Now this is a lovely gesture! And a necessary one, for creatives are among the people who are hit hardest by the global COVID-19 measurements. Not only are they prevented from performing and exploiting their arts, but the public is prevented from enjoying those arts as well. Nobody wins…

That’s why The Lottery Winners wrote an open letter. Initially, it was meant to be a ‘note to self’, but eventually they decided to put it out as a motivational message to all musicians, artists, writers and creatives. Main statement: remain, don’t retrain.

Just like Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) by Baz Luhrmann, it contains some wonderful, powerful and encouraging thoughts. For instance: ‘Get enough sleep. Sometimes you need a nap. Don’t feel guilty if you’re feeling exhausted. Some of the best ideas in the world happened in dreams. So dream’. Or: ‘You don’t have to work for free. Your time is valuable. You are valuable. You can’t pay your bills with exposure. Don’t undervalue your art’.

In all the supportive lyrics, there’s room for some British humour too: ‘Stop comparing yourself to your heroes. There will only ever be one Bowie, one Tarantino, one Hirst, one Hendrix, one Hitchcock, one Mercury, one Wilde, one Winehouse, one Wonder, two Gallaghers, one Joplin, one Simone, and there will only ever be one you’.

But all in all, it’s a serious note, calling for creatives to be good to themselves, put value in their art, set realistic expectations, use their precious time and, above all, don’t give up when the going gets tough. And these are tough times, as we all know, with loss of income due to the pandemic, and lacking government support for skilled creatives.

On the other hand, The Lottery Winners notice: ‘Imagine a world without songs, without films, without books, without ever feeling the hairs on your neck stand up, without ever seeing goosebumps on your arm. That’s a world without people, like you. So no matter what you do: remain, don’t retrain’.

This week, An Open Letter To Creatives is the Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. I hope this wonderful and heart-felt song will inspire and motivate creatives to continue their great, fulfilling, healing and even life-saving art. Without you, there would be no Carte Blanche Music. Thank you!

Recommended as well:
The Lottery Winners – Little Things
The Lottery Winners – That’s Not Entertainment

In the Wildcards 2020 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

Werner Schlosser

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.