We recently connected with John Riddlebaugh and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, John thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I have worked half a dozen regular jobs (office or retail), but prefer focusing on being a creative. Working a regular job has me appreciate the other side for several reasons.

In the past, I’ve suffered from a bizarre physical condition pertaining to working that regular job (one job gave me nasal polyps while another had given me a bumpy skin condition). I can’t say working jobs pertaining to performance art are without dealing with physical ailments, but the environment is preferable. At regular jobs, you sometimes get micromanaged by supervisors with unrealistic expectations. I’ve worked at Target for nearly six years and often had to deal with these types (the funny part was I outlasted several of these people at work).

Yes, you’re guaranteed a steady paycheck and sometimes you get benefits (including health insurance). But you have to ask yourself: is your physical and mental health worth it?

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?

I am a professional model-actor in Greater Cleveland. Currently, I model at a community college, local drawing groups, and for the occasional photographer. As an actor, I’ve worked at a haunted attraction known as Nightmare Cleveland–I wear a freakish mask and scare people. I have also been on the TV show “CrimeStoppers” and acted in several movies that can be watched on free streaming websites such as Tubi and Fawesome.

Several have compared me to Ryan Gosling, probably because we have similar mannerisms.

I’ve been doing this type of stuff for over twenty years and have focused on improving my craft during that time. Some people get into it and disappear after five years.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

You’re not going to become rich right off the bat. When you start, you have to enjoy what you do.

I’m not a movie star. I dislike being called that. A movie star is someone who carries a movie to box office success. He or she is someone people go to the movie theater to watch.

Many local cinematic productions are unpaid, and the best you can hope for are free meals and IMDB credit. Likely those productions will be screened at small film festivals and maybe a small distribution company will snap it up.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Here is a problem that my city needs to address.

Some of those major movie studios should move out here in the Midwest, where it is cheaper than LA and New York. I was talking to my filmmaker friend, Robert Banks, about the former Plain Dealer building (Downtown)–how it would be an ideal location for a movie studio. Sadly money is the issue, and Cleveland seems more interested in financing unnecessary gentrification than focusing on the city’s potential as a moviemaking hub similar to Atlanta.

I can’t say Cleveland is the best city in the Midwest, but it’s by a Great Lake and has doubled for other cities in motion pictures such as THE AVENGERS and THE DEER HUNTER. SUPERMAN was shot here a few years back.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Johnriddle79
• Facebook: John Riddlebaugh

Image Credits

Robert Banks
Bruce Checefsky
Michael Stafford