We were lucky to catch up with Jake Fraczek recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jake, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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?

I’m not sure I know any other way. I mean, I know other ways, I’ve had jobs that weren’t creative, but I had no ambition or plans to walk that road too long. The ups and downs that come with this can be draining, and it preys on my anxiety, leaving you to look at people with stable 9-5’s with an odd jealousy. There are times I wish I did something where I could leave my work at work, clock out, and separate myself from whatever it is that consumes too much of my time. But art isn’t simply work. Passion doesn’t rest. But my spirit doesn’t feel muted, and getting to exercise your feelings and ideas is a satisfaction that’s irreplaceable.

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?

I am a writer, poet, author of the books Quicksand, and The Waiting Room. I host the Damaged Goods Podcast. I also write movie reviews. My books are dark comedy, true short stories. I used to be an independent music artist, recording and releasing projects, touring. I still love music and messing around, but the ugly industry side of things eventually poisoned my passion to keep pursuing a career. Just after I stopped, I began writing stories/books instead of songs, started podcasting, and also co-hosted the Reigning Real show on Dash Radio for a few years. At the time I started working on what would be my first book, I was touring as a roadie for Grammy-winning artists, traveling the world, which provided more stories and experiences that served as material for my books. I’ve been blessed (and at times cursed) with living a pretty wild and eventful life, seeing and doing things most only see on screen. My books are my stories, things I lived, told with my perspective. I can’t make these up, I can’t steal ‘em. Being pretty open and explicit, I wear my vulnerability on my sleeve, which either unsettles, excites, or interests readers. Fears, passions, pains, laughs, triumphs, and debaucherous adventures run rampant in my art. I’m proud of what I write and discuss on my podcast because it’s very personal. I strive to tell stories that are relatable or striking. You might feel a connection, or feel amusingly shocked. What people take away from the writing is up to them.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Business advice, LLC’s, dealing with taxes as an independent contractor, investing, licensing, and publishing. It came, but the earlier, the better.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Getting to scratch my creative itch. It helps me process and understand what I go through, what I went through, what I see in life, and more importantly, how I see it. Lots of people can write books, tell stories, play music, direct films. The way you feel it, approach it, use it and get used by it, that’s your superpower, your special weapon, standing out by telling your story, cause that’s what you have that others don’t. It it ain’t the stories you tell, it’s how you fuckin’ tell ’em. Writing my two first books, Quicksand and The Waiting Room, was an act of survival, a hundred therapy sessions, a coping mechanism. I was possessed by a visceral need to write to not go fully mad. Heartbreak, love triangles, suicide attempts, dangerous adventures, taking care of my wild-ass father while he was dying in Mexico. I buried myself in substances and lust, embraced risk and vulnerability, and whatever could push my boundaries. Being an artist is being myself, not suppressing anything, and it feels like you think it should.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/jakefraczek
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakefraczek/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/jthes
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU3lqnW4LH10iurB6GyGXzQ/videos
• Other: Books by Jake Fraczek The Waiting Room https://www.amazon.com/dp/1977253407/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HQ94JXJQW3R2YW7FNJAS Quicksand https://www.amazon.com/Quicksand-Jake-Fraczek/dp/164620168X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1YTOFZMFW60Z5&keywords=quicksand+jake+fraczek&qid=1660592908&sprefix=quicksand+jake+fraczek%2Caps%2C206&sr=8-1

Image Credits
Photos by Adam Amengual. Poster print by Brendan Donnelly. Books Quicksand and The Waiting Room available now.