We recently connected with Jeff Walker and have shared our conversation below.

Jeff, appreciate you joining us 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?

I had been doing Rhymecology part time while I worked for a mental health agency for 15 years. It just never felt like the time was right to make the move to full time Rhymecology. I used the job as a crutch to avoid jumping in with two feet to my creative work.

During the pandemic, it was becoming less and less personal working at the mental health agency. At the same time, I began to do some rhyme writing and self improvement workshops from home. I literally when down my instagram and DMed every person that followed me and told them I was going to do a free workshop, then a $10 workshop and I was able to get all of those participants to then pay for a 4 week workshop with me at full price. I set a goal to make $1000 from my first workshop and I made $1050.

I started using some of my connections that I had made in Hip Hop over the last 10 or 15 years. Getting testimonies from anyone and everyone who would give them. Soon I had testimonies from celebs and clients and was able to let others know that this Rhymecology thing really works.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I created Rhymecology which helps people express, discover and (re) create their stories through Hip Hop lyricism. I currently run the mental health branch of Pendulum Ink, the premier online Hip Hop school for lyricism. Coming to a Rhymecology session is like getting a Hip Hop History & Therapy session in one.

I had plenty of chances to but I never gave up. While others left Hip Hop as a passing phase or an unattainable dream, I kept chipping away. Kept hitting open mics, doing talent competitions (all by myself with no support from friends or family). Kept writing everyday. Kept meeting people, stayed passionate and positive. I studied this art form for 25 years and slowly began to teach others to do it. First it was small Meetup groups, small classes at music conferences and it has expanded since then.

In this day and age, you have to give something away free first, to prove you are the real deal. Then don’t be afraid to ask for money. And after the project/session/class/experience, get feedback and footage from everyone who participated.

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

My whole story is resilience. I am a white guy from the suburbs who nobody expected to be in Hip Hop. I’ve been laughed at, told to quit, told to get real. I’ve gotten zeros at poetry slams. I’ve given my demos and early albums to friends and family who didn’t have anything encouraging to say about them.

But there was always one or two friends who could see through the haze and noticed my passion and writing. I kept talking to THEM and giving more weight to their few positive words than the slew of negative feedback I had gotten. One compliment was stronger than 10 insults.

One night at a poetry lounge, I ripped an incredible poem that blew away the crowd. The host, who was pretty famous, said “Look at Jeff, he is amazing, but what he has going against him is his age, and that he is white”. Those kind of comments hurt but instead of believing them, I took that energy and wrote, and wrote and wrote. That was over 10 years ago that I was too old and too white, and now I’m thriving more than ever.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part of being an artist in the creation. It is sitting down with a pen and pad, a paintbrush or just looking at a blank page on the screen seeing how I can fill it up. That is when the neurons are firing and my mood is just elevating with each and every word. It is difficult to get people to stop scrolling and give feedback, so I have just enjoyed the process of it more than anything. And that is why I teach that, the process more than the result.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rhymecology.com
• Instagram: @rhymecology
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/rhymecology

Image Credits
K-Mo @kmosnaps