We were lucky to catch up with Joshoo/ Josh Shpak recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joshoo/, thanks for joining us 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 am very happy living as a creative, but the freelancer lifestyle (in any field) is hard! I worked in a touring band for much of my early music career, where, even though we didn’t earn much, I was on payroll. I’ve been freelance for 3 years and the stress of not knowing where or when your next paycheck is coming is certainly anxiety producing. I also live in Los Angeles, which is a very expensive city. My current gig touring with Peter Gabriel is the first time in 3 years where I’ve had the stability of income to let some of that anxiety go and I totally get why people would run to regular jobs after this feeling! As for now I’ll be sticking to freelancing because I appreciate the flexibility and my current bachelor-lifestyle can handle the uncertainties.

Joshoo/, 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?

My name is Josh Shpak, and I go by the artist name “Joshoo”. I’ve been working in the music industry since my teens in the early 2010’s as a artist/performer, touring musician, composer, songwriter, and producer. I am currently on tour as a member of prog/art-rock legend, Peter Gabriel’s band, and some of my recording/playing credits are with Daniel Caesar, d4vd, Ripe, MAGIC!, Laufey and many others.

My first love as an artist was jazz music and jazz musicians are known to be some of the most obsessive practicers/scholars…or nerds(!) in the business. I love learning, and I can say that my constant desire to push and push my creative faculties is my greatest strength. I went to the prestigious Berklee College of Music for trumpet performance and film scoring, but I am self-taught on probably 5-6 instruments, largely self-taught audio engineer and producer. I didn’t start singing till I was 25 and now I sing professionally(!) most days. I believe very strongly in the spiritual power of both music, as well as dedicating oneself to a craft, and I’m inspired and grateful to be able to do both things full-time.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

As someone who studied music/art in an institution, there were plenty of things to unlearn once I left and started working in the field. However, the one that sticks out to me the most is remembering that you, as an artist, are making things (products in a business sense) not to impress your peers in the industry, but to create emotionally-impactful pieces. One of the greatest joys folks can experience is joining in a community of likeminded and accepting individuals, and artists like myself often find our first place of belonging in these communities. But is “fitting in” the job of the artist? To be clear, I have a huge community of artists and creatives that I am extremely lucky to call my own. That being said, the longer I make art, the more I crave the childlike curiosity of having no idea of what you’re doing or who it’s for.

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

I think many people in more traditional jobs don’t get how common the “following the dream” lifestyle is for people in creative fields. What I mean by that is this: aside from a desire to make more art, the majority of people in my community never have had (or will have) a moment where they “broke through” or “made it”. I think there is a myth where, after years of odd jobs or manual labor, that one viral video catapults artists to fame and success. While this has happens occaisonlly, most artists live the same lifestyle as any other freelancer you know. They take this gig and that, move to this city for more opportunity/connections…. The thing to notice is that at some point, these folks put their creative priorities first. A willingness to make very little money, have unstable hours and excitement for change are huge advantages.

If you have a dream of working in a creative field or as an artist, the biggest piece of advice I have is this: don’t wait till your earning your entire income from it to take it seriously. Very seldom do careers fall into folks’ laps, especially in the arts. Throw yourself in – if you really really want to – and enjoy the ride.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @its_joshoo
• Twitter: @its_joshoo
• TikTok: @its_joshoo

Image Credits
Tony Levin, Slawomir Duda, Michael Wooten