(Not posting from my original account)
I came across this post today: https://www.reddit.com/r/Beatmatch/comments/1t0ehjr/after_learning_that_djing_is_more_than_mixing_and/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
and felt really inspired by it. I woke up this morning reflecting on my own creativity and why I block and quit so many things that I try.
DJ'ing is one of them. I was obsessed for a year or two. Learned everything I could, digging music, experimenting with mixing different types of music, doing a few small gigs, and then quite suddenly, completely stopped. Part of it is adhd (if you know, you know), but a big part of it is also being way too nervous and socially awkward for me to enjoy playing in front of people. And just like the guy in the post, I don't want to adjust to other people. I want to be completely authentic and spontaneous in what I do. I like dj'ing for the creative process and the fun stimulation, but as soon as I feel I have to "adjust" to others, I lose motivation.
So, I just figured: dj'ing might not be for me, so I just kind of stopped...
Due to this and a few other factors, I have barely touched my decks this past year and also haven't been contributing to this community anymore.
And then I saw this post in my timeline, and it gave me new insights about the purpose of dj'ing for me personally, and I think for a lot of people this resonates. It's expressing yourself creatively and enjoying what you do, which is the whole process of discovering music, mixing it, and experimenting, which results in a certain feeling/atmosphere. Most people active on this Reddit will not be successful or be successful for a long time/being able to make a career out of it..., but that doesn't mean it's not valuable
Which is OKAY. You don't have to be successful to keep doing it. Do it just for the sake of doing it and enjoying it. No reason to stop doing it if you genuinely enjoy it. That in itself is enough and valuable.
So, shout out to all the bedroom dj's and thanks to the commenters who have shared their own stories about being a bedroom DJ. This is mine!