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

Hi Sam, thanks for joining 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?

Being a creative person is one of my favorite things of all time and being able to pursue it as a job is a privilege I do not take for granted. Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of grieving about what pre-pandemic life looked like. Before COVID-19 hit, I was a touring artist, was teaching workshops regularly, featuring at different events, and was working on a book. At the end of 2019, I was planning another tour for the summer of 2020. I could never have anticipated the pandemic, and I know that many creative people felt knocked off their axis when it happened. However, that experience set me up to pivot towards being a working artist in a way I hadn’t expected. Sure, when the pandemic first hit, I worried about job security and knew I would have to hustle to make freelance writing my full-time gig, but quarantine gave me the time to commit to that path. Over the last couple of years, I’ve had such a fun time freelance writing and being a content creator. However, I find that I’m burnt out and wonder what it would be like to have a “regular” job that wasn’t so dependent on artistic output. If I take a break, so does my income. There is no PTO for a freelance worker. So in that regard, I do wish I had a regular job. But the grass is always greener, right? I love the flexibility my job brings me. I love that I am my own boss for the most part and almost have full artistic control. I’m currently trying to find the best of post world by finding a full-time creative job such as writing or content creation for a company, however, I know that comes with its own setbacks. I go back and forth often. But overall, I am happier as a creative always. I don’t think I could ever not work in a creative field or position. It’s just not in my blood or skillset. So whether or not I continue the freelance direction or join a company’s creative team, that will always be the place I shine the most.

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?

Before the pandemic hit, I was a spoken-word poet and ran a poetry organization in Kansas City. Alongside that work, I toured and taught workshops, while coaching our local slam poetry team. After four years of being that organization’s executive director, I moved to Austin to pursue performance poetry more seriously. But after the pandemic hit and performances were no longer accessible, I pivoted to freelance writing, leaned into my relationship with wellness, mental health, gender, and chronic illness, and began writing more about that. I turned to social media to find community and built a beautiful little platform where I destigmatize conversations about therapy and OCD while also sharing my own journey with gender and personal style. Now, I am a freelancer and content creator full-time. I think what sets me apart from others is my unapologetic vulnerability. When it comes to writing about wellness, I am not afraid to write about how steeped in diet culture the industry is and how that has directly impacted me. I am not scared to be upfront about the messy parts of mental illness and unpack what OCD actually looks like instead of what the world believes it to be. I’m not afraid to speak up about my values and am proud to write work that is authentic to me while also being able to switch to an organization’s voice and value’s seamlessly in my freelance work. I am proud to have built a community based on storytelling and authentic community building and feel excited to work with organizations with the same fire and grit I do.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

The social media landscape has changed so much over the last few years and what everyone will tell you is that you need to make Reels and videos to succeed. While that is one way to gain a following, I truly believe that if you put work that is authentic and real to you, your community will find you. However, another part about building a social media that I think is really important is engaging with the people who you want to be in community with. Don’t be afraid to comment on someone’s photo or send them a DM to tell them you like their work! They may follow you back, which could be a connection that turns into a really cool friendship! To circle back, yes, Reels and TikTok can get you a following if you post enough content, but I am a true believer of quality over quantity, and don’t forget consistency! When I started actively trying to grow my following, I posted every single day. I’m not saying you have to do that, but it takes consistency. The truth is, I could tell you every “technical” thing about how to navigate Instagram or TikTok and give you tips for strategy all day long. There are amazing classes to take about that, but as one of my favorite social media coaches, @jera.bean, says, it’s about your secret sauce! The people want to see you – the authentic you! For me, that looks like sharing about my therapy journey and OCD diagnosis alongside my daily OOTDs and my love for pickles. It just so happens I’m a writer who also asks people to subscribe to my newsletter to get updates about my next book! TLDR; identify your goals, figure out your schedule and how you can make consistent content, picture your ideal audience, and then just be yourself!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is the learning that comes with it. While I love writing and putting stories out into the world, one of my favorite parts about being a writer is how much I get to read and be in conversations with other creatives. I love building community, hearing about other people’s experiences, and deeply understanding someone else’s perspective. I think you can access that in other professions, but artists communicate in a special and vulnerable way that makes for the best learning experiences. It’s very rewarding reading a book, learning something new, and then being able to implement that into my own creative practice. It feels very interconnected, which is what ultimately fuels my creativity.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.samslupski.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theyaresam/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samslupski/