Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amanda Molder. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Amanda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I feel very blessed to be a creative. I found my niche, refined my skills, and am now on my highest path. Not everybody is lucky enough to discover their passion in this lifetime. I believe that whatever makes you happy, whatever you dream about doing, is your true purpose. If you are born with a creative talent, you were put on Earth to share that with people. But it is not easy, especially in a world where we are broken down and forced to be productive members of society. It is a delicate balance of chasing your dreams, but making sure you are grounded. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be stable and responsible, but I definitely make my art a priority. I set clear boundaries with my other jobs so that they understand dance comes first.

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.

I am a professional dancer and travel around various cities doing shows, big events, music festivals, you name it. I have been both freelance and under entertainment companies. I taught myself how to gogo dance at 20 years old and hustled my way up in the industry. Since then I have ventured into burlesque and am currently learning to spin fire. I also teach dance classes in Tampa and Orlando, and am always looking to take on more projects. Any environment where I can get paid doing what I love and sharing my art with people is welcome.

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

People should always strive to support local artists in their community. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on concert tickets to go see an artist who has already made it big, consider going to a few local shows and tipping those performers instead. If you are in any space that has live entertainment, pay attention to them, take videos of them, ask if you can tip them, etc. Your engagement means more to us than you realize.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Being a dancer, I know that this lifestyle has an expiration date. I simply want to look back one day and know that I truly did my best and went as far as I could possibly go in this industry. I want to dance on all the stages I have ever dreamed about and perform in all the cities on my list. I am not looking to be rich, or famous, or win any awards for what I do. I just want to entertain people to the best of my ability for as long as I can. Dancing makes me happy, but at the end of the day, I do it for others. It is a form of self-expression that I want to share with as many people as possible. Any time someone is watching me, pointing me out, cheering me on, taking videos of me, etc. I am reminded of why I love what I do. I exist to make other people happy and elevate the experience of my audience.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @akmolder
• Facebook: Amanda Kay Molder

Image Credits
Jesus Barker