We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Justin Watanabe a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Justin, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
Yes I am happier as a music artist. I enjoy the flexibility of being able to work on my own time mostly from home. I thoroughly enjoy the creative process and feeling ecstatic once I have completed a project. I used to work a lot of fast food and disliked it. Sometimes, I think about starting a regular career but usually I think about how much time it takes and I don’t want to spend too much time away from creating music. When I think about getting a job it’s usually during the time that I’m not getting paid from my music. Especially during Covid, things got tougher and there was a lot of job openings so it was tempting for me to get a job. I came to the conclusion that I want to keep honing my music craft and if I have to I can get a job but I want to keep working on my music while I am still young!
Justin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I got into the industry initially by taking piano classes at 8 years old. Even though, I disliked it playing piano helped me understand basic music theory. Throughout middle school I was in band, orchestra, and choir. I had my first taste of the music industry when I took an internship at GFM Modern Recording Studios. That’s where I learned about recording, audio engineering, and how beats are made.
I release a lot of music and like to entertain people with my lyrics. I believe my work ethic and personality sets me apart from others. I want my fans to know that it is okay to be different and understand that being yourself is the coolest version of you that you can be!
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
I believe that more people can be supportive of musicians. People love to criticize and hate but don’t release that positive words go a long way. Artists work hard on their artwork and people hating without giving positive criticism discourages us. In general, if you have nothing good to say don’t say it!
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect is to be able to entertain people and give them joy when things are hard. I enjoy sharing my knowledge of music with other people. Being able to give back is an amazing feeling!
Contact Info:
- Website: jnabeofficial.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealjnabe/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jnabemusician
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-watanabe-161724114/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jnabeofficial
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6r9ZgtTe7KwxMt8wFKY3Uw
Image Credits
Yves Andre Exilus