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

Catherine, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. 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’ve had regular jobs. I know very well what it’s like to have a regular job. I don’t rule out the possibility that there may be additional regular jobs in my future. However, I also know that I’m just not wired to keep someone else’s hours, work someone else’s schedule, and be exploited for someone else’s profit.

I’m often envious of those who can work for someone else because of the security and respectability such jobs provide; however, in this age of eroding work/life boundaries, I suspect more folks than just “artists” or “creatives” will take the self-employment route to preserve their values and their sanity.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m is a drummer, percussionist, teacher, comedian, songwriter, and solo theatre artist who has worked undercover as a middle school drum teacher in San Diego, California for the last eight years. I like to take all those things about life that make you want to crawl under something and die…and turn them into funny songs filled with percussion instruments. I’ve also written and performed two award-winning solo plays, a two-person play, and a radio play featuring the band Calamity.

I’m currently working on taking my award-winning one-woman show about consent, “Yes, No, Maybe So,” on a college tour. I also teach private percussion lessons and freelance as a percussionist in San Diego, including occasional gigs with the San Diego Symphony.

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

Listen to them.

I’m very inspired by the work of Andrew Simonet, who wrote a book called “Making Your Life As An Artist.” He and his colleagues Ashley Minner and Michaela Pilar Brown also run a program called “Artists U” that takes cohorts of artists through the book and helps them figure out how to create sustainable lives. He based the book and program on the antipoverty work of Mauricio Miller. Miller’s approach differs from traditional antipoverty work, because it involves giving money directly to families and individuals in need rather than giving money to experts who then provide services. Simonet takes a similar approach with artists: rather than creating nonprofits to gatekeep creative funding, give resources directly to artists and get them together in community to work together and solve problems.

I’ve gone through “Making Your Life As An Artist” on Zoom with three artist friends based on the West Coast, and I’ve enjoyed having the support of the group and the structure of the book as we each develop plans, mission statements, calendars, and budgets. I’m looking forward to revisiting the material again during Simonet’s second open virtual workshop in April.

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

I’m not going to divide people into “creatives” and “non-creatives,” because everyone is creative. I won’t even use the “artist/non-artist” distinction, because I think there’s a lot of cultural baggage around who gets to call themselves an “artist.” The distinction I’ll use is “mission-driven” versus “status-driven.” Folks who identify as artists tend to get their motivation from a mission – a message they want to deliver to the world at large or a particular outcome they seek to enact in their communities. Status-driven folks tend to focus on accumulation of resources and power to ensure prosperity and security. It’s possible that someone may need to focus on status in order to survive due to systemic marginalization; however, you can find mission-driven folks in all socioeconomic classes and walks of life.

I want the status-driven folks to understand that the only way to get a mission-driven person to prioritize power and resources is to show them how acquiring it will enhance their mission. Please refrain from describing a mission-driven individual as stubborn, lazy, or impractical. Instead, strive to understand what impact they seek to have in the world, and help them figure out how to find the resources to get there.

Contact Info:

• Website: catherinegraybarnes.com
• Instagram: @catherinegraybarnes
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catherinegraybarnes/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandiegodrums/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CGrayBarnes
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@catherinegraybarnes
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@catherinegraybarnes

Image Credits
Prine Photography