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

Hi Oleg, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

It is quite a difficult task to make a living from your creativity. Very often creativity turns into routine, the desire to prove something turns into simple adherence to rules and generally accepted opinions. When emotional investments and constant search remain misunderstood and unappreciated, all that remains is the desire to do daily monotonous actions, which in any case will bring minimal financial stability. The financial component very easily takes away the desire to take risks and experience something new. Also in the major cultural sphere, the big stages are filled with established, accepted names that have been verified by the public and will bring a certain guaranteed income to the establishment.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Oleg Boyko, I am a guitarist, teacher and composer. Born and educated in Ukraine, later studied abroad. I participated in international competitions as a performer and has repeatedly received top awards. At the same time, I was creating my own music, which I mostly performed myself. Recently, many wonderful musicians have begun to pay attention to my works and perform them. I think that one’s own expression of creativity is the greatest difference and allows one to most clearly reveal one’s inner world and share one’s thoughts and ideas with other people. Of course, the greatest pleasure in this direction comes from the understanding and appreciation of other people. Particular joy comes from the performance of your works by highly professional artists and positive and sometimes enthusiastic reviews from the public. I would also like to mention teaching activities. This is a slightly different field of activity, implying a longer process, extended over time. However, the results achieved by your students years later bring no less pleasure and joy. My creative activity as a musician consists of three components: playing on stage, composing and teaching. These three areas of activity often complement each other, interact and help to feel the whole integrity of this profession.
Of course, teaching takes up most of my time, due to the stability of earnings and higher demand in this area. However, the remaining components complement and do not allow creative learning to turn into a routine.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

In my opinion, the most valuable thing in creativity is individuality and uniqueness. The ability to act without restrictions, freedom. The opportunity to share your thoughts and discover with surprise the inner worlds of others. This is all naturally possible, if not determined by the financial situation, fashion, or social requirements. If the creating personality does not depend financially on his work.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Since any activity is connected with the need to earn money for living, it seems to me that more funding for beginners or little-known creative individuals would be useful. Creation of associations, societies, holding festivals, exhibitions, etc. However, art is a sphere of rather subjective perception, and then the question of selection and evaluation of creativity becomes a question. Who, how and guided by which requirements will evaluate and select unknown works for investment.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.boyko.cn.ua/index.html
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olegboyko_official/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OlegBoykofficial/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/oleg-boyko-99a54763
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr4U2PX13uYxdRL4WMX_SRg

Image Credit:

Roman Zakrevsky