We were lucky to catch up with Christine Timmons recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Christine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

As a studio trained dancer from a very young age, I always had dance be a part of my life. I went a different route for college, majored in math, intending to be a math teacher as I knew I could get a job quickly and that it would provide stability. I ended up getting a job teaching math, but also dance and over the years transitioned into dance. Building my dance program from the ground up was challenging but it has been well worth the effort as I get to share my passion with students every day. In the meantime, I also get to work on my own creative outlet which is to choreograph as well. Teaching dance in a public school setting has provided stability while doing what I love. The only thing I would have done differently was trusted that following my passion with dance and majoring in it in college could have gotten me on my path sooner, however teaching math helped me get my foot in the door.

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?

In relationship to my career as a high school dance teacher, I feel that even though that is an art in itself to be an arts educator, I have simultaneously been exploring my choreography skills as well. With the demands of the job, I have limited time to work on my creative process. However every year I try to think outside the box to create original work both for my own satisfaction and to help my students explore more than what they are exposed to. I am constantly looking for inspiration whether it be from other arts experiences, current societal circumstances or just life in general.

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

Society can do so much to support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem – the easiest being to attend events or donating to arts organizations. But I think what is lacking is both having an open mind to what engaging in the arts looks like if you have never done it before, valuing how the arts adds to the personal well-being of society and respecting creativity as a skill just as they would any other lucrative skill.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is inspiring and empowering others. With being a high school teacher, I’m able to have a consistent audience of students to share my work. Even though most do not continue a career in the arts, they can definitely leave my class appreciating the arts and engaging in experiences that they will never forget.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @gtpdanceco

Image Credits
Vito DiStefano, Christine Timmons