We were lucky to catch up with Naomi Joy Nelson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Naomi Joy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Yes, I am happy as an artist. I feel so much fulfillment doing what I love and being adequately compensated for it.

I currently juggle two careers as a music educator and performing and recording artist. I have wondered from time to time what would be easier if I chose to perform exclusively. Both require a lot of planning, time, preparation, study, etc.

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

I am an Author, Educator and Saxophonist sharing my love for God, music, children, and a message of love and light to the world.

I studied music education at Florida A&M University and have taught instrumental music to include concert band, jazz band, marching band, orchestra, and elementary chorus, and general music for the past 14 years in Central Florida.

When I am not teaching, I am usually performing or ministering music or sharing in some capacity to an audience this joy that I have so graciously been given.

What I want people to know about my brand and my work is that it is a presentation of many colors that include me playing the saxophone, singing, speaking, ministering, and teaching others inspired by my faith in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

My music is shared in Christian church settings as well as entertainment settings with the goal of spreading love and light to others.

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

The main goal and mission is to fulfill my calling and purpose with my gifts and ultimately to bring people to Christ.

I also want people to learn my story that I share in my book “My Joy Journey” so that they can find both the help and hope for their future after facing losses, grief, abuse, abandonment, rejection, etc. People find healing in my music but my story is a guiding light to the way of hope and life.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Creatives are not typical thinkers. They think in color, they are ahead of their time, they are prophetic (and many times don’t fully realize it themselves) and they are not ones to be confined to legalistic rules and mundane routines.

They see the world from a idealistic view that helps them to convey change and enlighten others through their art.

They tell stories that haven’t been heard because they hear frequencies that most people do not or haven’t been awakened too.

A creative soul might be quiet and reflective or may be loud and enthusiastic. The personalities may differ but their purposes are similar.

Creatives are not always understood and need art, music, creative works to fully express themselves. They are telling a story through their work that they cannot otherwise fully convey.

They may excitedly jump into project after project because to the creative, their last work was merely just one word within the sentence of an essay of many tapestries of sound, color, shape, movement and creativity.

You can’t really slow a creative down. They tend to be their worst enemy with self criticism, overthinking, and sometimes feeling stuck between a creative space and a mental debate of when to move forward with a project or continue to perfect it.

Creatives need encouragement, opportunities, exposure, and to be rewarded for their contributions to society. They are channels of supernatural and divine energy that we all feed from. They too must be fed. They need nourishment in the form of healthy supportive relationships that are non-exploitive and are sincere.

They need to feel safe, loved, and provided for in the spaces in which they create.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.naomijoy.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naomijoymusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NaomiJoyMusic?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%E2%80%9Cnaomi-joy%E2%80%9D-nelson-07563067
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/naomijoymusic
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@naomijoy
• Other: Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/naomijoymusic

Image Credits
Photography: Mindy Kerr