We recently connected with Tim Cayem and have shared our conversation below.

Tim, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

The second I knew it was possible to make a living while shooting live music was the second I pushed to do it. Seeing others do it not only inspired me, but motivated me to get better in every aspect of my craft.

Tim, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a full time content creator for touring musicians, but it took me several years to realize this is what I wanted for my life. I started in the music industry as an on-camera host doing interviews with bands on my YouTube channel. After a few years, I learned more and more about photography and videography as I was given photo passes to enter the venue with a professional camera. All I ever knew were the basics, but touring eventually became a pipe dream for me and I slowly but surely developed the skills to take me on the road. I spent some time offering my service for free or close to it so that I could get some experience and then I eventually got a paid gig with the band Knocked Loose. I think a huge part of locking in tour gigs is being a fun person to be around and I truly think interpersonal skills are so closely related to the technical skills you can provide as a content creator. I think being a good person gets you further than being an amazing photographer. Intention matters and it’s a core principle for my life. I pursue content creation within music because I love it.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I was doing video interviews for a while and I realized why I connected well with artists on camera better than other on-camera hosts; my interpersonal skills. Once I realized that this piece was valuable among touring creatives, I leaned into it as a strength. I could have continued doing video interviews my entire life and made a few bucks off of YouTube ads, but it isn’t touring and it isn’t providing as much depth and character to the band or artist. I love getting to showcase depth and personality on a regular basis as opposed to one interview per year.

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

I think everyone always asks me “how’d you get there?” Like it’s a linear track and the unfortunate news is that it was chaotic, unorganized, and filled with tons of doubt. I never had a single plan for my music industry career. I always just wanted to deeper connections with artists and that has led me to acquire the skills and experiences I’ve obtained at this point.

If there’s one bit of advice I’d have to be in my position, I’d say do it for the right reasons and only make content for something you absolutely love. No matter what it is, make sure it helps you feel something when you’re doing it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @timcayem
• Twitter: @timcayem
• Youtube: @cayeminterviews

Image Credits
@timcayem