Some artists aspire to a creative career with ambitions towards achieving a level of affluence that will afford them a luxury lifestyle of ease and creature comforts, as they embark on their creative journeys. Unfortunately, the road chosen can sometimes lead to the development of a self-serving creativity based in ego that centers on the fulfillment of superficial appetites and the dead-heading of talents and creative calling. Renaissance artist, rock musician, producer and

An artist’s awareness of their strengths and shortcomings is critical to the creative process. It is an indicator of the maturity and emotional IQ that are intrinsic to the art of storytelling and their ability to effectively communicate the unique and shared aspects of the human experience through the window of craft—as paralleled in the popular quote by essayist, poet and philosopher, Henry David Thoreau: “Maturity is when all your mirrors turn into windows.” Rap icon, arti

Faith plays an important part in the development of the creative career—empowering artists with the confidence and ability to take the necessary action steps and risks to realize their craft and potential. In addition, practicality and common sense are also instrumental in strengthening and sustaining an artist’s career arc in their ability to successfully recognize and evaluate the need for change and avoid the hands-free decision-making that often results in unnecessary pit

Every artist is a working artist—whether full-time or part-time. Regardless of the level of professional engagement, focus, optimism and drive are key components in artists successfully navigating the valleys and challenges of the creative career. For artists holding a day-job, as a means to supplement income, maintaining and cultivating focus and drive amidst the obligations of a secondary employer can prove difficult—particularly when it carries the additional distraction o

Gratitude is universally lauded as an essential attribute in successfully weathering the unanticipated storms of the creative career—providing context towards experiences of loss, as well as the associated personal and professional sacrifices required along the way. Ironically, although challenges and hardships can collectively broaden awareness of the true and intangible equities of life, those same experiences can also conversely create a sense of disillusionment for those

As all things do, relationships eventually come to an end, due to varying circumstances. In the case of creative and entrepreneurial partnerships, sometimes they end amicably in agreement with all parties going their separate ways. At other times, they can end abruptly, due to professional conflict, bankruptcy or betrayal, with the impacted party sometimes only becoming aware of their fate in the final seconds of the door closing--similar to the unforgettable scene within the

The creative journey is a road that places cyclical demands on the endurance of those who travel it. For most, the ability to meet those demands requires a cognitive faith in the marriage of thought, belief and action to successfully clear personal and professional obstacles and hurdles—in addition to an uninhibited vulnerability in order to attract and reel in the unseen promises of both career and craft. When artists and creatives lose their heart in the process through har

An artist’s mantle can be a difficult undertaking—as the very pursuit of their craft requires vulnerability in the sharing of thoughts, beliefs, perspective and personal experiences that form the narrative of their work. With every creative work, an artist knowingly opens the door to criticism, whether justified or unwarranted, that can potentially derail focus and compound the weight of self-criticism and doubt. In a medium that is commercially dependent on public valuation,

When markets become unstable, the resulting domino-effect immediately prompts a reassessment of inventory and resources by businesses and consumers, informing their behavior amidst economic turmoil and uncertainty. As artists and creatives work to adapt to the economic ebb tide resulting from the global spread of coronavirus, they are also faced with reassessing the ratio of their creative and financial reserves against the realities of the marketplace in reevaluating their p

Money is important. It is crucial towards providing the firmament of a balanced life—in the form of basic universal essentials, such as: food, clothing, shelter and access to health and child care. Money and access to capital are equally important for entrepreneurs—particularly for artists and creatives—towards realizing their work and creative vision, and maintaining a balanced lifestyle free of financial limitations. At the outset of their careers, most artists and creative

The approach of each New Year presents a Polaroid capture of the personal and professional hills and valleys preceding it, along with a screenshot of the potential promise ahead in the scaling of new goals and forgotten dreams. However, the strategizing towards those goals can quickly become overshadowed by a punitive outlook towards the discipline required to realize them. In a world where creative and professional success has been equated to and associated with struggle and

The career path of artists and creatives is largely synonymous with a life of sacrifice and uncertainty—as most creative industries are largely risk-based. Personal and professional sacrifices made over time during the in-between of an artist’s development can sometimes breed a fear-of-missing-out of the securities and benefits associated with a traditional career trajectory, which can limit their potential, leaving them anchored in the same GPS radius of limited perspective

True authority is unmistakable to discerning eyes. In parallel to the subtle markers of wealth, the depth and potency of individual authority becomes evident through behavior when it is utilized to engineer progress, or used as an accessory to showcase value and importance. Likewise, for artists and creatives, levels of authority and influence range from the superficial, in the form of social media following, industry connections and affluence to the highest level towards aff

Career silence can be an intimidating prospect for artists and creatives weathering high levels of success or relative obscurity. As with the art and practice of jazz improvisation, there may be a temptation to fill bars of career silence with content for the sake of visibility or relevance among peers to maintain or gain marketplace territory in the in-between, resulting in atonal content that dilutes their artistic voice and creative vision. In an era where perpetual prese

The career path of a creative is a marathon of self-discipline and self-accountability that extends far beyond the euphoria of momentary goal-point wins—in essence, it is a marriage of talent and craft requiring a high level of resilience and consistency towards a successful outcome. Conversely, it is ironic that although this same level of resilience is lauded and celebrated within culture, it is mostly acquired through failure and adversity—which are culturally deemed as ta

It is easy for an artist to become enamored with the fruits of their career, conflating critical praise and financial comfort with creative merit and ability in a marketplace where merit is largely predicated on sales and the size of an artist’s platform. Over time, this results-driven outlook can upstage an artist’s intuitive voice, resulting in an artist’s mimicry of past creative—or in the case of artists looking to breakout from a lukewarm career of anonymity, an artist’s

The creative silence experienced during writer’s block can take place within any artistic genre or idiom outside of the literary arts and can be particularly agonizing in the wake of deadlines for deliverables due. Regardless of how many accommodations are made in time and space, the first note or sketch of a new work can remain a no-show—the frustration of which can further hamper the creative process, with an artist seemingly being trolled and antagonized by their own gift.

It eventually happens, and when it does, it can be difficult to reconcile the loss. For artists and creatives, there may be no worse feeling than being cheated, maligned, or misrepresented—and losing control of a business interest or having their personal brand injured in the process. When the occasion occurs, it can easily result in a need for reactive, retaliatory actions to demonstrate strength and power--particularly in an industry, creative or entertainment, that does no

Talent is promissory in nature—an indicator of creative and career promise and potential. When an artist initially undertakes the shepherding of their gift and answers the call to create, there can be a honeymoon phase of idealization towards its potential, followed by a maturation process of testing and development that may reroute their career ambitions. When artists and creatives encounter a reconfiguration of their original aspirations in the career choices that lie ahead

There is a popular saying currently trending within mainstream with roots in church culture: Rejection is a form of redirection. It is a difficult concept to bear in mind during the creative process, in the sharing and unfolding of artistic expression with audiences, peers or industry gatekeepers. Once an artist releases their work from a place of identity and shelter, only for it to be rejected on receipt, the experience can easily be conflated with personal rejection versus