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

Alright, Beth thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you 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?

Being able to be a professional, full-time singer/songwriter was not something I set out to do from the beginning. It started out as a hobby, then became a hobby that I was able to make a little bit of money from. As time went by and I could see that I was consistently making enough income to cover both my living expenses and fund my music projects, I finally decided to quit working part-time jobs and devote my full attention to music. I think making smart choices about what to spend money on as an artist helped with that- I always try to put money into things that have a good chance of recouping their cost. But it took a solid eight years into making YouTube videos and music that I felt comfortable enough to go full-time.

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

I first started writing original songs when I was in high school, but it wasn’t until I was out of college that I started posting them online and gaining an audience. For the first few years it was mostly songs I wrote about personal experiences, but in 2013 I put out my first song based on a book, “Warrior,” which was inspired by the The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. It took off in a way I never expected, so I started writing more book-inspired songs. In 2014 I put out my first fan-funded album, and since then I have released two EPs and dozens of singles. I’ve been able to stay completely independent as an artist, which gives me a lot of flexibility to do things the way I want. I’ve also had the opportunity to create some incredible music videos, play at several book events by major authors, and connect with a lot of amazing people. It means a lot to me when people tell me that my music has helped them work through something, because that is what music does for me.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think we are entering into a scary and unprecedented time with how good AI is becoming. There is a lot of talk about how this will affect writers, artists, and other creatives, and my hope is that people will continue to support people. Creatives put their heart and soul into their work, and I don’t think that can artificially be recreated.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think a lot of people assume that because I am doing something I love, it means that it never feels like work. That couldn’t be further from the truth- I would guess that 75-80% of what I do is administrative and business work. It requires a lot of discipline, especially as an independent artist. But it is gratifying that the work is doing something I love.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bethcrowley.com
• Instagram: @bethjcrowley
• Facebook: www.faceook.com/bethcrowleymusic
• Twitter: @bethjcrowley
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/bethjcrowley

Image Credits
Libby Danforth, Anna Haas