It's important to cherish the time you're a musician or involved in the arts. A lot of people hang it up after a while and get into more conventional lines of work. Well, the conventional stuff will never be as much fun as the time you're a musician. A guaranteed paycheck is nice and stable, but it ain't the same as coming offstage to the sound of a 1,000 screaming fans. That's a payday!! It's a rush and a high. And you're not gonna get a standing ovation for delivering a report on time.
Yeah, it's a tough business, and about 99% of the people in it don't last, or wind up being stars. So what? For a few brief moments in your life, you're on stage, getting applause and instant feedback, that says, "Wow, they REALLY like me.". You might never become a superstar, but at least you'll have done something not too many people have done; for a few glorious shows, you were a rock star. Maybe not a big star, but a star never the less. And you'll have the pictures to prove it.