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

Alexis, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I think I had always known that I would pursue a creative job. Being that I grew up in a very artistic household, I always thought it was something I was supposed to do. Even growing up as an above-average student, I always gravitated to the arts no matter what assignments or track I was on.

When I was in college and a little bit out of college, I tried to work several regular jobs; from secretarial desk work to delivering pizzas, but I was never able to stick with them longer than six months. Instead, I decided to work at several different dance studios at once. (There was even a time I worked at 5 different studios in 4 different cities at once to make ends meet.)

After working all of those jobs, I quickly came to realize that I did not want to spend my time working on things that didn’t make me happy or didn’t help me achieve my goals for having an artistic career.

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 29 year-old artist and musician, a dance instructor/choreographer, and dance studio owner. I’m constantly working on a new creative project, whether it be making flyers for one of our events, writing a new song with my UK-based band, recording, filming, or editing a video for my YouTube channel, or making art prints.

I love learning new things and meeting new people and sharing the things I have learned along my journey with others. I’m also a firm believer in building others up and helping where I can.

Despite having a full schedule with all of my projects, I’m proud to say that I am able to follow through with the things I commit to, and I do it all to the best of my ability.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Something that has always been seen as an obstacle for creatives is the thought that the arts is not a lucrative career path. Of course, I think it’s because they compare it to jobs like being a lawyer or doctor, etc. However, what they don’t realize is that there are several paths that branch off of the one general artistic path. I think that, just like every other career path, it also depends from person-to-person how they pursue their careers.

If a creative is motivated to make their careers successful, they will do what it takes to make it happen. It’s as simple as that. In addition to that, I stand true to the saying “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”. There is so much that goes into making art successful that is more than just “doing good”- we still have to market our products, network, and for others, they spend years taking courses to improve their work just like non-creative fields.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Every project that I work on, has its own set of rewards, but overall, the best thing about being able to pursue a creative career is the sense of job satisfaction. I never feel like I’m working because I enjoy everything that I do, while being able to pay for my bills.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lxs.alexis.official
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LXS.Alexis.1
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXu4k7BNpJ2pJ_T1TsLzXrQ

Image Credits
Lorna Edwards, Adrienne DeGuzman, Jade Dawber