We recently connected with Rowan Janusiak and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Rowan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I am absolutely happy to have chosen a life as a creative. I don’t think I would survive working a regular 9-5 job. The way that my brain operates the freelance life makes so much sense, I appreciate the ebb and flow of an ever-changing schedule and the freedom that comes from not being tied to one income source. Being a creative is almost like a choose your own adventure and you have the capacity to make new decisions every day. Like anything, it takes practice to adjust to this lifestyle and sometimes it can be difficult, the creative process doesn’t have a schedule and sometimes it can feel like you are in a constant state of work. It is not the kind of job where you can go home and stop thinking about it. The creative brain has its own volition. I think that is part of the excitement though, to constantly be gathering new information from the human experience.

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.

Currently based in Ann Arbor, MI, I, Rowan Janusiak (they/them) am a queer, interdisciplinary artist creating work that stimulates audiences to question societal standards imposed around pleasure and play. As a choreographer. I prioritize researching the human experience and seeing how these studies can be used as a tool to engage communities.

I am a recent graduate of the University of Michigan with dual degrees in Dance and Applied Exercise Science. While at university, I found my passion for choreography. We have the opportunity to take multiple composition classes and it was through this that I discovered my instinctual ability to create work that provokes thought and emotion, whilst also developing my unique movement style. Since graduating this has evolved into creating and showcasing my choreographic work. My recent endeavors include presenting my work at the Midwest RAD Fest, Collage Dance Fest, and Detroit Dance City Festival, where I received the international exchange award, providing me the opportunity to showcase my work again at New Dance Festival in Daejon South Korea.

Beyond my work as a choreographer, I work as Event Manager for Embody Dance Conference, a new convention focused on prioritizing mental health and diversity, equity, and inclusion in youth dance spaces. I also work as a teacher for Dance Church a dance, fitness class designed to create dance community for all bodies.

Another important piece of my creative life is performing as a drag artist, creating otherworldly makeup and fashion looks while exercising their dance training and raw performance quality on the stage.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Showing Up! As a choreographer, I create work to be viewed and digested by audiences. My work cannot be sustained without the support of my community showing up, appreciating the work, and providing feedback for continued growth. I think this remains incredibly important for artists as well. As someone who is learning and growing with their craft every day it is essential that you view other artists’ work, show up, and stimulate your brain in a new way.

I think funding is also so important for a thriving ecosystem. In America, there is an incredibly small amount of easily accessible funding that is provided to artists. With a lack of funding, artists can’t reach for the stars, they have to reach for what their budget allows. How to fully realize a production, how to pay for props and studio space, how to pay their collaborators. A lack of private and government funding makes artistic fields less accessible to those who cannot support themselves.

I think there is a charm to being scrappy and building work with little resources, seeing how constraint can allow a project to grow and evolve. But imagine how many big and beautiful ideas could evolve with the financial and emotional support of the community.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I think the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the ability to dive deeply into human experiences and emotions in a way that the average person doesn’t always have the opportunity. When doing research for a specific project I can take deep dives into specific, nuanced pieces of life. I am grateful for the ability to have introspection, reflection, and discussion be a part of my job. For me, the most fulfilling part of the process is to get in a room with a group of dancers and explore. When entering a room with new dancers there is a a sense of excitement and uncertainty. It is a new opportunity to listen to new perspectives and grow your capacity of understanding about a topic. Each individual in the room offers a thought process that I could never tap into, as one person with only my experiences. The creative process is a dreamy, frustrating, layered experience that I am so grateful I get to work through again and again and again. For me it is not about the end goal. I of course get so excited when I create a work that is visually stimulating, and well received. The true joy fo being an artist though, is the steps taken along the way to build that final product.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rowanjanusiak.wixsite.com/howdyrowan
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howdyrowan/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@howdyrowan5323

Image Credits
Mike Pfiefer Kirk Donaldson Peter Smith