Close to Zero

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek caused something of a firestorm last week with a series of poorly worded tweets where he stated the cost of creating content is ‘close to zero.’

“Today, with the cost of creating content being close to zero, people can share an incredible amount of content. This has sparked my curiosity about the concept of long shelf life versus short shelf life…”

Ek then made a rather bland point about the resurgence of Stoicism and the shelf life of ideas, before finding himself attacked from all angles by musicians of all levels.

Attempting to explain himself, he said:

“I understand how it came across as very reductive and that wasn’t my intent. Just to clarify – my original point was not to devalue the time, effort, or resources involved in creating meaningful works, whether it’s music, literature, or other forms of creative expression.”

He’s right of course in the sense that laptops and other equipment have never been more readily available at low cost.

Yes, it’s possible to make music on a laptop with free software. But good work is rarely cheap, and cheap work rarely good. Making music requires investment.

And of course, the biggest expense in making any kind of creative work is the time spent getting good at it.

When I was starting my YouTube channel, I sacrificed so many dinners out, or holidays with friends, because I was ploughing every spare penny – and every spare second – I had into making it a success.

I can enjoy myself more now, and value life’s experiences, but I still mostly work like it could all end tomorrow, because the reality is – it could.

So many people say they’re working on something and then let it go quiet, put it away out of sight.

I’ve also always felt that when I look back at my life, I want to know that I did everything I could to prioritise fulfilling my creative potential. Because that’s what I’m most proud of.

So let this week’s newsletter be a reminder, to invest time in your work, not for fame or money, but for fulfilling your potential.

It’s a price worth paying.

Mary x

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