We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kris Black a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Kris thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
I have been working as a freelance creative(acting,directing,producing,writing and painting for almost 20 years now. It’s been amazing but does come with some dowfalls or hurdles. You don’t havae that safety net of a 9-5 job with benefits, paid holiday, etc….as a creative you have to make your own safety nets.
I don’t think there’s a go to road map on how to do this other than having the drive and passion to follow your dreams. You have to be fully committed and plan out what course is best for you and making sure it’s the right time to fully go freelance. I’m lucky that I have multiple sources to draw from if one is slower or not available to me. Meaning, if things are slow in film I can turn to my art for revenue and focus more on that(been doing this during the strikes). I also work both behind and in front of the camera so that gives me even more options to continue to be successful while being a freelance creative.
I think I could’ve sped up just making the leap and diving in. I held back worrying about being able to “make it” on my own in a very unorthadox way to most. I held back and took baby steps and was a little too cautious at times but that was my path. And it wasn’t always wine and roses, there have been lean times and moments of questioning is this the right move, can I keep this up (do I want to keep this up?). And I always tell others who are debating on this path that nothing is set in stone, you can always go back to the safety of a 9-5 but it’s near impossible to be a 9-5er and be the best creative you can be and create your best work.
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’ve been in the entertainment business for over 23 years working both in front of and behind the camera as well as being an abstract painter for the past 20 plus years. I got into the business by shovinging my way in by driving to Los Angeles with $500 in my pocket from Wisconsin and not accepting no from anybody(and I got a lot of “no’s”) and I still get them.
I’m proud of a lot of things I’ve accomplished and got to experience through the years. I’m probably most proud that I’m living my dream by being able to do my passions everyday and make money doing it…it simply doesn’t get better than that in my opinion. I was a little boy in small town Wisconsin trying to convince my friends and family to be in my movies and videos i was making. i didn’t know it at the time but I was producing film when I was 13 and 14I, but I never thought I’d actually get to do it for a living. My friends and family now get to sit at home and watch my films knowing they were a part of getting me here today.
It sounds cliche but you want something bad enough, and are willing to make the sacrifices any goal is reachable.
DESIRE – BELIEVE – EXPECT
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I think most people who’s watching from the outside into a creatvie world sometimes can’t understand it. Why? How? You need a real job, what about retirement, etc. Obvisous things we are taught and are suppose to place ahead of our actual dreams. Be an responsible adult and get a job(40hr/week for 40 years), have a family, and then retire with your 401k. The American dream.
Safety or lack there of is probably the one most can’t deal with or accept. I think if someone who wanted to be an artist but is an accountant would without question choose being an artist if they knew a paycheck was still coming every week…and in this world that’s not always the case. Things can be sporadic as a creative, jobs come and go and you’re always working/looking for the next gig, project or painting.
You got to risk it for the biscuit…in any aspect of life. Most simply don’t have all the risk and you still get the biscuit, it just might not have the flavor you were dreaming of.
People and I know there’s so many who are so talented at what they do but they just don’t want to take the big risk. Safety and certainy outweigh the dreams and I totally get that. Life is a stage but most choose not to jump on it but rather just watch the show.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I’ve always been driven by freedom and the ability to freely express myself. I feel that being a freelance creative is the only way I can have this 24/7. Being able to wake up and decide what I want to create or how can I express myself without the limits of certain daily task others may be burdened by.
I think when one feels free and is open to everything that’s in front of them without restrictions is when the greatest art is created.
Contact Info:
- Website: imdb.me/krisblack
- Instagram: theartistkrisblack
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kris-black-172b03265/
Image Credits
Main photo and one with gery t-shirt – Chris Bates Doctor pic – Ali Zare others were taken by me