Toyota and UPROXX have teamed up for The Next Gear, a new series that puts emerging creatives on a ride-along in the All-Electric C-HR. Joining the creatives in the driver’s seat is Grammy-nominated DJ, producer, and songwriter Illenium, ready to talk creativity, big dreams, and how to build a career that lasts. In episode 3, singer, songwriter, and producer Otis Kane took his spot in the front seat and got straight to it — how an audience grows city by city, how to keep inspiration when things keep pulling you away from, and how you know when the work is done and ready for release.
Illenium’s answers were specific enough that we wanted them written down, so we’ve put together a companion workbook to accompany the episode, full of actionable advice and creative practices for sharpening your own work.
This workbook is designed for creators in any field, though it skews toward people who are a bit further along in their career. But regardless of where you are currently, these tools are designed to help you take things to The Next Gear.
SECTION 1 – SELF-INVESTMENT
“Focus on your fans… That and your own artist direction is what is most important. Focusing on that makes everything organic. It’s not about chasing success” — Illenium
WORKSHEET 1.1 — THE MARKET MAP
| Market | What did I do there? | How it went | What else I’ve done there (support, festival, radio, etc) |
|---|---|---|---|
[No shows yet? Use the five places your streams, views, or orders actually come from. Use the same columns.]
WORKSHEET 1.2 — THE NEXT RUNG
Three rooms I aspire to be in — supports, festivals, someone else’s bill. Name them, and who I have to ask:
1. › ask:
2. › ask:
3. › ask:
[Not playing shows? Run the same lines on whatever your version of a venue is — a market, a stockist, a platform, a client tier.]
WORKSHEET 1.3 — WHAT THIS IS ACTUALLY FOR
Run this on the next thing you’re about to spend money on.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What am I’m spending on? | |
| What have I been telling myself it will earn? | |
| What is it actually for? (exposure, a market, a relationship, the tape) | |
| Where is it funded from? | |
| What would I put the difference back into? |
SECTION 2 — THE PUSH AND PULL OF TIME MANAGEMENT
“When you’re deep in work and inspired and another commitment makes you step away… how do you work through it?” — Otis
“That moment away can give you clarity…But there’s some times where you just have to put your head down for as long as the passion is there.” — Illenium
WORKSHEET 2.1 — WHAT’S ON HOLD
Put it back into motion:
The deadline question:
The deadline I’m under: Who set it: Is it real:
WORKSHEET 2.2 — WHEN IT GETS QUIET
“I know social media doing well can really push things… how do you add that in when you’re focused on your craft?” — Otis
“You have access to so many people, so talk to them directly. That’s the blessing of it. You can put yourself out there more than you ever have, and you have control over it… There’s a niceness to just filming all of your studio sessions. Put a camera in the back. Or have someone over who you collaborate with a lot, and just have coffee and put a camera on the side and talk about what you’re working on.” — Illenium
WORKSHEET 2.3 — MAKING CONTENT FROM YOUR PROCESS
| The Format | What’s already happening I can capture | How long it takes me | Could I do it every week |
|---|---|---|---|
Pick one row. When is it happening, and what do I need to capture it:
SECTION 3 — KNOWING WHEN IT’S DONE
“How do you know the difference between something that is good, and something that is so good you have to put it out?” — Otis
“I need fresh ears — I need to take four days off, and then show all of those people and listen to it myself again…There are times when we’ll all think it’s the one, and then it’s not. There are times when we get it wrong too. That’s okay.”— Illenium
WORKSHEET 3.1 — THE FOUR DAYS
My gap — how long it sits before anyone hears it: (Illenium takes four days)
What I’m allowed to do during that gap:
The ears, in order: 1. 2. 3.
What I ask them (a real question, not “thoughts?”):
What I’m listening for when I play it back myself:
The verdict. Plan your move before you need it.
| Write it | |
|---|---|
| Unanimous — the first thing I do today | |
| Split — what happens next | |
| Nobody’s moved — what happens next | |
| The exception I’m allowed, and how often |
WORKSHEET 3.2 — WHAT I’M LETTING BE ROUGH
Anything can be better technically. Decide in advance what you’re not going to keep fixing.
SECTION 4 — BUILDING A REAL TEAM
“Was there a time where you put the team together and realized none of this would be possible without it?” — Otis
“I’ve had the same team since day one, and at this point they’re like brothers and sisters — from creative director all the way to management to agent. I one thousand percent would not be here without them… Sometimes you’re just put in relationships that are life-changing. Who you surround yourself with — not just yes men — is so important.” — Illenium
WORKSHEET 4.1 — EVERYTHING I’M CARRYING
Every job you do. Tag each one O (only I can do this), S (somebody else can do this), or B (I’m bad at this).
| Tag | The Job | Hours/week it really takes | Can it wait a week? |
|---|---|---|---|
Analyze the jobs tagged “S” and “B.” This is where you need to expand your team.
“There’s a lot of artists that have gone through a new management team every year, every two years, expecting this perfect life and thinking they’re going to make all of these moves. At the end of the day, you’re in charge. No one’s going to work harder than you.” — Illenium
WORKSHEET 4.2 — THE FIRST HIRE
Take the B row with most hours from worksheet 4.1
[Can’t hire anyone? Name the one job you’re going to stop doing instead, and what happens if it just doesn’t get done.]
“Every artist benefits from having a purpose… When you take that and think about what you stand for, it frees you up just to be yourself.” — Illenium
WORKSHEET 4.3 — WHAT I STAND FOR
| Write it | |
|---|---|
| One line I’d want people to say about my work when I’m not in the room | |
| Who I’m making it for, specifically | |
| What I’d turn down, even for good money, because it contradicts that line | |
| Where that line isn’t showing up yet — bio, stage, socials, packaging | |
| The one place I’m fixing that this month | |
| Who’s one step behind me, and how will I help them this quarter? |
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