In It for the Long Haul
By Ry, AKA
RHATH
Well, bloody hell, it’s starting to get on a bit. We’ve been running Vibe Union for a few years now, and it’s still evolving and getting better.
Something I’ve been thinking about, though, is the measure of success and the strategies behind building something to last. Naturally, when it comes to creating a project that ‘belongs’ in an existing space, such as the music industry, you’re measuring yourself against similar projects in that space. I won’t lie; there have been many times when I’ve looked at what we’re doing, the numbers we hit (attendance, followers, etc.) and thought that we might be doing things wrong.
Luckily, these moments are short lived, especially if we have a poetry night soon.
I’ve always been someone who values consistency. Doing something over and over again, tweaking slowly but maintaining that schedule, keeps me grounded and motivated. The problem with that, though, is that it’s hard to see your progress on a daily basis or even on a project basis. Sometimes it feels like you’re not growing.
However, over the past year especially, we’ve seen some very exciting opportunities come our way, and most importantly, some truly incredible people have worked with us and just hung out. It might not always be obvious to the outside, but we’re a very small, unfunded operation. This is a passion project and, honestly, a lifestyle. I personally don’t really know what else I’d want to do besides create stuff and help others create.
I think now, after three years, we’re really starting to find our style. It’s always been there to a degree, but we’ve really locked in our ethos behind what we do now. I’m not sure I always realise this, and I will once again measure Vibe Union against other projects, people, and the industry as a whole. I really have no desire to fit into the music industry if it means we compromise on our mentality.
And when you take on a project like this, there is so much more you could be doing. There is so much you see other people doing. But there really is only so much time in the day and only so many (let’s see, counting...) single dollars in your pocket. It takes time to not only lock in your style but also your workflow. It’s taken a long time to figure out what does and doesn’t work for us. There is still so much more trial and error to do as we grow, but these things all take time.
When you do things your way, each step can feel much, much smaller.
But fuck me, it’s the arts. This is a creative passion project, and I’m really happy with where we’re at and where we’re headed. There will be moments of doubt. But I’m really excited to see our consistency and hard work slowly pay off. I think, or at least hope, that this approach we’ve taken will mean that we’re building something that stands for a long time. Maybe Vibe Union will one day employ us and help facilitate growth in the Melbourne art and music scenes on a much larger scale.
In the meantime, I’m going to sink a couple more beers with Jason, run another poetry night, and keep going because, bloody hell, this is a good time.
I appreciate anyone who has or is supporting Vibe Union simply by being around and coming to shows. We couldn’t do this without you. Here’s to making a bunch more cool shit.
-Ry
If you enjoy what we do, if you want to support us (Purely optional mind you), consider supporting us on Patreon. A few dollars goes a long way in keeping the lights on, paying for our website and helping us do more cool stuff.
Graphics by Rhath