measuring success

im a musician

how do i measure my success?

i guess usually you would tell by the number of records you sell. or the number of tickets you sell for gigs.

maybe even the number of hits/plays/downloads on your myspace page.

well i see little future for the record companies - they are fighting a losing battle against technology.

what about live performance? seems to me that its more about artists playing sets full of covers to please beer hungry punters.

the venues and artists that dare to perform original music often do so at the expense of their pockets.

please do not think that i write music just for attention - i am not chasing fame or record deals - its just that it can become difficult to ever finish a song or album knowing that you have no outlet for what you produce.

i can only imagine that this becomes even harder for visual artists/film makers who cannot busk their work on the streets or open mic nights - how can they exhibit their work to the world and gain recognition for what they have produced, other than in a traditional gallery?

so how do i measure my success? how can you tell if anyone is appreciating what you do? is it worth writing and rehearsing songs if the only person who will ever really listen to them is yourself?

im going to find an answer - a way for an artist to measure their success in a world where people always want something for nothing and fashions and trends shift from one week to the next.