SkyWalk;4106092 said:
Do we really know how hard Michael worked at his craft? How high was his motivation? was his talent so high that he actually really didn't need much practice or hard work?
There are a ton of motivational videos out there on sports stars & athletes on how hard they work to get them to the level they need to be in order to succeed and be the best
but nothing much on MJ perhaps the most successful artist ever!!!?
I just wonder what his whole process was and what his work ethic was and how much time he put into his craft? I don't think no one really knows as he probably done all this behind closed doors alone and no one not no one asked him directly about this in interviews.
I think we do know (to a degree) how hard MJ worked at his craft.
There is no doubt that he was a very talented/gifted artist but this does not mean that he did not work hard when it came to his profession so as to get the best possible results (for example in studio, live rehearsals). Also, high talent & a lot of practice are not inversely proportional, in fact these two aspects reinforce one another &, of course, this is apparent in almost every field (apart from music).
The process that takes place in a studio (songwriting, recording, etc.) can be downright frustrating & this applied (also) to MJ when he recorded his albums. For example, it is common knowledge that he used to warm up his voice for almost 2 hours right before the recording sessions & there was always hot, boiled water in the studio for that purpose. Additionally, a lot of interesting things (regarding not only the technical aspect of his first solo albums but also his characteristic way of working in the studio) have already been made public through many different ways (for example, ‘Moonwalk’, Mexico deposition, staff interviews).
Moreover, the pressure/stress reached its highest peak during his most creative era (while he was recording the album ‘Dangerous’
. Consecutive delays/reschedules happened all the time (regarding video shootings, etc.) & things almost got out of hand (for example, the recording of ‘Keep the Faith’ few weeks before the album’s completion, collapse due to chest pains in 1990).
Notice that, he wanted to sell 100 million copies with every new album he brought out, so, it is safe to say that his
motivation was pretty high, while it seemed that MJ was continually obliged to surpass himself in more than one ways.
Finally, I think that pressure in many respects (time, prestige, etc.) was an additional factor that made him deliver some of his best works, but, at the same time, this had an adverse effect on his (physical & mental) health.