Some Advice from Taeyong that I needed to hear
On finding motivation and inspiration to create
I bet your head is already rustling with inspiration. After all, we’re inspired by the things that we like, that stay in the heart and mind.
I’m inspired a lot by nature: flora and fauna, insects especially; clouds, trees, and wind. I believe that it can be limiting to pull from the same sources, so I try to branch out, but I do end up returning over and over to nature.
For this album, I was inspired most while undertaking my mandatory military service, because there was a lot of time I had alone to think. But there, too, as a member of the navy’s military band, it was the ocean that provided a sense of healing for me.
So it’s not a lack of inspiration, perhaps, as much as it is the need to learn methods to organize ideas so as to make them workable. That’s what will allow the process of creating art to become easier for you.
Once again, nature for me is where the words and ideas in my head become orderly, in a form in which they can be used. This is because I get dizzy living among society, with headaches forming from the stress and energy of it all. So I encourage you to also find a space where you can clear your mind.
On finding confidence in your abilities
I understand the nuance between being good at what you do but not yet having confidence in your abilities. To get from one to the other, I think it’s imperative to receive recognition and encouragement. I expect you’re at the point in which you need external recognition for the products you create.
In the 10 years I’ve been in my own scene, I’ve realized that receiving recognition is incredibly difficult—as difficult as it is to receive love. In periods of its absence, you cannot leave yourself to fall to self-sabotage or self-ruin. In the past, I’d belittled and pushed myself a lot; but after leaving myself battered and bruised, the only thing left to do was to like myself instead.
Seek ways to build your self-confidence, which is something that must arise first from your inner core. It can be in the little things. I’ve certainly been boosted by a compliment from a parent or an unexpected source. But the proof will primarily come from your finished products, for they are the milestones of your skill and growth.
This, of course, will take time. Only through receiving multiple opportunities have I worked out how to go about the things I want to do, breaking free from the frame that I’d built of my own mistakes and how others would perceive me.
I get you! I’ve been in this line of work for a decade, with four years of training in the company prior to that, and there have been countless rejections I’ve dealt with that nobody knows about.
First, I want to say, it’s a long game. Though I practiced and practiced as a trainee, I never felt like the results of my hard work were visible. But because I chose not to give up, all I could do was continue to work hard.
Second, I encourage you to consider that rejection is not something to fear or be disappointed by; rather, view it as an opportunity for growth. It's a chance to showcase your pride, tenacity, and unyielding spirit.
For example, when I began songwriting, I wanted to upload my tracks onto Soundcloud. The company initially rejected my request, as there was no precedence of overseeing content uploaded by one of their artists on the platform. But I fought for it, and managed to win them over.
If you listen to those early songs now, they feel amateurish, and are of a much lower quality. But I kept working at it, step-by-step: First, music and performance videos on YouTube; followed by EPs; and finally, a full album filled top to bottom with my own work.
It’s through these experiences that I’m now able to push more for what I want. After scores of my songs were rejected, many of my tracks now pass with barely an edit.
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