I'm Sean Long.

 I’ve been playing music since secondary school. I quit my day job to take our first tour in 2006 and haven’t stopped since that day. I’ve written and produced 6 studio albums and 1 EP — including 2 top 10 records, one charting in the UK and another in Germany. Me and my band have toured the planet for over 20 years with artists such as Bring Me The Horizon, Architects, In Flames, Parkway Drive, and Bullet For My Valentine, to name a few.I’ve been on the cover of magazines, we’ve won awards, and I have two signature guitars out right now — among other stereotypical “rock star” accolades and achievements.

 All of this sounds like I’m some kind of professional. Like I’m “the real deal.” Like I’ve “made it.” And in some regard — depending on your vantage point — I guess I am the real deal, and I have made it. But not in the way we usually perceive. I’ve never had a guitar lesson.

All of this sounds like I’m some kind of professional. Like I’m “the real deal.” Like I’ve “made it.” And in some regard — depending on your vantage point — I guess I am the real deal, and I have made it. But not in the way we usually perceive. I’ve never had a guitar lesson. I don’t know an ounce of music theory. Yet somehow, it seems on paper that all my dreams — and probably a lot of yours — I’ve achieved, and I’m living them. But I know for a fact: it’s all a facade. It’s not real. It’s a perception — shaped by how we present our success to the world over time, crafting an image for others to project their own idea of success onto.

 I’m not special. Either we’re all special, or no one is. Either everything is sacred, or nothing is. Both are reasonable spiritual positions depending on your vantage point. Anyone who’s achieved what they set out to do knows the feeling: you arrive at your dream’s doorstep, and it’s a shocking wake-up call. You realize everyone you ever looked up to, idolized, worshipped, or followed — didn’t even exist.

You assigned that power to them. It wasn’t real....