Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Julia Brochéy. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Julia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I developed a love for language and wordplay as a toddler; the interest grew wildly! When I was about 7-years-old, my mother, encouraging this interest, allowed me to stay home from school to watch Romeo and Juliet. It had an enormous impact and I became fascinated with Shakespeare. Throughout my life, following that experience, I wanted to become a writer. While I did pursue journalism for a brief time, I also pursued music. Eventually, I used both passions to become a songwriter/performer. I suppose, to some extent, I always knew that I wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path. Both of my parents were highly creative and cultivated artistic experiences and expression, so it seemed only natural that I fall into creative endeavors.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As someone who has endless curiosity, I continue to work in creative/performing/visual arts; I’ve been doing so for over 20 years. Initially, my work included writing/songwriting and performing. Over the years, however, I have studied classical and flamenco guitar, classical voice, piano, bass, flamenco dance, and most recently I have taken to GuitarViol. Though for ten years I owned a music studio, my current focus is on advocacy and teaching at Through Arts (a nonprofit for youth up to age 25), where I am executive director. Apart from this work, I work in gifted education, particularly in arts and STEAM education. I still perform and continue to write music. My musical interests are vast, so my songwriting has had several iterations. To date, I have written and recorded five albums and have been featured on several, ranging in genre from jazz to avant-garde to hip-hop. I am currently working on another album that promises to include as much variety as my others.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I value creativity within the arts, but I also have immense curiosity for science, math, and engineering. My work in gifted education and in STEAM education has led me to believe that all minds have capacity for great creativity. When I consider influential scientists and researchers, I can’t help but to also consider their creative prowess.

I do believe that the biggest struggle on my journey, aside from those enormous struggles that ultimately inspired growth and empathy, came from the belief that a linear thinker and I could not understand one another. There were also struggles that came from the preposterous notion that because I didn’t succeed in math as I did in literary or performing arts, I could never explore science or engineering – talk about a real tragedy!

To answer the question as it was intended: Creatives, as most people think of them, seem to have a deep connection with nature, with humanity. There is a perspective there that, I believe, is unique to the artist/performing artist. It seems all things are felt immensely and must have an outlet. Working in careers/jobs that do not allow for this expression can be challenging (creativity requires plenty of time and space). I think a non-creative might not understand this sort of depth of experience.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I enjoy the endless exploration of life. There are so many ways in which to grow, and that is exciting! These explorations have allowed me to connect deeply with others on various levels. Well beyond that, my work allows me to nurture the gifts of others; I get to see them shine! The latter is definitely the most rewarding aspect!

Contact Info:

• Website: juliabrochey.com
• Facebook: Julia Brochey Music and Art

Image Credits
Joe Taylor, Christian Larsen, Julia Brochéy