We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Curt Barlage. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Curt below.

Curt, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

It really depends what one would consider a risk, but I’ll elaborate on the overall aspect of being successful. Whether it’s a financial risk, striving for a personal achievement with sacrifice, both or one into the other. I suppose taking a risk is essential and almost unavoidable if one pursues a passionate and consistent practice in the creative realm. I can speak mostly about being a musician and a writer, but I’m sure it goes across the board.

I could go on some anecdote about touring in a foreign country with no management and minimal funds or trying to start a record label with absolutely no knowledge (and funds) on how to make it all work, etc, but I can say that I’m personally still taking risks every time I pursue a creative endeavor to this day. Some thirty years after I first started this journey. Maybe the concept of the risk is part of the creative process. Without those bumps in the road and those moments of contemplating what you could lose or what you need to leave behind, the act of having faith might not come into fruition. That’s where I believe the beauty and magic of creativity flourish, in the act of faith. The risk couldn’t be overcome without it.

It usually starts with the passion, somewhere along the way you might have a dream of success. Maybe based upon worldly things, like riches and fame. Rarely, that’s achieved. For some it is at least in a numerical sense, but even so, does that obtain a state of actual happiness? Maybe for a while, but the history of others tells us otherwise. That’s why I feel it is essential to find the balance within the process to keep a sense of joy. Maybe it’s a leap of faith rather than the taking of a risk. Either way, you have to love what you do, expect nothing, but keep open to anything.

Curt, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

This creative endeavor all started as a passion, I suppose. Nothing I really thought about too much. Just a few inspirational events that led to a focus. It still happens to this day for me so it’s an ongoing process of demise and renewal. It started with music. I’ve been in many bands, projects, etc,. Nowadays, I primarily release works as a solo artist and take a liking to poetry as well, but always dabbling in collaborations with others that I really look up to and find inspiration with. Mostly in music and film.

Besides my music, the entity I give the most attention and care to is the record label/multi-media community I assisted into existence called Respectful Lust Records. It’s not so much a funded business than it is a conglomerate of amazing and talented creators of all types. Musical artists, visual artists, actors, directors, writers, etc, who all use a system of a bartering of skills to create and avoid as many financial pitfalls and sour business dealings as possible. I’m really proud of all the amazing people involved in that and hope to see some of those beautiful folk in CanvasRebel!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

There’s so many moments of unlearning, it’s an ongoing process and we have to be willing to accept that. But, reflecting on this topic, I’m going to say the obvious thing. It’s something that never becomes an issue of being talked about enough because it seems that most of us rarely overcome it. That is releasing the notion of ideals of expectations. Success comes in many forms, but the most relevant and tireless concept seems to be that which comes to you in the form of being present with your creative process. In that realm, one is in a state of pure motivation and energy. Money comes and money goes, attention is here and then it’s gone, just like your mortality. Beyond all that, you can always obtain that initial feeling, that drive, that made you begin this journey in the first place. It’s right there in the primal rawness of it all. The creative act itself. Our society doesn’t seem to support a great environment for the healthy expansion of the arts (although, maybe the chaos is inspiration for it), but once we’re able to let go of that desire for acceptance or the monetary treat, I feel we can open ourselves to those other concepts of success and so much more. Those that create in that state of being are immortal, no matter how their physical bodies disintegrate.

I’ve had a lot of unlearnings. As far as the artistic endeavors, mostly in big ‘break-ups’ with collaborators and creative partners. Situations in which I and/or they could have let go of some ego-based response. It’s all a work in progress. Some are very fortunate and are able to understand those things way early on. That doesn’t always turn out to be a glory story, but nonetheless, something to learn or unlearn by.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media is a big topic in these times, isn’t it? I’m going to keep this response short and sweet. It’s presence or lack thereof is not detrimental to anyone’s well being. It can be if you’re too involved and identified with it, but in that aspect, it’s not doing you any good either way. I like to play lightly in that realm. If using social media for my creative output ever lost the fun aspect these days, I would shut it all down. There’s a lot of noise out there on the invisible waves of information. A lot of scamming, phishing, armchair activists and a general sea of lies. But, it’s also a convenient platform of displaying beautiful ideas of exciting and fresh creativity. One just needs to learn how to navigate the bullshit. An art in itself.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curt_barlage/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrcurtb/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNbZdyzXpAwvNiblEp-86SQ
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@curtbarlage https://soundcloud.com/respectful-lust-records https://respectfullustrecords.bandcamp.com/

Image Credits
Ariana Valdez Cesar Saez Rick Garcia Steven Soria