Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Molly Reed. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Molly, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you 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?
As of this year, I am finally a full time performing artist & instructor of my craft! I feel so grateful that I am able to do what I truly love full time, but it definitely didn’t start out that way, especially in such a niche market. My journey began in 2015. I had recently dropped out of college for Art Education and I felt lost & unsure of what I wanted my path to be. I knew that I was called to pursue a career in the arts, but I had no idea in what avenue.
Since leaving college, I had been working on a local grassroots farm/festival grounds called Further Farms. It was there that I was first introduced to fire performance in an up-close & personal environment. One night we had a bonfire and there I witnessed local performer legend, Luna Devika, performing contortion with her dragon staff. She so effortlessly flowed in unison with the flames, as if it was an extension of her being. It was that moment that a fire was lit within my soul and I just knew that I was meant to pursue it. I remember literally saying “THAT’S what I want to do.” I wasted no time and that very day I began investigating how to get involved. I was lucky to be surrounded by veterans of the craft and gathered many recommendations for where to start.
I moved forward with purchasing some fire props online and jumped right in. I was a complete beginner with dancing with fire of course, but I had grown up dancing all my life. So that part came naturally, but when you play with fire there is a whole slew of safety measures that must be in place for it to be done properly!
This is where professionalism comes into play when performing such a dangerous craft. You can be an incredible performer, but if you don’t have safety in the forefront of your focus, it is likely that you will not be able to pursue this as a full time career.
It took many years of mistakes, ignorance, and sheer beginners luck to learn what it meant to be safe when slinging fire around my body. I came to understand that many of the things that first seemed like pretentiousness from other performers, were actually safety measures that we all need to be aware of.
I would say learning this was a huge milestone of me pursuing this art professionally. Once I learned more about safety and how to truly implement it, my career was propelled forward tremendously.
After safety, comes stage presence. I grew up a very shy and soft spoken individual. I was always true to my self expression in my aesthetic (attire, hairstyles, etc.) but growing up in the small, conservative town of Franklin, TN left me feeling like an outcast in many ways. I believe this contributed to my shyness.
Once I found performance though, my personality completely shifted. I feel at home on the stage. I am my best self when I am out there, giving it my all and moving with the flames.
The next milestone for me would have to be finding my community. The performing arts and entertainment industry is naturally competitive. Going at it alone would not be nearly as rewarding as connecting with my community to propel us all forward. In the summer of 2018 I found my people: a group of young, aspiring women, eager to bring forth a new era of performance. Today we operate as Pyroglyphics, a co-ed collective of multifaceted and individualistic artists that all bring something truly fantastic to the table. I would not be nearly as far along in my career if it weren’t for this group of talented and passionate individuals.
My final milestone would be an understanding of marketing and business. Having prior knowledge of business management would have propelled my career much faster. The process of building the company from the ground up has been challenging but rewarding, and I am becoming more skilled in it everyday!
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 am a multi-disciplined performance artist with experience in fire performance, aerial arts, character work, and multiple styles of dance. I provide a variety of performance experiences for my clients, ranging from entire circus productions to intimate solo performances! I believe what sets Pyroglyphics and I apart is that we have a connection that is beyond business partnership. We began this journey as friends meaning that we work very cohesively. We focus on providing a wide range of talent as a group as opposed to individual talent. We work as a unit towards the same goal, which I think makes us stronger. Also, there’s a high level of artistry to what we do. We tell a story and create narratives for our audience. We base our acts off of creative concepts that we are passionate about and that are unique to our vision.
: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Absolutely! I would say for me personally the biggest goal is to inspire others. If I can even inspire one individual to pursue their passion then I will feel accomplished. This world is so discouraging for artists. The society we are in at this day and age is not kind to creatives. I would like to be a living example that you can indeed push past these adversities!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
In my opinion one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is the ability to connect with something beyond me through movement. When performing I get to channel the energy of all that surrounds me and to express myself freely in that is incredibly rewarding! Another rewarding aspect is that I have say over my work entirely. I am not at the whim of a day job with set hours and restrictions. I am my own boss and that is priceless to me!
Contact Info:
- Website: Pyroglyphics-collective.com
- Instagram: @fire.nymph, @pyro.glyphics
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pyroglyphicscollective
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCJQHCr-E4hXX9cQKar5NlKQ
- Other: Book us directly via our email [email protected] Or through GigSalad https://www.gigsalad.com/pyroglyphics_nashville
Image Credits
Jordan Shell Sam Massenburg Philo Kirollos Matthew Demarko Chris Graff Mary Grace Greer