more beneficial then long meandering ones. A good way to keep yourself on task and in sight of your goals is to get a small notebook, label it "Practicing" and each time you practice, write down three things you want to accomplish.
- Open mic nights at coffeehouses are low-pressure places to perform. The more you perform, the better you will get at it. Check out a few open mics to see which one seems like a good fit for your particular kind of music. When you feel ready, booking a small club gig opening for a local act can be a next step.
- Creating a website is a way to get your music to the public. A website can be as simple as myspace or a blog site such as Blogger or Wordpress. Both are free. Creating a mailing list of friends, family and fans is also a way to effortlessly publicize gigs and new songs on your website.
- If you've had a bad gig, a bad rehearsal or just a bad week, it can be tough to maintain the mental stamina to keep creating and performing music. When that happens, books and movies about your favorite musicians can be the shot in the arm you need to get inspired and keep going. Also, don't be afraid to take breaks from creating and performing if you feel yourself getting burned out
- Some books that can be inspiring are The Artists' Way by Julia Cameron and The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp.
