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

Nat, 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 was in 2020 that I took the leap and dove full hilt into performing “full-time”. I had been performing at the same time as having a “The Man” job and there were conflicts sometimes. You see, hourly I was only making $15 per hour and working 40 hours a week. But my heart was in my art. At the office, I always had a notepad next to me to take down ideas I would get while at work. After work and on the weekends I would work on my website, social media, and schedule fire dancing events for my community.

Just before summer, I was offered a full-time summer stint traveling to various schools, daycare centers, and libraries throughout Michigan. The catch was that I would have to leave my regular 9-5 job and possibly lose any opportunity to return.

I knew that in my heart all I wanted to do was dive fully into my art, but fear of making a risky mistake held me back. After much consideration and talking with friends, I made the leap.

Here I am about 4 years later. Since 2020, my business has grown enough for me to continue pursuing my art without having to supplement my income. The most exciting part about this that I’ve been able to bring on around 20 incredibly talented performers to hire for various events. I get to share the wealth!!

I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to make my way from being a homeless teenager to a businesswoman and mother who gets to create, share, and collaborate on art for a living. Life is a gift.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Throughout my life, I have struggled with anxiety and depression. I had a traumatic childhood that I’ve spent my life healing from.

New Year’s Resolutions have worked for me in the past. As the New Year approached, I decided to make a final life-saving effort to try managing my mental health naturally. Through all the ways that they tell you to kick the sads. Exercise, healthy eating, managing your social media intake, etc. I also decided that I would try to find something for myself. Some hobby that would make life feel less gray.

2016 was my year of change. I quit drinking Coke, deleted my Facebook account, started drinking more water and tried a plethora of new hobbies. Some of the hobbies held my attention for a while, but none like hoop dancing.

I was scrolling through Facebook in June of 2016 (the deleted Facebook account didn’t last haha) and saw someone I know dancing with a hula hoop. She looked so fluid and fun. I never saw anyone move like that.

A very short time later, I got together with this friend and she showed me some things. The very same day, I went out and bought myself a roll of tubing that I used to make my first hula hoops. I have not stopped since.

It’s been almost 7 years now. I get to travel our beautiful state with my daughters. We get to visit new places, try different foods, and beach hop! We are creating so many beautiful memories together.

I think the part of this journey that I am the most proud of is that I went from reluctantly going into performing full time as a solo performer and now I’m getting my amazing friends and colleagues work too!!

My current passion is creating acts and leveling up skills with my performing friends. I’ve been extremely fortunate to not only be surrounded by immense talent, but individuals who are dedicated to bringing the best possible entertainment to each show.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I remember when I was 14, I slept on a park bench outdoors during a Michigan winter storm. I remember being curled up in a ball trying to keep warm and feeling so alone. The only person I had at that time was myself.

I think about little Nat and how tough she was. She had to be her own inner voice of inspiration and will at such a young age. She had to endure extremes. There were many times she could have given up and I’m so glad she didn’t.

She’s part of my journey today and the reason why I’m still pushing forward. Because if I can overcome that as a kid, I can get through anything. I hope my story will give inspiration to others to push forward too.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

This is a great question with a simple answer In my opinion, society can best support artists and creatives by paying them for their art – full price.

Sharing their work, going to their events, recommending their work, following them on social media and sharing posts are other ways you can support local artists. Good reviews are always appreciated too! :)

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.TheMotleyMisfits.com
• Instagram: @NatSpinz, @FlamesNDames, @TheMotleyMisfitsLLC
• Facebook: @NatSpinz, @FlamesNDames, @TheMotleyMisfits
• Other: Please keep an eye on our event’s page to see upcoming performances. Email [email protected] for booking information!