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

David, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I think the headline for this story is “Go big or go home.” It was 1996, I had been performing in schools, local venues, and some travel gigs, but always as a solo artist. I recall getting the brochure from the newly opened New Victory Theater, a renovated Broadway theater that was set to open in a few months. I had a pang of longing – I knew that I wanted to be on that stage. I saw that an acquaintance of mine was on the advisory board, so I took a risk and called him. He connected me to the person in charge of booking, who happened to be familiar with my work and asked me to join the inaugural season. The very next year I got the biggest break of my early career when the New Victory Theater commissioned me to create a Latin music/storytelling show. This became Sofrito!, a project I did with Larry Harlow, Yomo Toro, and the Latin Legends Band, which toured across the country for more than ten years.

I learned a great deal from touring with these great artists; confidence, composure, culture and deep creativity.

David, 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 live to bring beauty, wisdom, and compassion to the world, and lucky for me, I’ve been able to do that every single day of my career. I began life as a music therapist, working with a wide range of people in difficult situations; psychiatric teens, alcoholics, blind and visually impaired people, folks with severe physical disabilities, and pediatric hospice. This work was/is the “wind beneath my wings.” The courage of these people to move past their difficulties into a shared creative relationship with me has been a constant source of inspiration.

As I became a performing artist and keynote speaker, I found that those initial experiences of “up close” intimacy with folks empowered me to create safe and brave spaces for creative encounters and important meaning-making.

These days I split my time between national performance tours and speaking about creativity and culture. I aim to provide inspiration and actionable information so that individuals and teams can grow their capacities and collective potential.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Early traumas in my life set a predisposition to be insecure and doubtful about my talent and intelligence. Despite having earned a BA, MA, and Ph. D., sometimes that old habit of self-doubt creeps in. I have had to learn to recognize and release that mindset over and over again. Nowadays it is a rare visitor.

I have come to appreciate that people value things in me that I don’t recognize within myself. I’ve learned to say “YES” to the opportunities that arise, even if I don’t quite see what the other is seeing in me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There is so much! One precious thing is the balance of personal expression and social utility. I make work that challenges, pleases, and interests me and then find ways to offer this work to others to uplift, inspire, and educate. This two-sided coin is the true treasure of my professional life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.davidgonzalez.com
• Instagram: davidgonzalezstories
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087396374174
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/david-gonzalez-8158841
• Youtube: @DavidGonzalez123