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

Aaron, 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?

Ultimately, I’m more joyful as a creative! It definitely comes with its set of difficulties though, but in the long run, more fulfilling. I was working in a bunch of environments that honestly had nothing to do with want I wanted to do. There’s nothing wrong with working a “regular job”, it’s just that even though there was a level of security, I was miserable because I was investing in something I was not passionate about. I’m serving or working in warehouses and having no time or energy to invest in the thing I care about, so I had to make adjustments in my time. I had a conversation with my mother, and she said, “Whether you work for someone else or yourself, you have to work hard, but you can choose your hard.” That stuck with me.

Aaron, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

For those who don’t know me, My name is Aaron Dews. I’m a Hip-Hop/Artist and producer, from Nashville, Tennessee. I specialize in positive music, from the vantage point of faith but for the world to enjoy. My introduction to music, is a result of my family, specifically my father, being a producer for TV/Film in Atlanta. Being in that city as a child, propelled me into acting, dancing, modeling, and ultimately music at the end of our time there. I believe what sets me apart is my messaging and production. I love telling very human stories, but in metaphorical ways that can be left for interpretation and hopefully lead to discussion. Also, I’m a huge fan of artists/producers that have pushed boundaries sonically, such as The Neptunes, Busta Rhymes, J Dilla, and Kendrick Lamar. I identify with their desire to keep trying things creatively, and in my own way, I hope that people can see where my creativity comes from and how it points to God.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I think what I’m currently unlearning, is the idea of the “Jack of all trades”. I’m very glad I spent time learning things outside of my specific field of rapping/singing such as photography, video editing, design, and audio engineering, but it all stemmed from disappointment and a sense of pride, In life, you depend on people or put folks in a certain light, and a lot of times expectations aren’t met, so I developed this chip on my shoulder, that I don’t need anyone. In the long run, you isolate yourself from people, but collaboration is a beautiful thing! Leaning into a community has been one of the greatest things I’ve done for my creative and personal life. You can go faster by yourself, but further together.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I’ve been watching Gary Vee, for a while and I love his content. He is very blunt in his delivery of not making excuses and getting to the root of what holds us back mentally. Also, he does a good job of teaching folks to give themselves grace, specifically young people. We tend to look around and compare and he encourages us to enjoy this time to figure it out and take risks.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaron.dews/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AARONDDEWS
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AaronDews

Image Credits
Edwin Keeble Matt Warren