Remember what you were like when you first started doing what you do?

You're raw, still taking shape, and probably not very good, but you damn sure have the desire, talent, and cojones to do it.

That's what I think about when I watch this video of Talking Heads from December of 1975: raw, still taking shape, kinda okay. Pretty rough version of "Psycho Killer," almost a year or so before it appeared on their debut record.

Nine years, several albums, and many shows later, I give you the opening tune from the Talking Heads film Stop Making Sense.

Just look at David Byrne -- entertaining, confident, creative, and full of the cojones it takes to prance around the stage by himself performing a song he's been singing for 10 years.

It's so hard to picture that success when you're at the beginning -- not getting the gigs, still refining your style, getting the word out about your talent to anyone who'll listen.

Watching these videos puts it in perspective for me. It takes time, whether you want to be a world famous artist or just well-known and maybe liked enough to live comfortably.

These days that's hard to swallow. Things happen so quickly and "stars" are made with one You Tube video, a snarky blog, or reality teevee show. But that's not the kind of fleeting notoriety you want to be known for anyway. You want distinction and respect, regardless of what you do.

Like it or not, that stuff takes years (and maybe a tiny bit of luck, right-place-right-time, and meeting a few good people along the way).

You may not become one of the most popular musicians ever, but stick with it and you'll damn sure make whatever you want to happen happen. Just look at David Byrne.

Now if I would just relax, be patient, and take my own advice.