As almost any entrepreneur or creative will tell you, unexpected problems are to be expected. Below, you’ll hear some incredible stories that highlight and illustrate the kinds of issues and problems entrepreneurs and creatives are dealing with everyday. It’s not easy, but the silver lining is that dealing with unexpected problems is one of the best ways to develop antifragility.

Tyler Callahan

There are numerous issues that creatives face, but I don’t see many articles about mental health as it relates to producers and engineers. Many of my heroes in this business such as Andrew Scheps, Greg Wells and Serban Ghenea are seen talking about how to make your song (or someone else’s song) realize its full potential. I haven’t seen any my heroes talk about how much a toll doing music or engineering full time takes on your mental health and self worth. Read more>> 

Katie Lebel

I think one of the most unexpected challenges i’ve noticed in my journey as an artist is constantly feeling like I have to say yes to every creative opportunity and invitation. I think artists in our society are trained to say yes out of scarcity- the unfortunate reality is that artists are not paid enough… and that can lend to this idea that we must all say yes to any opportunity that comes our way, even if it doesn’t feel aligned or we don’t feel passionate about it… But what I’m learning is that what we say no to makes room for what we say yes to. Read more>>

Chrystyan Cross

So after launching the podcast in May of this year, I’d placed myself in a mind frame of comfort. I had topics & episodes already brainstormed & in the chamber through the end of the year. I was working with an amazing producer who was seeing the vision & bringing it to fruition. I had a dope job as a travel agent & it was contributing exponentially to the brand. Then, life came at me quick. Read more>>

Keith Laue

One of the most unexpected issues that we have encountered recently was choosing a type of content that both resonated with my audience and made me feel like I was able to fully express my interests and the things I am passionate about. I grew my audience through modeling and dancing, but I didn’t feel like either of those did a good job of fully encapsulating my interests like Dungeons and Dragons and the things I care deeply about like the environment. Read more>>

Shanna Domond

When opening/growing a business their are many challenges you can face. We’ve had several hiccups, struggles and setbacks along the way. As our business grew, we encountered different problems and opportunities demand different solutions. One thing we realized in our businesses is that what worked a year ago may not be the best approach currently. When you can recognize and overcome the common pitfalls associated with growth in a business, your business will grow and thrive. Read more>>

Maria Coyne

Something I have struggled with in my creative journey is finding balance between work and rest. When you are in a creative field, there is always something you *could* be doing: taking a class, doing research, practicing your craft, making new connections, etc.. The to-do list is never complete and when there’s a lot going on, I find it hard not to feel guilty for taking time to rest. At times, it’s difficult not to attach my productivity to my self-worth. I do my best to remind myself that rest is equally as important as doing the work and that time to recover is what allows us to show up with our best self when it is time to work. Read more>>

Tyler Norris

The hardest thing I’ve had to overcome in my creative journey is learning the business side of it. I learned music at a young age and continued to pursue it throughout my years. I even went to college for music in Nashville, but I never really understood how important it is to learn how to make it a business. I knew which microphones sounded good on vocals, how to compress and eq guitars, but not how to successfully market myself. It’s the classic myth of if you build it, they will come. Read more>>

Ianaa

Some of my most unexpectedly difficult times I’ve experienced as an artist have been from life simply throwing curveballs at me. I have had to overcome any trials and obstacles that were thrown at me and could have knocked me down for good and steered me to give up completely on my dream. One of the most trying times was definitely when I got pregnant and ultimately became a single mother. Read more>>

Saint of Pine Hills

I started this solo project unexpectedly in 2019. My previous band was doing well but after rotating members multiple times, some of the them were moving away and it seemed like the band was coming to an end. I had already written more songs for the band so I didn’t want them to go to waste. After some pep talks from other musician friends, I decided to start my first solo music project after 10+ years of playing in bands. Read more>>