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

Hi Alyssa, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I have successfully been making a full time living solely from my creative work for about two years now. There is no good time to make the switch to an alternative lifestyle, but if there was it would’be been 2020. Remote and freelance work was already on the rise, and the timing was crucial for me. It was obviously scary to leave what you might think the only option is, but I still always felt like I could do it. It was attainable for me, and I am so thankful that I advocated for myself and realized I could have the life I wanted and that nourished me and my community. Even though I felt ready to bet on myself, so there was still a lot of trial and error in finding what would contribute to my income each month. I anticipated it being inconsistent, but in the beginning it was REALLY inconsistent, haha. Try your best to really save that first year, and do your research on platforms for finding and presenting work. So many artists have taken the time to share extensive reviews on what works and what doesn’t – learn from them! And don’t try everything at once. I was spreading myself way too thin at the beginning – chasing every opportunity I could across four industries. It wasn’t until I chose film and built on it that I was able to invest my time and money in other pursuits.

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

I am a filmmaker and visual artist based in Minneapolis. I describe myself as an artist for artist, and love making visuals for musicians, arts organizations, events, and personal celebrations. This past year I have worked with the Science Museum of MN, Muslim American Society of MN, the Minnesota Zoo, Star, the Mall of America, and Nintendo. With the freedom I’ve experienced since transitioning to full time creative work I developed a love for illustration and printmaking, and have a small Etsy and Society6 shop. I was also commissioned by Metro Transit for two designs that will be installed on two separate bus shelters in Minneapolis. Seeing my literal stamp on a piece of the city, and especially as a person who relies on public transportation, was a very full circle moment for me.

I am now turning my focus to music videos and other creative work, and recently directed Julia Brennan in her music video for her new single Sticks and Stones.

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

Take. Us. Seriously! We provide unique talents and perspectives that are the building blocks of culture and beauty, things that AI will never be able to replicate. I think the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are all too telling of what happens when we discredit artists, and it’s more important than ever to encourage art in schools, our communities, and in our personal growth.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I struggle with BPD, anxiety, depression, and chronic illness, so fitting into a typical 9-5 was very difficult for me and took a lot of extra energy. I think people generally believe that those who choose alternative lifestyles are lazy or can’t hack it in the ‘real world,’ but I spend more time in the real world now that I’m out of an office four days a week. Skipping all the time to prepare food to bring, getting fully ready everyday, not being in control of your environment, commute time (which for me was long bus rides and longer ones in bad weather) has improved my quality of life tenfold. I am able to parcel my energy with more predictability and have more time in between high energy days to recoup. I see an attitude towards artists and creatives that’s like ‘well yeah I would love to sit around and draw all day too’ and it always makes me laugh because they can do that! You have the option to do something different, I swear there is space for you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alyssastormes.com
• Instagram: @alyssastormes
• Youtube: @alyssastormes