An artist and their expressions

Dance is a Hobby, Career or Business? Part Three

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An artist’s expression of self

An artist and their expressions

“The life of an artist leads to two things – one is success and the other is a beautiful failure.” – Gautam Gurnani, Jokerface Entertainment

Today we turn the conversation outwards and hear from the performers themselves! What do they have to say? Let’s find out!

On income…

“Having been on both sides of the table, as an artist and as a producer, I believe the issue is largely how the arts are placed in our society. What we believe the artists should be paid versus what an artist actually invests in themselves is severely off key.” – Shubhra Prakash, Hypokrit Theatre Company

“My favorite is when folks ask me for free services because it would be a great “promotional opportunity” for my company. This is frustrating! Of course I care about promoting my company, but I still have professional dancers to pay for their time and efforts! It’s a shame how often this is overlooked.” – Kruti Shah, Sanskruti Dance

On continued growth and learning…

“I feel simultaneously supported and lost on my journey.” – Jasmine Broads, Bollydancers
“An artist will find a way, because they have to. I have been fortunate to work with those who also have a similar hunger which is motivating and lack of resources makes us creative and gets us to find more ways to do our work. In this process we keep learning a lot.” – Shubhra Prakash, Hypokrit Theatre Company

“I wish I knew more about dance education – where was the best place to study dance, best instructors in their respective disciplines, what are the best options as a growing dancer.” – Kruti Shah, Sanskruti Dance

On regrets, sacrifices, and the grass being greener on the other side…

“When you choose a career in what is your passion, it completely changes your relationship with that passion. You have to find the little pockets of beauty in what you are doing.” – Shivani Badgi, Gurukul

“I would say I am happy where I am and hungry to get to a place.” – Gautam Gurnani, Jokerface Entertainment

On a lighter, happier note…

“I wouldn’t have it any other way! When I truly sit down to think about it – I am so thankful to wake up every day and do what I love to do! Most importantly, I have the opportunity to make a difference in others’ lives. Seeing my students come to class with a big smile on is the most rewarding feeling ever!” – Kruti Shah, Sanskruti Dance

“Overall I am scared. I try to surround myself with positive people. Being an artist is difficult. But I would be depressed if I didn’t pursue it. And the only thing I have learned so far is – believe in yourself and fight your own battle.” – Gautam Gurnani, Jokerface Entertainment

Well, there you have it – the candid, expressive thoughts from performers themselves on the ups and downs of their artistic endeavors! We loved hearing from these talented individuals who are determined on pursuing their passions. What do you think? Sound off in the comments below – we’d love to hear your thoughts and comments on this hot topic!

Want to read more? Read the Part One and Part Two of the Five part blog series

About the author

This blog was written for WINGS by Ruby Verma. Ruby Verma started out her career working in Private Equity valuations for 9 years. She then made a career switch over to the arts! She now works as a dancer and a writer in the greater NYC area. Ruby is an artistic director at Junoon Performing Arts. Follow Ruby on Instagram or Medium and share her expression of thoughts and words through her posts as a passionate artist.

Performing Arts Day Two - Challenges in the life of a performing artist

Dance is a Hobby, Career or Business? Part Two

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Challenges in the life of a performing artist

So what are the things performing artists struggle with the most? Let’s find out!

