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

KNSTNTYN, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?

Happy? Maybe not. Maybe a lot of happiness depends on success within something. At least most of my goals revolve around that to some point. You get involved within art because of a need, or an idea, or a delusion, but yes, at some point you do want it to pay you. At least you want some level of the sacrifice to come back to you. To know it was worth something and was valued somehow.

To be happy as an artist or a creative is to be happy as a human. Theres always wanting more, and doing things for the wrong reasons. For pressure, and an endless need to do more. The same things plague everyone, most artists just also tend to be poor on top of that hahaha. Can you not be envious of others? Can you find joy in your own little world? Is what you have enough, or do you need to have the most? Attention, praise, money, etc. You want to do well, but you dont want to need to do well. That usually spoils the art.

So happy? No, not yet. But there is a fulfillment that you can find in creation, one that comes from giving of yourself completely. To hit the absolute walls of yourself and keep going, not in a rush, but in a steady day after day marathon kind of way. You can push the edge of your focus, of your will, of your ability to learn and connect, to destroy and reassemble. In a different kind of way it is the hardest work that I have ever done, because you really have to always be awake, always be here. There is no one telling you to stop, and no one telling you, enough! I think most things can involve this sort of self mastery, and its really up to each of us to turn our lives into art. You get quite a good look at yourself when you make things.

Would I like to go to a 9-5. Steady plans, steady future, Sometimes. Not yet. I feel that would be very restful (depending on the job im sure haha).

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.

How did I get started making music?! Well, that’s a little different. I was at church years ago, I was maybe 21. Never had anything to do with singing or songwriting, had zero interest in any of it. So there I am, in church, and I couldnt stand the music. I just really disliked it. I couldn’t connect to the music and wanted to leave, and on several occasions I did leave. At the time I couldn’t place my finger on what it was that was so frustrating, but I decided I was going to make better music than that. Music that I could connect to and relate to and fit well. So I went home and bought a cheap audio interface for 50$ and watched a couple different youtube videos, and started.

So my first 12 songs were entirely christian songs, and I only ever put out the 12th song, and even then only on youtube. It wasn’t the most compelling or interesting stuff, though looking back i’m still in complete admiration of all the work and learning that I did to make that music and put out even that amateur level of creation. It’s interesting to never think much of what I am doing at the time, but whenever I look back its always with the awe and the utmost pride. It feels like a different person did it, and I know how much it took to do, even if its done badly.

After that initial release I began branching out a little more and exploring different genres. A lot of this was still done in a fun or silly way. I put out trap music with rapping, pop music, and also explored different sounds within EDM and other forms of electronic music. Pretty sure I invented a genre or two. Just lots of musical experimentation and learning. SO much learning. Different techniques, concepts, styles. Music really is an open ended thing you know.

I’ve struggled a little with the idea of branding. Do you want to be coountry? EDM? Christian? Rock? Etc.
Yes. The answer is yes. I want to make what I want to make and not be limited to a single style or genre. And ya know, maybe thats not the way the world works. But thats what I do. My upcoming releases will feature several Christian songs followed by songs about heartbreak and love. A little bit of Country sadness, a llittle bit of John Mayer love, a little bit of everything.

That’s what I do and that’s the goal. To just keep making higher and higher quality music in the style of whatever I feel like at the time. Create these little worlds and let people get a look at them.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Honestly, this isn’t on society. I think this is mainly on the artists and creatives. People can’t interact with what they don’t see or have access to. It really is up to the creatives to master the different marketing tools and make the best content they can to make the biggest splash they can. To connect with people who are out there. I think much of the frustration of creatives comes from not being good at marketing or still learning how the game works, but thats not on society, that’s on us… because somebody’s winning it, and that’s the nature of the jungle.

What can society do?
Well if you see something you like, throw down a comment and hit the like button. Especially with smaller creatives, a little thing like that does not go unnoticed and can make our day. Take the time to interact. Check out another video or song or whatever is available. Check back in a month.

ADOPT US hahaha LOVE USSS

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Not anymore no. One of the best things I did was give up on the idea of some place that I needed to be, some kind of purpose in my work, some ideal that needed to be reached.

Now I believe in making things because I can, because I want to, and letting that be enough. Of course I’m hopeful for anything and everything, but I am focused on the intention and not the outcome.

You are only in control of so much. So make the best of it and trust, watch your pennies and your dollars will watch themselves.

I also think that the creative process is much more fun and yields much better results when you are not constrained to trying to do this one thing. When it doesnt have to be perfect, when it can just be what it is, and what you feel like making. Its more alive, its more art.

Don’t put yourself in a prison.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knstntyn/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfwKCgLzcaenNVLcMnlqIlg

Image Credits
The two high quality photos of me playing music on stage were taken by Arabella Joy