Under 1/4 - still a starving artist

It's been a while since I have written a post that focuses on the more personal side of my life. Many of my colleagues know that I have slowed my music production for the past three years for a couple of reasons: (1) I recently had twins, and they are a lot of work. And (2) we are trying to pay off all our debt (read student loans, because that's all the debt we have). We would like to be a debt-free family.

Why? In essence, if I had no debt, I could live on an artist's take-home salary. I wouldn't have to take on a "day job" to pay for my expenses and then hope to have time to complete my compositions and productions on the side (an impossible concept now that I have twins). I would have the ability to choose to do whatever I want with my time.

I will admit that the past three years have been a little rough, and it requires sacrifice to achieve this goal. To that end, we cut back on all our "extracurricular" spending: eating out, vacations, and all the fun (read expensive) perks of life. It has been tough, but I have to remember that this debt paid for my past, awesome adventures...expensive private conservatory, Paris, living in Boston, music programs over several summers, and more. I don't regret my choices, but I do regret the debt.

And, the plan is working, and I know the lifestyle restrictions are merely temporary. We now have less than 1/4 of our original debt remaining, and we are well on our way of being out of debt. That is super exciting! The closer we get to paying off the debt entirely, the more focused I am about not spending money on lifestyle enhancements. I want all those extra dollars to pay off this debt, so my family can be free!

Then what??? Well...first I'm taking a vacation. After that, I am going to pursue my dreams, and I am going to do so without the limitations of debt. In the meantime...I am still a self-appointed starving artist.

A Compelling Story

Music and drama; that about sums me up. 

I am writing this blog with the intent of showcasing the life of an artist.  The strife and struggle we go through to create our art – a situation that I consider an unfortunate necessity.  I can’t speak for other artists, but I know for myself creating is something I cannot escape.  I yearn for it.  Most of the time this means telling a compelling story, and yes, I do believe every artist, composer, dancer, etc., is telling a story – even if that story is about nothing other than the way a dominant chord ultimately moves to an implied tonic. I digress.

My point is that artists lead an unusual lifestyle.  We tend to have multiple jobs – none of which feature a nine-to-five schedule, and, ironically enough, half of which actually provide income for sustenance. We think, meander, ponder, argue, and love in ways that most consider either exciting or just plain weird, and I want to share an insider’s perspective of this experience with you.

I don’t know how often I’ll write, though I will try to keep it consistent.  One thing I can tell you from the get-go, though, is that most artists are prone to flights of fancy; hence, I can’t promise anything with this blog other than an exploration of music and drama.  So add me to your RSS reader, and check back often.  Until then, I’m off to create.

-E

PS - check out my website at http://erinhuelskamp.com/