  • Time management: Performing artists multitask by nature. Due to the fact that their schedules don’t follow a typical 9-5 workday and one may be juggling multiple freelance jobs, mastering time is a key part of a performing artists’ life. An artist is often an entrepreneur paving the way for themselves rather than following a predetermined path. Because of this, an artist has to think about self-promotion and marketing, teaching their craft to others, creating meaningful work, seeking out opportunities, and continued training in his/her field; while tying all of the above into income creation and a sustainable career.
  • Sustainable income: Artists following their hearts are faced with the never-ending stress of money-making and money management. Many in society are not willing to pay fair wages to an artist. Many expect an artist to work for free. Artists may have to take on work that does not necessarily align with their morals and values.
  • Respecting the competition: A catty artist is perhaps not an artist at all – after all, artists are supposed to support one another! However, increased competition, increased visibility due to social media, and limited income prospects can foster a sense of jealousy and hostility rather than mutual collaboration, respect, and support.
  • Emotional and mental health: Since the very nature of their lives is so volatile, it’s no wonder that artists need to pay attention to and prioritize their mental health. People with creative minds are perceived as being highly sensitive and tuned in to their emotions – add in the constant uncertainty and worries about career, fatigue, and burnout, and you have a recipe for depression. Artists owe it to themselves to take care of their minds and their bodies – however, as the famous saying goes – “Take your broken heart and make it into art”. The industry has a tendency to romanticize these feelings, thus creating a perpetual catch-22 with the sentiment that amazing art comes from the most emotionally charged individuals. One must always remember that art does not have to arise from the darkest of places to be poignant or authentic.
  • Staying true to message: After all is said and done, one may forget to step back and remember why he/she started working in this field to begin with! With all the ambiguity, burnout, and self-criticism, “branding” yourself becomes tricky. As the lines between social media and reality become blurred, performing artists may become jaded and confused as they pay too much attention to “what sells” versus what they believe in.
  • Not being taken seriously: Artists are smart, creative, out-of-the-box thinkers. Unfortunately, there are quite a few people who don’t take art seriously – it’s been branded as a “fun thing for kids to do” and “something that doesn’t require real intelligence”. Yikes! While their counterparts may be pursuing fields that are socially prestigious such as medicine and law, artists may end up feeling alienated as they spend time defending themselves and their choices to family and friends. They may even start questioning their own life choices!
  • Rejection: Artists are out there, putting it on the line, every day of their lives. They’re required to be raw and authentic – and with that, comes the very real experience of failure. Any artist you know will tell you they’ve failed 1,000 times while searching for their “big break”.
  • Getting advice: There is more than a little ambiguity when it comes to one pursuing a career in the performing arts. A nontraditional career path coupled with a lack of resources and help can lead to some serious confusion! Those in the field could do with a career advisor, if you will!

What do you think? Have you ever encountered any of these challenges in your career? We’d love to hear more in the comments below.

Stay tuned to hear from people we spoke to from the performing arts industry itself!

Want to read more? Read the Part One of the Five part blog series

About the author

This blog was written for WINGS by Ruby Verma. Ruby Verma started out her career working in Private Equity valuations for 9 years. She then made a career switch over to the arts! She now works as a dancer and a writer in the greater NYC area. Ruby is an artistic director at Junoon Performing Arts. Follow Ruby on Instagram or Medium and share her expression of thoughts and words through her posts as a passionate artist.

Performing Arts - Perceptions and Challenges

Dance is a Career, Hobby or Business? Part One

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Performing Arts - Perceptions and Challenges

Performing Arts – Perceptions and Challenges

When are you going to get a real job?

I wish I could jump around and have fun all day like you do!

How do you make money though?

If you are a performing artist, you may very well recognize these questions. It’s no secret that the performing arts industry has a reputation – the term “struggling artist” is oh so ubiquitous! While we as a society certainly love our Broadway plays, live cover bands, and renowned ballets, we must take a step back and wonder about the lives of these creative individuals behind the scenes. Art has always been a medium for open communication – the emotional highs and lows through poignant storytelling and the ability for art to transform a society is valuable beyond measure.

However, many artists are unsatisfied as they struggle to balance two worlds – after all, art can’t just be about following dreams when one has to pay the bills! Many artists may pursue their passions after their traditional 9-5 or work multiple jobs before catching their big break. So what happens when one decides to make their passion their main source of income?

This week, we’ll talk more about the lives of these creative, hardworking personalities and their atypical career paths and struggles. As always, we’ll end with a clear call to action.

About the author

This blog was written for WINGS by Ruby Verma. Ruby Verma started out her career working in Private Equity valuations for 9 years. She then made a career switch over to the arts! She now works as a dancer and a writer in the greater NYC area. Ruby is an artistic director at Junoon Performing Arts. Follow Ruby on Instagram or Medium and share her expression of thoughts and words through her posts as a passionate artist.