Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melanie Valentine. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Melanie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

The first time I ever earned money as a creative was back in 2018. I had networked my way into my first gig, and, to be honest, my performance didn’t go the way I had intended at all.

I was supposed to perform this original song I had wrote, but, the person who was making the backing track for my vocals to be sung over bailed on me. So, here I was, at this gig that was a decent deal in the Houston alternative scene, with only my lyrics memorized and no music to sing over.

Since I was the newbie, I was the opening act. I was so nervous and thought I was going to bomb it. I sang my song a capella, and got quite a bit of applause. I guess you could say it went better than I feared it would.

I had to leave the show early that night, so I delayed my own payout. The next day, I met one of the hosts of the show at a local bar and he ended up giving me my first bit of money I had ever earned as a creative. I felt like I had just reached a milestone in my life, and, I had. I felt full of pride and accomplishment.

Melanie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Melanie Valentine. I’m a musician who also makes visual art from time to time, and who happens to be a small business owner.

I got into the music industry in 2018 after doing burlesque for a very brief time. I used burlesque as a launch pad to get into music. I also do cover art and logo design for music, and I paint and draw. Additionally, I own my own metaphysical service, Dazzling Divination.

As for my music, I make music that’s loud-mouthed and comes from the heart. With my work as a whole, whether it be for my music, my small business, art, etc, I would say that what sets me apart is my boldness and my way with words. From my lyricism to my tarot menu, I pour a lot of creativity into all that I do. I’ve been obsessed with words and language since I was a child, so I craft my words with a lot of love.

If I had to state what I’m most proud of, I would say, I’m most proud of staying true to myself in my creative endeavors and not just riding someone else’s wave. A lot of others who make emo rap and alternative music tend to just be carbon copies of Peep and I’m happy to say that’s not how my music is. For sure, you’ll hear influences of artists I love in my music, but I’m proud that I bring something new to the table.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Back in 2021, I definitely had a moment, so to speak, where I had to pivot. I was hanging around people that were also doing music who I thought had my best interest at heart. I was making new friends and networking a lot, but nobody pulled me to the side and told me that I was hanging around people who were making a bunch of really stupid, life-ruining level decisions. Once I had been through enough with that crowd and saw enough of what was going on in that scene, I chose to pivot and change my surroundings.

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

In terms of what society can best do to support artists and creatives, I have two words: PAY US! If you ask any underground musician what one of their biggest pet peeves is, they’ll probably tell you that it’s promoters who want to pay them in “exposure.” If you don’t know what that means, it’s when promoters for event companies or venues want you to work for free and get “paid” with being able to have an audience in front of you. That’s the musical equivalent of if you were a server, and you were only getting paid in the opportunity for customers to see how well you could wait their table. A lot of musicians give up before they make music their full-time career because of poor compensation. Between the streaming services paying us all a fraction of a cent per stream, and promoters underpaying us (no, a bar tab or $20 doesn’t cut it,) we at times struggle to stay motivated as musicians when we’re coming up.

To foster a healthy creative ecosystem, all creatives need support. Instead of complaining that you can’t afford to go see some big name artist (in this economy though, I don’t blame you,) why not go to a local show and support your neighbors? Instead of buying some expensive garment from a chain retailer, why not hit up your local fashion designer and get them to create something for you? If everyday people supported their local artists the way they support celebrities and companies who don’t know that they exist, local artists would be over the moon with happiness.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/melanievalentine713?igshid=MGNiNDI5ZTU=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xoxomelanievalentineoxox?mibextid=ZbWKwL