Don't Be an Artist!

What I hate most about being an Artist is working for other people. My Grandfather gifted me sage advice from a young age,

You need an occupation to support your vocation.

He’s not wrong and in my experiences struggling to survive in New York City, I needed to have a job to survive. But here’s the thing, I actually HATE working for other people. I start to get itchy from the inside. I feel the need/call/pull for FREEDOM!

Please liberate me from:

1. People telling me what to do

2. The 9-5 grind

3. The Hospitality industry which is everything BUT hospitable

4. Spending energy building other people’s dream and not mine own

It drives me crazy from the inside out. I’ve struggled my entire life with managers, owners, or any workplace authority telling me what to do. And yet, if I don’t work this job, I can’t afford

• Rent

• Food

• Clothing

• Metrocard

• Career growth

UGH! annoyed *eyeroll

I think the real problem for me and anyone who chooses to pursue the arts is that it’s a career that demands a high level of execution. Refinement of execution takes effort and consistency for an unknown number of years before you see any return on your potential investment. It can feel like a lottery or gambling. Gambling with the idea that I “think” I’ve got what it takes. Then you take your belief in Self and measure that against…

• Biases

• Systematic racism

• Artistic preferences

• Or you just don’t have the talent

I recall a dear teacher of mine tell me…

While talent is necessary it doesn’t guarantee success. Art demands mastery and if being disciplined and consistency is not your cup of tea, better find something better do because the Artist’s Life is not an easy one. But I think that’s changing, personally speaking.

It’s important for Artists to believe in their talents because I believe they are the blessings that God/Universe/Spirit (whatever you believe) gifted to us in this life. It’s our responsibility to nurture our creative gifts and share that gift with others. My gift is singing and that has translated into being a classically trained Artist that specializes in performing opera.

I’ve been hustling part-time on my career for at least two decades. But at some point in the grind, the insecurity of wondering if all this sacrifice is worth it, doesn’t really get answered until the dream is realized, right? Right.

I like to think of pursuing art as a career is similar to long term investing accept while I’m grinding to invest in said calling/vocation I still need to go to work to earn what I need to in order to meet the basic requirements of living. Sigh…enter the full-time job to support the part-time hustle.

So…How do I get off the rat-race and start creating full-time?

I don’t have all the answers but this what I see is my next step:

Define what gifts can translate into a tangible offering people will pay for.

Ask yourself; "What do I do well? What comes easy to me? What is my price point for each offering? What am I worth?"

After a 5 min brain dump onto a black page

• Offering recitals

• Outreach programs

• Start an opera company

• Write a book

• Audition for opera contracts

• Build a YouTube community

• Teaching

• Church jobs

Performing art on stage is my passion but that doesn't define it as a business. Defining your skills helps to transform your gift into a business offering that you can sell. Once you define your goals it's easier to move into a focused season of building those same dreams. I’m finding it’s helping me be more intentional when I have to work in other careers fields to support my own. My free time becomes WAY more important when I'm clear about where I want to go and a vision for what I'm building.

I have accepted that my career of choice has variable and inconsistent income. It used to frustrate me because all I wanted was financial stability. Being an Artist, to me, means creating multiple streams of income. It kinda feels like I’m building an income portfolio. Actually, that's exactly what it is. A portfolio that defines how much I can earn from various resources to feel a consistency of income. What’s becoming clear to me now is that being an Artist requires discipline with my craft AND with my business.

The years spent grinding in other career paths has been nothing short of exhausting. Years of sacrifice is hard but it's worth it. Nothing can compare to performing on the Chicago Lyric stage last year. It was one of the most memorable days of my life. It makes all the sacrifice worth it when your dreams begin to take shape. All those years working for other people has been the very inspiration I needed to focus on my art as a business. I will break my attachment to the rat-race and succeed in a business and life that I love.

Here’s to another step of clarity on Artist’s journey!

See you next week.

Cheers 💛