For those still having a difficult time recovering from the physical and emotional toll of SXSW, rapper Kosha Dillz has several ideas for gathering up the pieces of your tenure at Austin and getting back into a productive groove.
_______________________________________
Guest Post by Kosha Dillz
If you are like me, you are still putting your feet in hot water from walking 3 miles a day from every venue in Austin and got a stack of business cards larger than the leaning tower of pizza. (is that how you even spell it)
With real life coming back into your post SX life, I created a list of things to do if you haven’t done them yet, because you probably should have already.
1. Please get to the gym and sweat
If you noticed it, you might have been slow to things. Please stop thinking if your day is slow and get on that treadmill.
From march 12-20, hit the people back and say hey it was a pleasure to meet you at SXSW. Let me know how I can help you out this year.
Something small like that will go a long way and take 15 minutes.
3. Go through those business cards now and scan them
There is a business card app where you can scan your cards. I suggest downloading it to help out before you lose them.
4. Email your notes to yourself
I once lost my phone at Coachella and it had everyones number! I need to make sure before that is gonna happen, I at least have my notes after all that hard work. The same goes for SXSW and all great festivals of the schmooze.
5. Eat good food.
Diet is key to bouncing back. Lots of greens will help you get there. If you change your habits now, you will be perfectly ready for the summer. There is nothing wrong with looking hot sexy and healthy in the music industry.
6. Call some of the people and smile
As one guy told me the other day...smile and dial. It will get you in the mood (to dial at least, and maybe leave a message too)
7. Get some work done. Not a lot. Just some.
Get on your email grind. Get on your studio grind. Push yourself to get back to work. You can sleep for a long time. Don’t do it for too long. Two days has become two weeks. WTF are you doing!!
8. Buy new music to support the dream
You must’ve saw like 20 new artists at least. Go crazy and buy a song from everyone. For 20 dollars, you will give 20 new artists hope that SXSW was worth it, and of course you will have good new music.
9. Offer to Take them out
Believe it or not, taking people out for a drink of a coffee or an anything is awesome. I currently live in LA. When I meet people who aren’t from LA, I invite them out for a meal or coffee when they come to town. Being welcoming is something people don’t forget. If you live in Iowa, tell people that you’ll take them for BBQ corn dinner when they arrive. It is the thought that counts. People love to be welcomed when they arrive somewhere. I even offer my place to people when I am not there. You don’t have to do that, but any gesture give a double positive effect. One for you and one for them.
I know this is coming out from left field, but brain power is the power you may need to really think about a lot of your experiences in the music game. Reading helps you feel positive about yourself and also relaxes your nerves of not getting stuff done, losing deals, and takes you out of any compare and despair. I am currently reading “9 things successful people do differently” by Heidi Grant Halvorson. It is really small and only 106 pages.
OK fellow hustlers.
Those are 10 ways to help you get back to something you should already gotten back to. But hey, who am I to say anything? I am just as depressed, angry, happy, sad, and proud of my music career as the rest of you emotionally stable readers. No seriously…I am!!
Kosha Dillz recently curated his 2nd official OY VEY! Sxsw showcase featuring Kool Keith, Tesha, Shinobi Ninja, Shi 360 and other great acts. He is currently prepping his album release for What I do all day and Pickle, is prepping his jail diaries book, and teaches rap class to people who cannot rap at all. He is also the only rapper with an office at Wework. Elite Daily called him The Jewish rapper isis loves to hate. If you want to consult with him about your life and career, shoot him an email at rapperfriends@gmail.com or send him a tweet about this awesome article @koshadillz