We recently connected with Kym D and have shared our conversation below.

Kym, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

It took 17 years of trial and error to get here. I knew at an early age that I wanted to make a living off my creative passions but I had no idea what that looked like and I had no idea where to start. The important thing is, I started. I’ve done everything from selling mixtapes, handmade greeting cards, apparel, vitamins, graphic design, and so much more. I could have sped up the process by actually slowing down because I was in such a rush to “get there” that I made a lot of costly mistakes.

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

I started DJ’ing as an experiment with a DJ school in my hometown of Vancouver, BC. TableTutors DJ Academy wanted to see if they could teach someone how to DJ in just 30 days and I was the guinea pig… I haven’t stopped ever since! In November 2021, I was in LA for a long vacation and ended up meeting and marrying someone within the first month of vacation! Because I moved from Canada, I didn’t have the paperwork yet to start working so I just embraced that season and started posting about the adventures my husband and I were going on. Slowly but surely, my community grew on my page @snacksandslowjams and it’s been so amazing to meet new people and get to know local businesses. Most of all, I love getting to know the people BEHIND the businesses I visit and am proud of the fact that many business owners have become my friends. For me I believe relationships come first, and the profits will follow. Speaking of relationships, I love bringing community together and once a year I host a “Snacks and Slow Jams” event where I partner with local food businesses for the “snacks” and I bring in my favorite DJs for the “slow jams”.

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

Be Kind
It goes a long way especially for artists and creatives who are mainly in the online space. We’re human, we have feelings, and demeaning comments don’t contribute anything.

Like, Comment, Share
Because “the algorithm” plays such a big role today, supporting your favorite artists and creatives with a simple like, comment, or share really does go a long way and it’s free!

Show Up
If your favorite artist or entrepreneur has an event, show up. Your presence makes a huge difference!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The people you meet throughout your journey! Some of my closest friends today are people I’ve met online and it all started with posting a picture of my ramen on IG.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @snacksandslowjams

Image Credits

Airn Media