We recently connected with Daniel Katzman and have shared our conversation below.

Daniel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Happy is very broad. I’d say in general I am happy that I decided to choose the path of an artist. I think it’s knowing that I could’ve taken an easier and more direct path but choosing the artist path that makes me happy. It’s a constant struggle as an artist trying to “make it”. There are many days where I am at my job to pay the bills, living paycheck to paycheck (which is awful) and I just hate my life so much. However, when I think about why I’m there, it helps push me further. It’s a steppingstone to get to where I am meant to be. To stay afloat right now. However, that gets clouded. I feel like I may be saying my entire life that I’m working toward something. But if I never get there, does that make it a waste? Having a regular job would make things easier for me financially for sure, but in the end, I’d be so unhappy. I’d look at who I was meant to be and wave to them in the window and never see them again. I think it’s so sad that so many people turn the route of what’s easy, what is financially stable, because of societal pressure and fear.
There is nothing greater than the feeling when you accomplish a creative endeavor. It feels like you’ve conquered the world. As an artist, we draw inspiration but everything in the end is 100% authentic to us and comes from us. And the fact that what I do is completely an individual experience in creation is awesome to me. When you release that creation and people are impacted by it or enjoy it, you truly feel invincible.

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?

Well, it all started when I was born…then some years passed by. As a very young child, my parents would always play the great music. Classic rock was the one that got me. Specifically: The Beatles. From there, I began to learn guitar…then piano, drums, vocals, and so it goes. I started on classical guitar, doing fingerstyle. As it became more of a lifestyle for me, I started to find more people who shared that. It was hard where I grew up. Nobody did the arts, nobody cared about the arts. I was kind of on my own. But when I first began a program that put me with a rock band, it unlocked completely new doors for me socially and creatively. I found my footing. I began to play many shows locally, including large music festivals. This shy introverted kid had finally begun to realize why they were so quiet all these years and felt out of place. This is where I was meant to be. On stage, sharing music with people. I also am big into filmmaking, so I also began doing the soundtrack for my films. I met my mentor, Tom Riddle, when I was around 12 and he is still an intricate part of my life today for my career and just as a friend. The hoops I’ve had to jump through are crazy in this generation of digital. All past experiences are basically moot and now it’s find your footing on social media, which I hate. Mosty because social media should be there to highlight the arts, but I feel like everyone cares about the mindless crap.
I always felt like a social media following was very fake. People will scroll by it and like it but do they actually engage? I think I’d like to let my followers know that I truly care about my art. It isn’t just a cute little pastime for me like you’ll scroll by a lot on social media. It is my life and career, and I really wish there was a distinction between that on the internet but there really isn’t.

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

Engage with us! Don’t just pass us by. We are trying to make it in the world same as everyone else. Just because it isn’t an office job or a standard nine to five doesn’t mean it is any less important or any less work. I firmly believe that artists should be paid as all essential workers are. We need art to survive. It’s how we escape, how we express. So why aren’t artists treated as such? That’s a lot to ask but the easiest thing I’d say is in this digital world simply be more mindful of your engagement. Take a minute to scroll through Spotify, YouTube, wherever! Look at the stuff being put out that isn’t getting the attention. If you see a song, you enjoy that is by a small local artist, share it! A show coming up by a band you haven’t heard of? Check it out! Show it to your friends, repost it. Look into that artist. Wow, they have one song I like! That means there must be more. I’m curious to what else they have

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I don’t think that there are any specifics that I can site. The important thing for me as an artist is just staying true to myself. But you always want to keep an open mind. Everything in the world can fuel creativity and that can easily get muddled when trying to get recognition for your work. Just being well read on your own, not having to rely on other people to tell you what certain things mean helps a lot. I never like being in the dark. If business is going to be involved in my creative ventures, I need to know what is going on rather than blindly handing it to somebody else. Go where you need to go but never lose sight of why you are there and where you need to be. Don’t let other people or money negatively shape you into something you aren’t. That’s when your art will be the most powerful. If you can get it out to other people without compromising your creativity in the process, that’s amazing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tinyurl.com/danielkatzmaninfo
• Instagram: @katzmanadamdaniel instagram.com/katzmanadamdaniel
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamdanielkatzman/
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5YlL54zzLs2b7PgLl537wA?si=eOTP3dSpTzusSKk5BSwXZQ

  https://open.spotify.com/artist/0O3DCEQFvHM4ZUheQfKiwN?si=1XaCTnSGS_-HkBz2d5iw_w

Image Credits

Black and white photo credit: Evelio Castillo

Color Photo credit: Aaron Katzman