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

Ali, 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?

I find this prompt to be pretty interesting. As someone who has earned income from many avenues including: musician, arts educator, tarot reader, etc. I have found a few different things to be true.

When I was mostly playing music for my sole source of income I had a very hard time financially. This impacted every aspect of my life including my physical and mental health. However, I had pride in this idea of only making a living doing my creative passion.

Once the pandemic hit, I was unable to play music full time and had to fall back on other means of income including the ones above along with other online miscellaneous projects/jobs.

Even when I was working “regular jobs” they still weren’t your typical 9-5 jobs. I taught elementary school art for one year after college which was as close to that as I came. It taught me that the typical work format does not work for me at all. I have spent years trying to curate work that is flexible and on my terms ever since then. While is does provide less stability, it is a much happier way to live for me over all.

In late 2021, I took a social media/marketing course. In early 2022 I took a business and finance course. Both of these dramatically changed my life. Mostly in terms of leaving behind the scarcity mindset. Not making very much money with music, on top of the physical exertion of playing shows and touring, I was in a mindset that I really had to struggle to make ends meet. My identity was wrapped up in being an artist. However, once I learned how to ask for more money, take quality over quantity, take a good hard look at my worth and skills – things started to get better. I believe 100% it was the mindset shift from scarcity to abundance.

This is an extremely privileged position to be in and I am aware and grateful for this. I know our society has systemically and intentionally not give everyone a fair shot. Another perk of having more financial stability that not, is feeling OK enough to help others financially, emotionally or physically.

Once I was able to come from a mindset of abundance, I started to realize that I still had to hustle just in a different way and with a much better attitude. I realized that music could just be the creative outlet I loved. It didn’t have to be something that drug me down in terms of low pay or long and not so great gigs. It gave me the choice to have a choice. I now only have to take the gigs I want to take and that feel of value to me. Wether it’s a well paying corporate gig or a gig at a cool venue where I pay my band out of pocket. It gave me the opportunity to fall in love with writing again and with the catharsis of playing. It allowed me to reconnect with my music community in a way that was holistic and loving and not full of comparison or jealously.

It allowed me to look at the aspects of my career as a musician: like the ass kissing, looking a certain way and needing to hang out with the “right” people in the scene. It allowed me to see how icky those things actually felt. Don’t get me wrong, I learned a lot from those things. However, the older I get the more I see what is in alignment for me and what is not. What is better for my central nervous system and what is not.

I did struggle with my identity not being a full time musician but eventually found healing around that once I saw how much healthier I was both mentally and physically being financially secure. I had so much more expansiveness in my life having my basic needs met.

All this being said, I spent the last year in a grant funded salaried position. I took it knowing that I wanted the stability during the transition of my divorce. Honestly, it was the best year I’ve had in a very long time. I had the money and flexibility and support to tour, to travel, to get my work done in a way that suited my working abilities. I get very dizzy if I am on the computer too long, I am chronically fatigued and need a nap every day, etc. I still had one of my previous social media clients which I thankfully got to kept through this time as well. Having more than one source of income was incredibly beneficial in terms of saving money and not feeling so strapped.

As of November when this position’s funding runs out, I will go back to hustling social media/marketing clients. I will more than likely step up the amount of money gigs I am playing. This is all a long winded way of saying, YES create! YES live out your passion! YES make your mark on this world with your art! Just don’t be afraid to do it in a way that isn’t like the normal path. It can look however you want/need it to. Do what you need to do to create enough space mentally and physically for you to stay in alignment with your creativity and to give it the love and tending it needs.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a cat lady. I love to bake. I love Willie Nelson. I have an BFA and MA in Art Education. I’ve been playing music professionally since 2010 when I moved to Austin from North Texas. I have release 2 LPs and 2 EPs along with several music videos and television placements. I have been touring nationally since 2012.

I am working on gathering up my new songs to record sometime next year. I am not sure what that process will look like or how it will get funded but I’m here to be the vessel to make it happen! I am really wanting to ask the songs what THEY want this time around not necessarily what I want.

I play both public and private events from solo to a full 5 peice band. You can stream/ buy my music anywhere you stream/buy music. You can hear all my music, watch all my videos and read press at aliholder.com. You can contact [email protected] for inquiries.

I have been working as a freelance social media manager/marketing manager for the last several years. I am taking on new clients as of 11/1. You can visit aliholdermarketing.com for more information or email me at [email protected] to talk about how I can help your business!

I’ve been reading Tarot professionally for almost a decade. You can contact [email protected] to book a session.

I’ve been teaching songwriting and visual art for a decade plus. You can contact me at [email protected] to book a lesson.

As a musician it really does help to have likes an follows on all these platforms if you’re so inclined:
Instagram: @aliholder
Facebook: facebook.com/aliholdermusic
Twitter: twitter.com/aliholders
TikTok: @aliholders
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/651GwyFbKSM1PRbRqFC2en?si=k26FcdPlT0S5ew3vOD7uYw

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I like to write and sing about the things that other folks feels uncomfortable talking about in public (or private for that matter). My last album was called, Uncomfortable Truths. My goal with music is to have someone feel less alone when they hear it. To feel like they are seen and understood. Shared empathy through songs.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The best way you can support artists is to go to their shows, buy their music, buy their merch, join their Patreons. Follow them on socials. Because money is not the incentive for playing music, providing any kind of funding to artists for their work makes the ecosystem sustainable. It’s an exchange of value for time. Most artists are using the money they make just to get by. Money for recording/promoting/touring usually comes second to that. Throw a busker 5 bucks, back a Kickstarter. Small ways help just as much as the big ones.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aliholder.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliholder/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aliholdermusic
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/alihlders
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/aliholdermusic
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/651GwyFbKSM1PRbRqFC2en?si=dnar9NJzQFCeWzO90SyRfw

Image Credits
Blue and white dress: Nicola Gell First Image in blue fringe: Eryn Brook