Record stores are the hippest libraries. In these tired ole days of homogenized entertainment, where so much of the art of our society is culminated, dumbed-down and mass produced, there is a shining jewel in the rise of the indy record stores. Going to a record shop for me is like a little treasure hunt no one can take you on but yourself. It's fun to look around and see the other shoppers too...totally entrenched in their own adventure, anticipating the reward of heart wrenching, soul filling, joy making music that might just be a bin or a flip away.
You can have it all, but not all at once.
Everyone's path is completely different. I could give an aspiring artist my timeline and every phone number and contact person along the way, but their experience would be carved out in a different way. It's the diligence to keep going in the face of obstacles that is your best ally. It's also important to know why you are doing this... attention, money, or because you got something to say, or at least in what order those things matter.