We were lucky to catch up with Katie Bowman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Katie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

It is hard to look at being happier as an artist rather than a regular day job as a yes or no question. Having creative freedom took a long time to get to for me. I also am not really free ever, I guess. I still do a ton of commission work which is great, I do love painting people’s stuff and it sometimes inspires new work, but it would be cool to have some more personal work sell in my opinion. My last day job was working at Planned Parenthood for six and half years. I am currently still doing caregiving for kids with disabilities right now on the side of my art and comedy business. It is a grind, but I also would stab myself in the eye with my paintbrush if I was working a forty hour a week job in something I hate. People constantly are like, “Oh, I could never live like the way you do, I need a job that pays to be comfortable.” That is great for them, but I have always had my mind outside the door of any day job I didn’t care about. It is soul sucking for me to go work some capitalist job and then go home and pass out from exhaustion. which I wasn’t even doing when I had that lifestyle anyway.

I was working the day job and still also running out the door to open mics or going home and painting for hours after the day job I already had. I kept wondering what I would get done in my passion work if I didn’t have this shitty day job. I have ADHD so I do better working on stuff I actually care about, it is that simple. I hated my ADHD meds and how they made me feel and I realized down the road that it wasn’t the meds that made it easier to get work done it was working on shit that meant something to me. That is also why I tend to have somewhat impactful day job work when I do pick up stuff because if it isn’t my dream job at least it is something that matters and should be given back to the world. Doing jobs like that make me feel a part of something bigger.

So, am I happy yes but I also feel like The Giver sometimes, haha. I still feel a societal pressure to prove myself as an artist/comic and that sucks. It should be a respectable job, not something scary. Maybe we should all look at these creative jobs as real respectable *day jobs* too.

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 am a visual artist that stumbled upon stand up and improv comedy and now I do both. My whole life was art before I was introduced to comedy as career. I went to art school and thought I was going to go right into grad school but one of my mentors told me they thought I wasn’t ready and denied me my rec letter. I was devastated but looking back at my portfolio right out of college, they were right.

I needed time to just experience life outside of a school setting and if I didn’t do that, I wouldn’t have gone on a date to a local comedy show and decided that maybe I was not into the date but wanted to try comedy. Comedy then became my life and I had actually taken two to three years off from taking my art career seriously and in a roundabout way found a love for painting again. I think taking breaks and asking questions is what it is all about. I still feel like I should have waited to go to college or maybe I would have found comedy sooner if I did wait, we will never know but I do wish I listened to my gut more as a younger person.

Once I found comedy, I fell so deeply in love with it. I remember trying to do stand up in a friend’s bedroom as a kid and then dreaming of being on a sketch comedy show but never knew where to go to do that. If this is you all I can say is find the nearest open mics, improv and sketch comedy classes near you and get going. The more you get on stage the better you get. The more comedy you watch the more you can learn about what to do and what not to do (Yes, I am saying you should watch other people’s sets at mics when you’re new. I still do that). I think watching other people’s sets is really inspiring and also you never know what has already been said, it is good to stay on top of that. If you’re going to ask someone for advice, chances are there is a book or forum explaining it all but definitely offer them lunch or something because people are giving you their time.

I am humble and I think that sets me apart from a lot of artists and comedians (LOL). Staying humble is always a good baseline for me and I think it makes me more relatable to my audience. I am also a firm believer in karma, so you get what you put into the universe. I want everyone to feel included and related to in the crowd when I am on stage, or I want them to feel excited about my art.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Always look up grants and programs in your line of work. Apply to government funding if you are leaving your day job, food stamps and rent assistance are there for a reason! Remember there are no rules to the ride. Follow your gut and hear all the advice but only take what serves you.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I get to make my own schedule, connect with people from all walks of life and follow my dreams.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.KatieBowman.Rocks
• Instagram: I have 2 handles, comedy handle : KatieBowmanComic, art handle: TheCurlyBush
• Twitter: KatieBowmanSays

Image Credits
Mashroom Studios.