You Can’t Do It All Alone

August 17, 202Five

Ayo, let’s keep it real for a second.

I used to think the grind meant doing everything on my own. Like, if I didn’t handle every single detail myself, then somehow the win wouldn’t count. But the truth is, nobody gets far by themselves. Every artist, every brand, every movement you’ve ever seen had a team behind it. The idea of being “self-made” sounds good on a post, but real growth comes from learning how to work with other people.

I learned this the hard way with my clothing brand. I was the designer, the photographer, the stylist, the web guy, the packer, the shipper, the everything. And with music, I’ve felt that too. The stuff I’ve put out so far hasn’t always been my best work, and I know that if I had leaned on others, it could’ve been stronger. But that’s part of the journey. When you’re just starting out, you have to be solo. You have to learn the ropes. And mistakes? They’re not failures. They’re lessons. Every wrong turn teaches you what to do, and maybe more importantly, what not to do. That’s what sets you up for your next move.

At some point, though, you have to open up. You might have the vision, but somebody else has the skill that can take that vision further. You might write the bars, but another creative knows how to flip the sound so the world actually feels it. Energy bounces when people come together, and that’s how things grow.

So if you’re trying to level up as a creative, don’t hold yourself back thinking you gotta do everything alone. Build your circle. Learn from people who know things you don’t. Respect what they bring, and then bring your own sauce. That’s how you get to the next stage.

The goal isn’t to prove you can do it alone. The goal is to create something bigger than you. And the right team will take you places that ego and pride never could.

- O