We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shana Simone. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shana Simone below.

Shana Simone, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I started singing at the age of 5 but didn’t realize my deep passion for it until around the age of 14, which is when I wrote my first song, recorded my first demo then started getting into local talent shows. I grew up with the impression that you had to get a record deal in order to have financial gain as an artist, but it wasn’t until my late twenties while dating a local musician that I realized that there were so many other ways to make money in it. I started performing on the wedding band circuit and with various bands including my own throughout the Tri-State area, eventually being able to do it full-time with no need for other income. Many of my musician friends became successful during those years, but almost all of their paths were shadowed with financial hardship and sacrifices with family and in their personal lives. After I started gigging full-time I decided to pick back up on my college education by enrolling in the music program at Temple University, only to be told by the director of the department during my audition that unless I was planning to teach music, there was no need to waste money getting a degree in it, especially since he and I were gigging on some of the same bandstands together. Unfortunately, I listened and decided not to go through with it. Now, in hindsight, I have learned that investing in yourself, such as getting a higher education, can be such a major investment in your future, no matter what your passion may be! “Investing in Yourself” has become one of my favorite statements to make when encouraging other creatives to pursue their passions and dreams. I am now beginning to reap the benefits of continually investing in myself in strategic ways in order to maintain my status as an Indie Artist, and no longer letting fear, doubt and lack of confidence hold me back!

Shana Simone, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have always been known to have an entrepreneurial spirit, with many failed attempts over the years at getting an actual business going. I did not pursue my degree in music, I did however get my degree in Web Information Systems which taught me web design and internet marketing. I worked in that career for the U.S. Air Force and for the Federal Government, but the stress of it all led me to opening a braiding salon which has now been in business for over 6 years and has become quite successful. It allows me more flexibility with my time, which in exchange has given me more time to put back into my music. I put my music on the back burner for many years to raise my family because I was not willing to go through the struggles and financial hardships that I saw many of my fellow musician friends go through. My IT degree has been a huge bonus as an independent artist because I am able to market myself effectively without having the major expense of it. In my braiding salon I offer braid styles of all kinds. As an added bonus I also have several stylists working for me, which plays a major role in me being able to take time off to travel and do my music.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist, I feel, is that your talent or gift is something that no one can ever take away from you. There is a difference between a talent and a gift in that a talent is simply your ability to do something particularly well, and can get better as you hone your skills. However, a gift can only be given to you by God and you are naturally born with it. However, it is up to you when you are ready to start using it and sharing it with the world. There can be variance with when it is that you or someone around you realizes that it is there. It could be seen at a very young age, or may not be realized until later in childhood. Best of all, if you are someone who is blessed to become financially successful in your artistry, you have the reward of having a career that you truly enjoy. The jobs that I have had over the years have no comparison in bringing me as much joy as I feel when I am performing. It frees me and gives me fulfillment that cannot be compared to anything else.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

The first thing that comes to mind when asked this question is that a non-creative would not understand the magnitude of the pull you feel when you have a “passion” to pursue your gift. What I mean by that is that a person could have a talent and be the type of person that is content with just knowing they have it, but not using it. However, when you have a “passion” for it, it creates such a strong urge to do it, that when you’re not doing it you feel an emptiness no matter how great everything else around you might be going. You sometimes hear artists say that it can feel like a blessing and a curse at the same time, hence some of my musician friends experiencing homelessness and financial hardship. That is why I believe it has been labeled as a “passion” which descriptively is a “strong and barely controllable emotion”. Take notice of the words “barely controllable”. I believe that non-creatives would have an incredibly difficult time understanding the journey of an artist because their lives are what we artists consider normal, while we typically spend our every waking moment thinking about, doing or dreaming about our art!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.shanasimone.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/shanasimoneofficial
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shanasimonewallace
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/shanasimoneofficial
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/shanasingingbig
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shanasimonewallace
• Other: Http://Linktr.ee/shanasimone