We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jeremy Davis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jeremy, appreciate you 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?

As an artist and creative, happiness in the pursuit of something intangible can be somewhat elusive. The intangible being success. Of course, the idea of success depends on how you define it, and that can change as you move through life.

I always wanted to work for myself when I was younger, but I didn’t have a clear idea of how that would work or what exactly I would do. I started my journey of self employment and entrepreneurship ten years ago this April. I’m proud to say that I’ve made it through all that time and I’m still here. My workflow, strategies, and day to day have ebbed and flowed. I’ve done things I didn’t think I would do, had success I didn’t think I would have, and failed in ways that have taught me valuable lessons.

When the COVID lockdown hit, I absolutely thought about giving up everything I had been chasing and just looking for something that I could count on. At that time, all of my work was gig based as a touring musician as well as other audio engineering work that I would do in live settings. I really couldn’t see the way forward, and wasn’t sure how I would continue to make a future. Of course, I think we all felt a bit like that, especially at at that time.

Through that time I learned to pivot, as I had done in the past. I refocused my energy on some remote audio engineering work that I had been wanting to do, but hadn’t had any success with up to that point. Fast forward to now, where I have been able to build a steady income with that remote work, and a client base that didn’t exist prior to lockdown. This work also pairs well with my work as a singer songwriter, so as a business strategy, it really works.

After graduating college, years before I began my entrepreneurial and creative journey, I worked for a large corporation. I remember feeling the dread every day as I went to work. All I wanted was to work for myself, feel like I was in control of my own future, be paid fairly for the time and energy I was putting in, and use my creative skillset.

After a decade in the creative and entrepreneurial space, I can say that I’m much happier now, with a caveat. The freelance and creative economy can be brutal. It can be really busy, and really slow. Do I always get paid fairly for my time? No. Do I put in my hours that I don’t get paid for as a business owner? Yes. Do I always have to learn new skills, find a new path forward, and constantly be on the hunt for new business and ways to grow? Yes!

Ultimately, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Even with whatever struggles that may present in the creative workspace, especially as an entrepreneur, I know that I feel much more fulfilled and present in my life today.

I think finding happiness as a creative is about how you define your goals, dreams, and expectations. Making sure that you update what these definitions mean for you over time is maybe the most important thing you can do for yourself. I was forced to do that a few years ago, and it was a wake up call that I didn’t know I needed.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Jeremy Davis. I’m a singer songwriter and audio engineer living in Charlotte NC. I went to school at the University of South Carolina and got a degree in Media Arts. I studied audio engineering at school and was mostly interested in it from the music production standpoint, mainly because I wanted to be able to make my own records. After graduating, I worked as an assistant engineer in a recording studio in the Atlanta area before moving to Charlotte.

Once there, I began my journey as a singer songwriter and freelance engineer. Becoming involved in the music scene here, recording with other musicians who I met along the way, and making my own records. A few years into that, I went to work for myself full time, began touring, and finding ways to make income that would support my music.

Eventually, I found my way into audio engineering in the podcasting space. I make records when I have the chance, but my day to day is podcast editing (video and audio), mixing, and mastering. I’ve been able to build a growing client base in the podcast space, and as a podcast fan, I really enjoy the work.

I offer podcast editing and post production to my clients and well as live production (if they are local). I’m working on original content in podcasting that will include more sound design and original music as this is the kind of work I’d like to be doing more of.

I’d say following my passion as a songwriter and musician has absolutely created lots of opportunities for me in this other area of my life as an audio engineer. The skillsets fold neatly into each other and have lots of cross over.

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

I’d say the most rewarding part of being an artist and creative is the joy of creating. As a singer songwriter, there is no better feeling than writing an song and being able to record and perform it. No matter how many people hear it, it’s a feeling like no other.

Whether in the audio engineering or singer songwriter space, the most rewarding part of my life is simply getting to make things. The feeling that I’m creating something that didn’t exist before is definitely something that keeps me going. It always feels like magic.

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

You hear it all the time. The phrase “support the arts!” But what does that mean? What are the action steps?

I think society is too big of a word. Supporting artists and creatives is more of a community action than anything else in my opinion. As a musician who travels, you go to places where you see huge support of the arts, and you also go to places where no one cares at all. You see places that have lots of money but no one pays attention, and places where the budget is sparse, but the passion is overwhelming.

I think there are a few things that communities can do to support the arts. It’s really pretty simple. Get involved in your community. Find the art spaces that are near you and go there. That might be an art gallery, or a music venue, or a local film festival. You will meet people. You will find chances to connect. And the next time you want to find some art to hang on the wall, you will have met a local artist. Now, you can hire them to make you something. The next time you want to have party at your house, you will have met a local musician you can hire for some entertainment. And so on.

Contact Info:

• Website: elonzowesley.com
• Instagram: @elonzowesley
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyldavis81
• Other: https://jeremydavispodcast.myportfolio.com/

Image Credits
The first photo uploaded for the main image was taken by @annacaterinaphoto. She is on Facebook and Instagram. The others were taken by me.