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

Hi Joletta, thanks for joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I would say that my “career” as a Christian artist began in 2014. That’s when I noticed a shift from a very long season of preparation into a season of artistic creation and corresponding career pursuits. My season of preparation lasted about 30 years. From the very first piano lesson at age six, through all the church music practice I had with my local congregation during my teens, then all the years I wandered away from music, and finally through the life struggles that brought me back to music and kindled healing in my soul. All of these experiences served as invaluable preparation for the creative work I do now.

I sometimes wish my preparation journey wasn’t as long. I sometimes feel like I’m getting a late start. But then I’m reminded of all that I’ve discovered about myself, my skills, my desires for creation, and it has set me up for a more fruitful artistic career. Seasons of preparation are invaluable. It’s never wasted time. Jesus took 30 years to prepare for his ministry, so just maybe, I’m right on track!

And P.S. – The preparation never ends. We can always be learning new skills, discovering more about our creative path, and setting new career goals. At some point, we shift from less required preparation into quality creation, which is a really fun place to be. The timing of that shift will be different for everyone.

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

I am a worship leader and award-winning Christian artist.
Originally from Silver Lake, Indiana, I grew up in a small country church that afforded me opportunities to do everything a church music director would do before I was old enough to attend college. I explored choir directing, writing and producing church musicals, teaching basic musical skills to the congregation, and songwriting. I was regularly accompanying congregational singing by age 12. Later, I learned to play the guitar, organ, harmonica, and also studied classical voice techniques.
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In 2014, I turned to songwriting as a method of healing from a difficult life experience. I have since released three albums: Prays (2022), Change the Station (2017), and Short Stories (2016). I have been recognized numerous times by the Rhythm of Gospel Awards and have won “Best Performance by Female Artist” (2022, for Day by Day) and “Special Event CD of the Year” (2018, for Change the Station). My songs can be heard through all digital music platforms and through select radio stations.

I have led worship in many churches across the United States, sometimes as a staff member and sometimes for special events. In October, I will start a new worship leader position with Calvary Baptist Church in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. I also work with smaller churches as a worship consultant to help them develop their music ministries and guide them through worship planning. Additionally, I teach music lessons to those who serve musically at their respective churches.

All of this work, whether it is songwriting, leading worship, or training others to lead worship is incredibly fulfilling to my soul. This purpose is a perfect match for me, and I’m so grateful.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building a social media presence has been difficult for me. At the heart of the issue is simply the fact that if I didn’t need social media to share my creations and services, I wouldn’t be on social media at all. Additionally, I had limited knowledge of how social media worked and no budget. I have definitely struggled with this area. I am in a better place now, but I think it will be an uphill climb for awhile.

However, some things that helped me:

1. Every time I see a free webinar offered about social media, websites, SEO optimization, newsletters, or anything remotely related to these topics, I take it.

2. I regularly develop an email list and send out monthly newsletters. This often turns into purchases or activity on my social media platforms.

3. I find all the social media platforms to be overwhelming and it seems like there’s a new one all the time. So I stick with the ones that work best for me. With my artistic endeavors, I primarily focus on Facebook and YouTube. Secondarily, I focus on Instagram and Linkedin.

4. I hired my cousin, Barbara. There are so many stay-at-home moms or single moms who would love some extra work, and they have really low rates compared to the big social media promotion companies. Barbara had some previous experience with social media and design, and she proved to be a budget-friendly, educational resource for me. She taught me many things about social media and also created deadlines for me, which helped to keep me active. The growth I’ve seen on my social media platforms is largely because of her.

5. I stopped being shy. Well, sort-of. It’s hard to share on social media, and it’s hard to share from a personal place. I have found that my personal posts receive so much more engagement than my business-like posts.

I am still very much a work-in-progess with social media, but these steps have helped me tremendously.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

As a person of faith, the mission is always to share the story of God. We are able to be creators today because of how He first created us. The story of God’s forgiveness, His faithfulness, and His commitment to His people has sustained me through very difficult times. As a songwriter of Christian music, being true to this mission helps me rise above creating music that is only for commercial value. Purpose exists in every song, and sharing the story of God is always the primary goal.

Secondarily, I am a single mother, and I have a son who is always watching me. He is continually hearing the story of God through my songs (and through our conversations). He sees all the times I work hard at a creative task. He sees all the excitement from finishing a creative project. He attends many of my worship concerts. He loves to see the awards on my piano. He sees all the jobs I do to pay the bills while waiting for my artistic projects to pay the bills. All of this teaches him. He is creative in different ways – storytelling and art – but the work ethic should be the same. In all of this, I set an example for my son. The real reward would be to one day see him be faithful and responsible with his God-given creative pursuits.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jolettasells.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jolettasells/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jolettasellsmusic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolettasells/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/joletta_sells
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTh8cmZnMXcdzuXWcTeQgww
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0CTgs4IA4Jm4NHRLDraQ53?si=Y_nyXTAnTfWKzVZWD91PbQ&nd=1 Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/joletta-sells/1155375741

Image Credits
Phil Fewsmith Carla Collins Simon Boghosian