We were lucky to catch up with Brayden Hade recently and have shared our conversation below.
Brayden, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?
Earning a living as a creative has been, like for a most people, an uphill battle. Prior the pandemic I was still finding my footing here in Los Angeles. I had successfully procured an agent and was acting on stage fairly consistently, however most of my earnings were from waiting tables. The pandemic stifled a lot of my momentum, as everything I was working on had shut down. As the pandemic subsided, creative opportunities arose fairly quickly. I returned to the stage immediately, but also began to direct, design, and house manage for a theatre in Hollywood. The job became a full time salaried position very quickly, and I began to make my living solely through art. Sadly the theatre closed last October, but I had vowed not to return to the life I had prior to the pandemic and stay on course for a life as a creative. It was very difficult to make that my full time commitment, but with a lot of saying “yes” to projects that scared me, I was able to finally level out my life and live full time as a creative. During this year I found work teaching acting to children, performing in immersive theater, voice over work, founded a non-profit theater company and produced our first successful production, directed an opera, freelanced as a photographer, wrote and directed a parody musical that went to Vegas, designed scenic projections for another opera, wrote and produced a pilot, and booked a role in a new musical. I think saying “yes” to an array of different projects and having the confidence to try new things has opened the doors to a creative life.
Brayden, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My creative background is varied. I began my journey as a theatre actor, acquiring my degree in Theatre Performance. Whilst in NY, I shifted gears to writing and began writing, directing, and filming my own content. I also began taking headshots and other freelance photography jobs. I ended my time in NY working in casting for Ten Thirty One Productions. This brought my to Los Angeles, where I started my time here with Ten Thirty One. Quickly stage acting opportunities arose and I returned to the stage. After the pandemic I shifted once again back to directing and took on the bulk of the directing work at the Cupcake Theatre in Hollywood. I directed productions of “Avenue Q,” “Legally Blonde,” and “Rent” as well as four cabaret events prior to the theaters shut down. I also began work as a projection designer for all the shows there, which led me to finding work in that field after the theater’s closing. After the theater’s closing I continued to develop, write, and direct a series of Hocus Pocus parodies that culminated in a Vegas residency with the Wisteria Theater. My main passion however is writing and producing my own content. I’m finally finding my way back to that after a brief hiatus. I’m currently working on a pilot called “As Seen On TV,” that I, along with my good friend Jewell Valentin, are in the process of filming it currently. So, as you can see, my creative works are varied: acting, directing, writing, producing, casting, photography, and the list goes on. The other highlight of my creative life in Los Angeles is the development of TheatreSourceLA, a new non-profit organization that both produces theatre, and works to uplift, elevate, and promote theatre as an art form in Los Angeles. We are still within our first year as a non-profit, and looking to rapidly expand our outreach. Since our formation we have produced a successful production of “Rent,” were featured at the Skirball Center with a production celebrating the legacy of Leonard Bernstein, and have put on several showcase cabarets. We have also put together a website that lists and reviews local theatre, and creates video content to highlight local creatives and theatre companies. We have a lot planned for 2024, and are ready to make some big moves. You can find out more about us at theatresourcela.com.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I am constantly pivoting in life. I think the best way to have a career in the arts is to be malleable and diversify your abilities. Everything I’ve done in the past has helped me to find new work. While I lived in NY I always was scrambling for new creative work, so I had to learn new skills quickly. I had forced myself to work full time as a photographer for a year when I could not find outside work. That lead me to learn how to film, which led me to learn how to edit, which led me to learn how to write, which led me to learn how to cast, and so on. This pile of random skills seemed like it would just collect dust as I pivoted back to my illustrious life in the world of hospitality. Upon moving to Los Angeles, this collection of skills has come in extremely handy. During the pandemic I was able to edit videos at home, both for my own creativity, and to for clients to continue making income. Photography has helped me immensely in putting together attractive marketing packages for the directing and writing projects I have put together. Writing has helped me successfully earn money in creating stage and film content. Casting has earned me money on multiple projects. Everything came together to make it a lot easier for me to land a variety of jobs and continually pivot directions. Whilst all of this may seem in a way without direction, the ability to keep momentum and keep working leads me to believe all of this will continue to build to bigger and better projects.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Having a thriving creative ecosystem has a lot to do with maintaining a culture that values the arts. It is incumbent upon as artists to be evangelists for the art forms we believe in and find new engaging ways to bring new audiences to our work and spread our message. It really is on our shoulders to show the value of art to the world around us if we want to sustain a culture that values the arts. I do see a hallowing out of a lot of art forms as they disconnect from what makes them special in hopes that pandering will bring about new audiences. It fails every time. We must all work tirelessly to create works that speak to people, affect people, and tell the stories that can connect us all.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.braydenhade.com
- Instagram: @braydenhade
- Facebook: Facebook.com/braydenvhade
- Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/braydenhade
- Twitter: @braydenhade
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/braydenhade
Image Credits
All images shot by Brayden Hade except “Last Five Years” by Leah France.