The Fear can be a force for good in your music. It’s a killer quality control mechanism.

But only if you keep a handle on it.

Grab it by the scruff of it’s neck, look into the whites of it’s eyes and order it to back down by doing what scares you. Because if you don’t, it starts off by whispering those questions that make you squirm in your seat…

“What will they say? What if they hate it? What will happen? What won’t happen?”

And then it ramps up that irresistible urge to do something (anything!) else:

“Oooh that “toast that looks like Jesus” video simply can’t wait…”

Tells you to make that one change:

“Just that one tiny tweak will make all the difference…”

And asks you to discover how you are “supposed” to “properly” compress that bass line:

“Let me ask the internet, then I’ll know enough to finish it.”

But none of this makes The Fear go away. It’s still right there, larger than life. Because by succumbing to mind numbing procrastination and soul destroying perfectionism you are playing to it’s strengths.

In reality there is only one way you are going to read The Fear the riot act.

Finish it. Now.

I know this because I know The Fear well. No matter how scared you’re feeling now, it cannot be as bad as the near phobia I had. It stopped me finishing any original music for 2 whole years.

It happened at the very beginning of my career when I spectacularly snatched failure from the jaws of success…