We recently connected with Chris Fossek and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Chris thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with 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?

Of course the combination of running one’s own business that demands our full dedication to maintaining and advancing technique as well as creating new content and performing on a regular basis can be all consuming and exhausting at times, but for that reason it can be more rewarding than anything else. Inspiration and ambition do not come from a place of continuous satisfaction. I think it is important to enjoy the challenges as much as the effortless moments, I am always grateful for the many surprises this work brings into my life.

Chris, 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?

I believe that the meaning of life is to give life meaning. The “creative process” is a great way to honor and share the gift of life. When we pay close attention to our surroundings, we give meaning to our relationship with life. Creativity is rooted in paying close attention, attention to sights, sounds, fragrances, textures, flavors, thoughts and emotions. When we pay close attention to life, it reveals spectacular realities, some glorious, some hilarious, and some painful. When we focus that attention on an artistic medium, we are then able to share our discoveries with one another and celebrate life together. That is why I think society depends on the arts, and why I have found myself living and working as a musician.

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

The arts depend very heavily on the support of society and community. Without it, we as artists are done. However the arts are not always an easy sell, unlike water, food, clothing and shelter. But when you take the arts away, people go nuts!!! The Covid lockdowns revealed that immediately. It would be great for professional artists, and those who work for artistic organizations, to share the many ways they have found success in getting support from society.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think most non-creatives really enjoy the arts and are very appreciative in general. But I think they tend to overlook how difficult it is to make a living in the arts. I hear all the time about “talent” without recognizing the amount of work, dedication, and discipline it takes to maintain and advance one’s art, not to mention how to run that business. If I handed you a guitar and said: “Here’s a guitar. This instrument has been around for a very long time with a long history of amazing players. Now go out and make a living.” You might start to get an idea of how scary that reality really is.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chrisfossek.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisfossek
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrisfossek
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chrisfossek7675/featured

Image Credits
Andre Yew, Kyle London, Carlos Mascherin, Leila Drake