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

Alright, Bob thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I’ve discussed this question with several of my artist friends lately. The happiness of being a self-employed artist is quite different than most people would think. Yes, there is freedom, there is choice, there is variety of tasks. But it’s not “easy” – it’s not a smooth path to happiness. One friend said that the arts are a discipline, much more than just a job. I think that is accurate. The amount of self-motivation, self-discipline, self-doubt/confidence, self-searching (notice the common prefix) amounts to a type of ongoing meditation about who you are and what you have to offer. And it can be frickin’ exhausting. I can get very sick of my own self, my own voice. BUT – you accept that this is your path. You CHOSE this path. So quit bitching and get back to work. For that is usually where happiness lies.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Like many people, I always enjoyed both music and visual art and found at a young age that I had skills in both. While I worked toward a degree in painting, I was always playing music and writing songs. Graduating from college, I found it was easier and quicker to make a living playing music than painting. And hey, I was young – let’s rock ‘n roll!
So in the 1980’s I started my band, The Rainmakers. I was the lead singer and songwriter. We worked hard and we were lucky. We got a record deal with a major label, had good people looking out for us, and had . . . some amount of success. We sold a respectable number of records, got great critical reviews, toured extensively, even had Stephen King quote my songs in two of his books.
But like most of the arts, so much depends on timing and luck. We never became wealthy; our fanbase was loyal but small in number. Eventually the band ran out of steam. It was a great ride, we made a little money, we had numerous reunions over the years, continued to make and market new music up until 2022, when the band retired.
While I am certainly far from a household name, my work in music let a large number of people know who I am, and that I am usually worth their time. As I have made solo music, started actively painting again, and even dabbled in writing fiction, I have an audience out there who will check out my efforts, possibly buy a painting or book, and listen to whatever new song I release.
And somehow, this has all added up to a comfortable living for me. Even more important, it has kept me engaged in the creative life. Knowing some amount of people will be there to check out my latest effort has kept me productive, creative, and focused on making progress in my art.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I think the central goal of my work is to be personal and honest. I found in my songwriting that the more specific, real and authentic I was, the more universal the experience became for whoever heard the song. There was a magic in that! And I think that is true for any expression in the arts. There is only one YOU. The more you reveal of your individuality, the more authentic the statement will be, and the honesty of that statement can be felt by the listener or viewer.

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

The most rewarding part of my life in music and art, especially since I’ve been doing this a long time now, is being granted access into people’s lives. I don’t always know about that access, but I hear about it from time to time. How one of my songs was there when they fell in love, how one of my songs helped them through heartbreak and hardship, how my music accompanied them through different chapters and changes, how I was part of their soundtrack. That is a privilege and my cosmic honor.
Likewise for paintings or fiction – to have a painting become part of a person’s home and daily environment, or how they trusted me enough to spend many hours with my writing as they read my short stories. I have deep gratitude for what my audience has given me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bobwalkenhorst.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bobwalkenhorst