The Artist’s Journey - All Are Welcome

Receiving this email means, you've heard me perform or YOU have inspired ME. You appreciate creativity and the performing Arts in some shape or form. I see you as someone who desires to support Artists of color and expand your cultural tastes. Whichever way our paths crossed, I wish to thank you for being…

• An encouraging human being

• A listening ear in hard times

• An admirer of the Performing Arts

• An Artist who inspires other Artists

Without YOU, Artists would shrivel up and fade from existence. People like you, inspire Creatives to create with renewed discipline and integrity. Being an Artist takes a village and you have been apart of my becoming. You see, for too long the world says that Artists have nothing of value to offer society. NO! Artist's are valuable contributors to our world. We need Artists because Art serves a purpose!

Until now, I’ve been hesitant to share my creative path because,

“Your voice is not ready for public consumption.”

Said by countless teachers, through the years. I believed the them, too. As a growing artist, I’ve spent decades suffering from analysis paralysis. I would not share or even talk about about my performing life until I could be sure…

I’M PERFECT!!!!! 😫

Yeah, that’s not working out to well. Here’s the thing, I love being creative and I want to do what I love for a living.

I can hear the judgement already…

• “Nobody can actually does what they love for a living”

• “Very few people earn a living doing what they love”

• “Do what you love and you never have to work a day in your life!”

• “Don’t quit your day job!”

Yeah, yeah, yeah…I’ve heard this on repeat for decades.

Think back to the invention of the printing press with me. It was the 15th Century when access to books were only available to the richest of the rich. Book publishing was a long and expensive process. The cost to publish a book was equal to purchasing a home today. The printing press distributed information far faster than writing a book by hand. In turn, it completely revolutionized the way people accessed information. The printing press gave voice to the voiceless of the previous system. Hey Martin Luther, I see you.😉 The way I see it, the invention of social media is no different. We are at the beginning of the Information Age. Anything you want to know, is at your fingertips thanks to the internet. You can communicate, learn skills, and make connections with new people from anywhere. The internet has changed what is possible for Artists too. What was impossible 15-20 years ago, has completely changed. Thanks to YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram Artists now make six-figure incomes. All you need is an iPhone in one hand and creativity in the other.

Earning a living wage doing what I love! Where do I start?!

In August 2022, I started my YouTube channel, Opera Appreciation for Black Folks. It didn't take long to see that it’s not about well edited videos. It's about building a community for like-minded people to share, grow, and inspire each other. At the same time, forging a pathway to the one-person business model; The “Solo-preneur”

I don’t have it all figured out. I’m still learning and growing. But this time, I'm not listening to old voice teachers telling me I'm not ready. I'm not waiting until I'm perfect. I'm learning and growing and plan to share the journey. It makes me SUPER uncomfortable but I’m not waiting for another moment to take action.

This newsletter is…

• An invitation

• A step forward in my creative journey

• A journey built on faith and hard work

and I’m asking you to join me on the ride by subscribing to my weekly newsletter.

What if I fail as an Artist with everyone watching?

Well…then I guess I fail. At least this time I won’t be completely alone in the journey. On my own, I suffered in silence. It was/is creative suicide. I've always been creative. We are are born with inherent creativity. It inspires our growth and helps us to understand our world. But when we get old enough to understand the world, it starts to tell us that being an Artist or creative is a BIG no-no.

The common advice is "Get a real job!" Creative pursuits are hobbies at best. Yes, an Artistic life is challenging but also worthwhile. I desire for more people to understand that cultivating creativity IS good for you. We all have gifts and a creative journey to forge. Your creativity doesn’t have to look like mine. My hope is that we inspire each other forward. Hold each other accountable. Inspire creative pursuits minus the self-loathing of "I'm not good at this.” In working all kinds jobs to support my craft, it taught me that everyone resigns to work until they’re 65 years-old. ONLY after you retire do you have permission to follow creative pursuits. F@*$ that! My life is happening NOW! I don’t want to wait until I’m 65 to finally have permission to explore my creative calling. Woof! 🐕

I want to

• Be a full-time creative

• Build a 6-figure income

• Inspire a community of new opera-goers reflective of the real world

• Inspire people to nurture their inner Artist’s

• Support my family as they age

• Release 100K+ in student loan debt

• STOP BUILDING OTHER PEOPLE’S DREAMS AND 👏🏾START👏🏾 BUILDING👏🏾 MY 👏🏾OWN

I know, I know. Ambitious. But the time is now and I'm inspired to not hold myself back any longer. This is the best time to be an Artist. We are stepping out of the the Starving Artist Dark-Ages into a new Artistic Renaissance.

Join me by subscribing to this newsletter and thank you for allowing me a few minutes of your time.

Lovingly,

Cassandra Douglas

Thriving Artist