We recently connected with Noel Jensen and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Noel, thanks for joining us 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?
I’ve been fortunate enough to build a full-time living from my creative work, but it doesn’t seem obvious from the outside , and my path was far from linear. I’ve always been a creative. As a kid, I would spend my days drawing, crafting, singing, dancing, acting, directing full scale productions with my siblings and cousins in the living room… if it was creative, I was doing it. All that to say, choosing to study Theatre Arts in college felt like the most natural extension of who I was.
During college, I stumbled into a marketing internship at a local nonprofit. And to be completely candid, I applied because I needed a job that would help pay my rent. I had no idea at the time that it would completely reshape my career. I never pictured myself working in marketing, but the work ended up being so much more creative and art-driven than I ever could have imagined. Designing materials, telling stories, attending events, meeting inspiring people… all of this helped me realize there was space for my artistic brain in a “traditional job setting.”
After graduating, I genuinely tried to make theatre and film my full-time career, with part time marketing work to help supplement my income. I worked paid productions, theatre camps, did background acting, and AUDITIONED. AUDITIONED. AUDITIONED. These experiences were incredible, but not steady enough to support me, especially in such an expensive city. What I didn’t expect was that my marketing internship in college would become the bridge that allowed me to build a stable, creative, fulfilling career.
Currently, I work in marketing across multiple industries AND in theatre & film. It feels like the best of both worlds. It’s funny how it all came full circle from the things I loved doing as a kid, to now. In marketing, I get to create art, design materials, and tell stories; in theatre, I get to sing, dance, and act. Both sides of my career are deeply creative and deeply fulfilling. Having multiple steams of income allows me to support everything I love doing, and my life is just getting started.
Knowing what I know now, I want to tell all artists that with your passion, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. There will be seasons with ups and downs, and you’re not any less of an artist just because you have a job or a career outside of the arts. You can also shape your “traditional job” into something creative like I did! I also want people to understand this: the only reason I’m where I am today is because of the people I met along the way. I know it sounds cliche, but your connections and your community will take you further than you can imagine.
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.
My name is Noel Jensen, and I am a Southern California-based Performing Artist and Marketing Professional. I am currently balancing two career paths: I work in marketing, both at a medical device company, and at KOA+ROY – a small but mighty women-owned business in San Diego, while also pursuing theatre & film part time. I know it sounds like a lot, but each piece fuels a different part of me creatively.
My journey started in theatre! I grew up performing in community theatre productions in my hometown and went on to earn my B.A. in Performing Arts with an Emphasis in Performance at San Diego State University. I had always thought I had to choose between artistry and a “traditional job,” but I’ve come to learn that the two can absolutely coexist.
While working my way through college, I stumbled into a marketing internship at Village Up San Diego, thanks to a roommate who mentioned her team was hiring. I had no marketing experience AT ALL, but once I learned the basics, I discovered just how creative the field truly is. Designing content, crafting stories, building a brand… it all felt surprisingly artistic and theatrical. With Village Up, I got to learn the tricks of the trade: creating social media content, designing flyers, and helping plan and facilitate community events. It was at one of these events that I met the Co-Founders of KOA+ROY. What began as a social media internship with KOA+ROY blossomed into a Marketing Manager position, and I’ve been working there ever since! Their mentorship and belief in my creative future played a huge role in shaping the direction of my future, and I am incredibly grateful. Later, one of the Co-Founders actually connected me with a full=time opportunity at a medical device company, where I applied and have since got to work on product launches, company newsletters, creative presentations, brochures, and I’ve even gotten the chance to travel to some pretty cool places with the job! My Director has been a huge support, both professionally and personally. She’s given me guidance, skills, and insights that I use every single day!
I am actively auditioning for paid theatre (which fits perfectly with my work schedule by the way). Performing continues to be a major part of my life, and I am feel so lucky. I am proud that my career path blends creativity, passion, purpose, and stability. I love having a hand in multiple industries, because I get to learn something new every day. I have been surrounded by incredible role models who balance their passions, their work, their businesses, and families, and they’ve shown me that you don’t have to choose one career or one identity. You can build a life that supports your passions. Your “traditional job” can be creative, sometimes more creative than you would ever expect.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
In my opinion, one of the biggest ways society can support artists and creatives is by making access to arts education more affordable and equitable. Speaking specifically about theatre & film education, the cost of training can be incredibly limiting. I was fortunate enough to attend a great state school for the last 2 years of college, with more accessible tuition. 2 years before that, I went to a community college. Both were affordable options, but even then, not everyone has access to these resources.
My original plan was to audition for schools with a B.F.A. program, and that planned changed with the realization that I would never be able to pay for it – even with scholarships and financial aid. Unfortunately many traditional BFA programs can put people in debt for the rest of their lives. It’s heart breaking to know that so many talented people never get the chance to pursue a theatre education simply because they can’t afford it. I think we are moving in the right direction with a lot of free and low cost resources in the arts industry, but I wholeheartedly believe that the cost of higher education in the arts needs to be cut drastically, and I hope that one day, these programs are accessible to EVERYONE. There needs to be more options for people to explore the arts without financial barriers, and if more people have access to higher education in the arts, we can build a thriving creative ecosystem.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
My story of resilience comes from my experience as an artist and navigating rejection. Anyone in this industry knows how much time, energy, and emotion goes into auditioning. It can be incredibly exhausting and discouraging pouring yourself into prep, rearranging your schedule for the chance to be seen at an open call, giving 110% in the room…, just to hear a “no” or more often than that, hearing nothing at all.
There have been seasons of my life where I feel like I’m auditioning constantly and booking nothing, and other times where I feel like I’m flourishing. What I’ve overcome as a performer is not letting rejection define my worth or drain my self esteem. I am confident in who I am as a person and a performer. Rejection isn’t easy, but instead of being super disappointed when I get cut or receive a no, I decided to change my mindset from a negative to a positive. Rejection is a part of my journey. I live by the mantra: “Nothing that is meant for me will pass me by.” If I don’t book something, I trust that it simply wasn’t meant for me. That doesn’t mean I’m not hurt when it doesn’t work out, especially when I’ve invested so much time, effort, and emotion into an audition. I am still working on shifting my mindset toward rejection. I want to see every audition as practice, fine tuning my craft, and a learning experience that will help shape my career.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @noel.jensenn
