As musicians and as person it’s important to know your purpose. Purpose is about your meaning, knowing what motivates you, why you want what you want. Purpose gives you a direction for your career, it helps you to stand out.
On the other side the music business is an ever changing business. Look at the last 150 years and how technical developments have pushed creative developments in the music industry to come from operas with 400 visitors to arena shows with 40.000 visitors. Look at the development in instruments, from acoustic guitar to electronic loops. Look at the ever changing musical hypes. In the last couple of years it was folk again, with Mumfort and Sons, Fleetfoxes and many more bands that blend folk with pop music. Look at the development from LP through CD and USB stick to streaming services.
How can you have a purpose on one side, and be flexible on the other side?
I think that having a purposes makes it even easier for you to be flexible. Purpose is about the WHY. If you know the WHY, you can express is in various forms. Purpose gives you the solid basis you need to be flexible, like the roots give a solid basis to a willow tree. The wind will bend the branches but can’t dislocate or break the tree.
If you know the WHY, you can adjust the WHAT to the circumstances and become even more flexible without losing your authenticity.