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

Dara, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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?

The journey to being able to earn a full-time living in the arts has come in fits and starts. There were so many times when I got close but never earned enough to quit the day job. A big disappointment was a signed deal with a small studio to develop a new TV series and at the last minute, one of the main producers pulled out of the project and as a result I went from earning a solid five-figure check to nothing at all. Soon after this disappointment, I decided that the best way put myself in a position to be a full-time creative was to take a proactive role in producing my own projects. Instead of simply waiting to be hired to write a script or develop a film or TV show, I took the plunge into the crazy world of independent film producing. As a result, I was able to experience the amazing journey of getting projects off the ground from start to finish and also the projects I made became calling cards for people to hire me to work on their projects too. Sometimes, you have to give yourself the green light and that’s what made the difference for me. I don’t think I could have sped up the process because the things I learned along the way enabled me to have the base knowledge required to excel.

Dara, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have been writing stories and creating art work since I was 4. I self-published a short story I sold to friends at school for a quarter at the age of 7 and I have not stopped creating content since then. My day-to-day operations consist of developing film and TV projects for clients who are primarily film production companies (ranging in size from small indie houses to major studios.) I write scripts and lately, I have been directing a lot of animation.

I also write and develop my own creative materials as well. I am constantly coming up with new ideas for pitches and spec scripts and working to get those out into the market. I also teach workshops and classes for aspiring creatives.

I am most proud of charting out a course for my career that is organic and true to my passions and strengths.

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

Art is the lifeblood of any society. The music we listen to, the art we admire on walls, the movies that make us laugh and cry ugly tears, what would humanity be without these things? Often times, artists seen as unserious or bohemian but it takes a great deal of focus and discipline in addition to creativity to succeed.

I would love to see a universal income program launched to support artists. For example, if a small pilot program selected 1,000 artists and gave them a living wage annual income and the freedom to create any kind of art they wanted to, I feel the results would be amazing and profound.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Toni Morrison wrote a book titled, “Song of Solomon” which I read in high school and over and over again throughout my adult years. This is part of the reason why I named my son Solomon.

Morrison’s literature was layered and deep and her use of words was unmatched. But independent of her talent, the woman herself was someone I admired because she carved out her own lane at a time when the publishing industry doubted that readers would care enough to connect to the stories she cared about. Of course she proved them all wrong and went on to win a Nobel Prize.

I also had a memorable encounter with her when I first moved to New York City and went to a book signing of hers in Central Park. I almost got lost a few times, the park was so much bigger than I ever could have imagined, but I was determined to not give up. I stood in the very long line with my copy of “Love.” As she signed it, I told her I was a writer too. She looked at me for a second and then signed the next person’s book. The reason why I treasure that moment was because I interrupted that as her way of saying, “Time will reveal if you really are a writer” without her saying a word. It was all in her eyes!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://darawrites.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dara-frazier-3868709

Image Credits

Steve Ragland (headshot photographer)