Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jon Theis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Jon, thanks for joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
For me I started super early but I would always back out when things got real and would chase some other creative pursuit thinking the answer was outside of myself when really it was internal. So it was more developing staying power and working through my issues which in turn allowed me to truly create as my authentic self than anything else. I also got caught in success and goals and all the other things one can create in their head to get in the way of creating good art.
Jon, 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 am a musician and entrepreneur. I own a media production company and am also a singer/songwriter. I’ve been chasing both of those for most of my life in one form or another, creating images and music for pretty much as long as I can remember.
Being a singer/songwriter takes up a good majority of my time as I do around 150 or so gigs a year. I have released two albums and am about to hit the recording studio again. I am currently obsessed with the Honkytonk style of country music which is how most of my music is currently manifesting. I also host a radio show on Sandcastle Radio Thursdays at 3PM CST called “The Honkytonk Hour.”
I am probably most proud of my work as a songwriter, more for my consistency and ability to create than the actual songs themselves, though I do feel I am maturing as a writer quite nicely. My ability to show up and write a song or more a week for the past few years has been my saving graces. It’s my therapy and where I find my peace.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
This last year or so has earned me my Country Music Authenticity card. In the past 13 months my grandmother died, my dog died, my soon to be ex-wife left me, the head gasket went in my van so I bought a Chevy Traverse, which then threw a rod so the engine had to be replaced. Then a week before I went on tour this past April my furnace went out so I got to buy a new one of those.
Somehow with all these things happening I’m in the best place I’ve ever been. I’m happier than ever, have found new love, and am more grateful for what I have. I feel like I am undergoing resiliency testing with the universe to be able to handle the great things headed my way in the future.
Somehow the mental shift I experienced from psilocybin and mindfulness mediation has allowed me to weather these storms in a new way, and has opened my eyes to what can be, so the challenges of life no longer seem as daunting.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
For many creatives, including myself, the battle can wear you down and drive you insane if you let it. I wish I had discovered The War of Art and some of Steven Pressfield’s other works, which can help you break through your creative battles and develop a good work habit.
But most of all, I wish I had worked on my mental health and truly figured out myself and what was important to me at a young age. This has meant everything to me at this stage in my life and it’s something I wish I would have worked on sooner.
If you are struggling I encourage you to get help. I’ve used Better Help and services like that allow you to get in much faster to see someone and offer flexibility in choosing therapists and methods of therapy. Do it for yourself. You won’t regret it.
Contact Info:
- Website: JonTheisMusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jontheismusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jontheismusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyw9WlncIB5THr3ovS-tvDg
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5tDGhje3E4rh5LhdxYrhAP
Image Credits
Main image by Feichtinger