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

Mau, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Taking a risk like pursuing a creative career is no easy feat. In fact, I don’t think I’ve reached financial sustainability through music alone, so success has been measured by other factors for me. It’s still scary and some months are harder than others, but honestly, the way I see it is any job you pursue has a risk; even the “safe” ones. Companies change hands, evolve with technology, get affected by the economy and you never know when your job could be replaced or terminated. We take a risk when we pursue any career, I chose music because it gave me life. It helps me wake up every day feeling motivated to pursue something. To express myself in new ways and connect with others more and more and more. I think it’s a financial risk, but it is the most sound option I found for my mental health and well being. I dont know that id encourage everyone to pursue their dreams, but I would encourage them to pursue something that feeds their purpose. Something that helps you grow and connect and at the end of the day makes you feel fulfilled somehow. It’s all a risk anyway, why not invest in something that gives you life?

I say all of this knowing I get to live a privileged life supported by friends and family, so take it with a grain of salt, but also remember that there are no self made people. Every success story has a village behind it. Find your village. Invest in them like they do in you.

Mau, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Mauricio Jimenez, but everyone calls me Mau. I am a singer/songwriter/producer/performer from Mexico City. I had the crazy idea to try and convince America that my music is good so I moved to Los Angeles to hone my craft and share my talent/vision. Its been a little over 7 years, and I havent had a ton of success, hahaha. Im still not super well known, but to those who listen to my work, its easy to recognize its uniqueness and the care with which I craft every word, note and rhythm.

I started off falling in love with music as a form of expression due to my ADHD being off the charts and always feeling misunderstood and frustrated at people not being able to follow my train of thought. I found that music made people understand me, and when we met in that space, the understanding went both ways. I made people feel seen through music and lyric and they, in turn, saw me. I became obsessed with it so I kept doing it until I got really good. Its helped my ADHD a lot, but it’s also made me in to somewhat of a music snob and im trying to work on being less of a hater and listening more open mindedly.

Now a days, songwriting has become my tool of the trade. I write for whatever needs music. As an artist, for other artists, as a product for TV, Film, radio, etc. and as commission work for personal use (Wedding songs, anniversaries, special occasions and what not). All contemporary styles are fun to mess with and they all have their intrigue, so I’ve taken a dip in all sorts of genres.

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

This is a really good question. One im not sure the answer to, but id love to share some thoughts on.

I think creativity is about to go through a whole new overhaul. AI has entered the picture and computers in general have made creating music accessible to everyone everywhere. You no longer need a studio to create. and thats not limited to music either. Visual arts are also very much accessible to everyone. I think this is incredible because it gives everyone a chance to have an intimate relationship with art that wasnt available 30 years ago. However, this has complicated the market for people pursuing these things full time. Theres just too much music and art out there now. Being seen or heard is hard. Very hard. It has reduced the value of a single piece of art because theres just so much out there and a lot of it is really good, but most of it is for personal use. How do you sort through all of that?

I think the first step to support art and artists is a legislation thing. its protecting and improving the way our governments see art and values art. The payouts per streams are not livable wages and not everyone has the ability to go touring to generate revenue. The second step is something I think people are already doing but I don’t think its a conscious effort. To talk about and share music that moves you. Obsessing over someones art is incredibly powerful and word of mouth is still, I think, the best and most impactful way music can move in society. Not much else has that power, and that’s something that has to happen naturally, so I guess. love what you see and what you listen to and don’t be afraid to share it with people you know and love.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’ve fallen in love with the purpose of making people feel seen and to be seen through that pursuit. As I continue growing my artist project, I want to create a culture of self awareness and camaraderie amongst my fan base. Id love for people to take care of each other and to carry that culture we’ve created out in to the world. that’s the dream.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maumaumaumusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKAlBYMJjrSxhGZK6-iF7ag
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@maumaumaumusic

Image Credits
Seth Lee and Lucila Muriel