Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to ENZI. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

ENZI, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I find myself often exploring what my life would be like if I wanted less.

I am currently a senior songwriting major in college and this fantasy has been particularly present this year. I go to a school where a lot of students come for things like nursing or business. I often fantasize about what it would be like if that were me. I would be in class, not worrying about what I’ll be doing after school because everyone needs a nurse or business student. In my head, there’s not nearly as much scarcity in those job markets as there is in the entertainment business. I find myself with my eyes closed, imagining a life where I go to my job, I climb the ladder like a good employee, I come home, turn on my favorite show and go to bed. Then I wake up, rinse, and repeat.

I find the lack of clear direction in becoming an artist very daunting. The burden falls 100% on me. If something doesn’t happen, it’s because I didn’t do it. That’s a lot of weight to hold for just one person. In a “normal” job, there are roadmaps to success, clear paths to follow that have been paved over and over again by people who did it before you.

However, there’s one key thing that is always lacking in these fantasies: joy.

Sure life in these daydreams may be stable, but in reality, no one knows what they’re doing. Nothing is as clear-cut as we think it is, and as the famous saying goes, the grass is always greener on the other side. What I fail to realize when I’m having these weekly crises about my career path is that I would not be happy with a “normal” life.

I find myself wanting less, wanting normal, because that’s what seems safe. While that stability may be deeply desirable, and I’m not trying to yuck anyone’s yum here, it lacks the dynamics I thrive on. I am most excited by a life that’s unpredictable, where I am pioneering and adventuring at every turn. And when something goes wrong or comes to a halt, I know it’s up to me to fix that. I don’t have to wait on anyone else to get their business sorted so I can do my job. I can run at full speed and not have to wait for anyone to catch up.

So yeah, sometimes I get scared, and sometimes I wish I had a “normal” job, but knowing that I’m doing what I love every second of my life motivates me far more than money, stability, or normality could ever do.

ENZI, 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?

Hey my name is ENZI and I’m an Alternative Pop artist from Northern Colorado. I’ve been writing and performing my own music for nearly a decade now. What started as little poems and hums in my childhood bedroom has turned into nearly 1 million streams across platforms, opening for bands like The Head and The Heart and Fitz and The Tantrums, and multiple sync placements on MTV. I’m 22 and about to graduate with a degree in songwriting. I don’t know what life looks like after this, but I know there will be plenty of songs to come.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

It’s a lot harder for us creatives to separate ourselves from “work”. While those in traditional work industries may find it obvious that self-worth is not in how good or bad their project turned out, it’s a lot harder for a creative to compartmentalize those things.

When I put out a song, I’m not just creating a product. These songs are the culmination of painful life experiences, written into journals and diaries, edited to rhythm and rhyme, and then produced so it elicits a particular emotion. That process takes forever and it’s a core part of who I am as a person.

So the next time your creative friend is really torn up about some hate comment or poor numbers, know that it’s more than just a bad grade or a mediocre project. It’s harder than you think to get up and “just make another song”

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Honestly, I think just being a woman in the music industry speaks for itself, haha.

No but really, I have been particularly observant of trends in the music industry relating to men and women and it reminds me all too well of my early years. I learned how to play the guitar because my band didn’t care to listen to my songs without one. Even though I had just written an entire song, in key, without the help of an instrument or any musical theory knowledge. I went and got certified as an audio engineer because I was told “well, you’re just the songwriter” by my producer. Too many times have I been asked if I was the groupie or the booth babe at my own shows. Boys who played a show with me thought they were throwing me a bone and doing me a favor, even though I doubled their ticket sales.

But I’m still here, and I’m not stopping. I think that’s pretty sick.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.iamenzi.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamenzi/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamENZI/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamenzi
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/iamenzi
• Other: spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/61sy3aPmHy18yg0Bjp8s8L apple music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/enzi/1403068844

Image Credits
Jordan Altergott Anthony Ring