We were lucky to catch up with JP Haley recently and have shared our conversation below.

JP , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I recently got hired – and left – at my local McDonald’s. I worked there for close to a year and the amount I learned is crazy, but I absolutely hated it. I’m sure a lot of artists can relate to trying to create while working a 9-5. They had me on closing shift and management was awful – I was quickly moved to a shift manager and handed a huge chunk of the responsibilities for the store. I was working my ass off – but it wasn’t pushing me closer to my goal. I loved my coworkers and they taught me a lot about life (even inspired some characters), but working under this corporation was killing me.

I thought I needed to work this specific job, that I couldn’t quit because everyone has to work and everyone hates it – I needed to get over it.

But my dad reminded me that I have control over my life. The biggest lesson I learned from that job, even as I was leaving, was the discipline to grind. All the mentality I used there I’m using to work on my series, and even though I’ll surely get another 9-5 (life is expensive), I’m taking the risk to focus everything I have into creating this series – until I never have to work a 9-5 again.

JP , 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 JP Haley, I go by Povee Halo. Povee is a play on the word POV, and he is the main character of a series going by the same name.

I’ve always been an artist, even since a kid. I grew up in Grandview, Missouri and I started drawing at the age of 3. I fell in love with dragon ball z and 90s 2d animation, and as I grew up my passion for art and animation turned to a passion for film. I picked up my first camera in 2010.

I had always enjoyed acting and did a lot of theater in high school after I found out I wanted to be a filmmaker. On the sidelines, I had this hobby of rapping that started with my dad playing lecrae albums on repeat – I knew every word (if you know lecrae shoutout to you), and my friend Javeon had started making songs and I would tag along. Tagging along went from making a feature because I happened to be in the studio, to booking my own studio time and slowly become a “rapper”

I remember not wanting to be just a “rapper” but I loved rapping. I still had this passion for film and acting and art and animation and… the list goes on, but they’re all rooted in creativity.

I made a short film in 2020, dropped a 2 song EP in 2021, and dropped another EP in 2023 with a short film attached. From 2021-2023 I spent a lot of time making songs and dropped a collab album with my friend Tyree under the name Groovy Mob.

Now, everything’s coming together. With my EP in 2023, SELFCARE, I kicked off an idea to combine all of my passions into one project – Povee Halo the series.

Povee Halo the series is similar to anime like Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach with how it’s presented – a world for the audience to be a part of. Comics, the television/ webseries, toys, games, art prints, etc. Characters you fall in love with, music you can’t stop listening to. I want to create a series that combines film, art, and music – making its own little universe. This is everything I have in one project.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I had a big pivot recently with leaving McDonald’s. I think a common misconception that people have with artists is that most of the life is fun – that they get paid to just enjoy life, be crazy and spend money. I struggled with believing that and the “if you love your work it won’t feel like work” mentality.

I had to learn that everything in life requires hard work. I was having too much fun creating carefree, and wasn’t putting enough energy into creating something that meant something. Something that gives a result I’m proud of. Being forced to give majority of my time to McDonald’s pushed me to use the time I could to create wisely. I want to make something that I can live off of, so I needed to treat my artistic career like it’s a 9-5.

The RESULTS are fun. Don’t get me wrong, I love the process even more now, but there’s a difference between enjoying the grind and pretending it isn’t hard. I made a pivot to put my nose into my arts and learning nothing comes easy, but it makes the results that much sweeter.

If you feel like things are getting tough keep fighting, it means good things are coming.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

YouTube YouTube YouTube. I can’t even point out a specific video, but YouTube University not only has been a crazy resource to learn but it’s a great place to support fellow artists and network. I’ve learned how to mix my own music, how to create a Rollout, cinematography techniques, animation and graphic design tips, everything I could need to learn I found FOR FREE on YouTube. If you need to learn something, go to YouTube University.

Its also a great way to support and network. I’ve found people on YouTube that I can collab with in the future, and I’ve seen artists create a living on YouTube from people supporting them, again, FOR FREE! All it takes is a like and subscribe.

Speaking of, go subscribe to Povee Halo on YouTube 👀     

Contact Info:

• Website: Groovymob.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/poveehalo?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/poveehalo?s=21&t=py0uUlibcDMzMfii3RktBw
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@poveehalo

Image Credits
Poster design by boneheadgfx Production photos by Jaylen Early