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

Daniel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories 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?

Being a creative person is both a blessing and a curse. As someone who has dedicated his entire life to artistic endeavors, I can say that nothing else brings me more joy than getting lost in the ethereal flow of creation and then getting to share my final results with others. The curse takes its effect in several ways, including but not limited to the torment of going through the life experiences that inspire the art (the agony of Love and its counterpart Loss, encountering adversity through Traveling, the brutal amounts of isolation that are essential for an artist to truly get in tune with him or herself, being rejected or not believed in, being patronized by people with “real” jobs and regular haircuts). Regardless of all these cons of the trade, I would still choose the stormy oceans of creativity over the stable, predictable, safe local swimming holes of normality. I am so grateful for the men and women of our society that hold the community together, the builders, the cleaners, the fixers, the cooks, the teachers, the childcarers, the organizers, the overseers, the protectors/enforcers, the leaders, and everyone else who provides their services to keep the human race connected and productive in the most pragmatic manner as can possibility be with so many of us on this earth. In my journey though, I have found that I don’t seem to fit wholeheartedly into any one of these specific categories. I have tried almost all of them and can identify with at least one part of each of them. I’ve been a construction worker, bartender/server, and a clothing retailer. However, after trial and error and deep reflecting on who I am and what my purpose is here on this planet, I have found that my place is truly in the arts. There is a certain style of leading, teaching, communicating, & healing that can only be found in music, poetry, acting, dancing, and writing, and it is my goal to express all of these and make the biggest impact I can with the unique set of skills and talents I was given to carve out my own lane with.

Daniel, 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?

Daniel Mayer is not just the name on my birth certificate, but has become the brand through which I express myself in many different ways. I’ve been playing guitar, & acting/singing in musical theatre since I was about 7 years old. I’ve been a part of bands and solo projects that have expressed just about every single variety of musical genre. I’ve been in numerous plays, commercials, magazines, and music videos. I’ve even worked behind the scenes as an audio engineer with leading professionals in the industry and for successful bands all around the United States. My favorite musical project I’ve done has been as Runaway King, a cathartically emotional expression of what I consider my “alter-ego”, a platform for me to document my real emotions and the overcoming of difficult circumstances, with honest venting and empowering conclusions (the process I found with the best results in the journey of healing and spiritual awakening). Through this journey of un-layering my physical restrictions, I finally started having spiritual experiences (totally sober ones!) that blew my mind and opened me up to a world of infinite potential that I couldn’t have even imagined. Since then, I’ve decided to start using my real name as my primary artist brand, unashamed & unapologetic of who I am and what my message is, that there is an omnipotent Creator of this universe who has unconditional love and a special purpose and plan for all of us. My music has become more geared towards gratitude and praise to the One who rules and heals and transforms us with an abundance of joy and prosperity beyond any temporary treasure of this broken world, so long as we make efforts to improve and love and serve the world we live in while we are here.

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

Society can give their support in the form of time and attention. These are truly valuable resources that are worth more than money in my opinion. Showing support can appear in the form of attending a local show, actually listening or watching to a work of art all the way through with an open mind, giving direct and honest feedback (I prefer constructive criticism over fake compliments any day), or sharing the piece of art with friends and family or on social media.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal with my art is to inspire minds, uplift spirits, heal hearts, and expand perspectives. I have been through all the experiences myself through some of the greatest creative minds that have ever existed, and it is only fair of me to pass on what I have received. I believe in the importance of working through heavy emotions, traumas, and any weighty internal baggage that can restrict a person from experiencing true freedom and joy. As part of this, it is first important to acknowledge, recognize, and address head on some of the darkness inside that we may not want to look at. However, after this process of catharsis and an understanding that we are never alone in our struggles, true liberation can be obtained. I also believe in being absolutely unapologetic about who I am and all my multi-faceted expressions of myself. There are no limits to who we can be as humans and the sooner one can stop caring what people think, the more self-empowered happiness can be embodied. After learning this wonderful fact of life, I realized that I had been destined for this mission since birth as soon as I received my name “Daniel” which is Hebrew for “God is my only Judge”, a bold statement of Truth that requires no approval from man in order to live as a fully self-realized and awakened Co-Creative being.

Contact Info:

• Website: EagleFeatherMedia.com
• Instagram: @DanielMayer_EFM