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Artist is Risky Business
Choosing to be a professional artist has some unique challenges.
All my career choices have been artistic. In one form or another, I was bound to be a professional artist.
I am in no way bragging here — but I have a few different artistic talents and skills.
It started with writing. At age 9, I wrote my first complete sci-fi book. It was 50 pages and illustrated.
Next came music. I love to sing. In high school, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take voice lessons. This honed my 4-octave range and helped me become a very solid baritone.
Then it was theatre. I loved performing on stage. But more than performing on stage as an actor, I loved being backstage. Building sets, hanging lights, and all the technical stuff excited me to no end. But more than this — I loved directing. In college, I directed a half-dozen plays, mostly one-acts. Though my major (and degree) were in theatre, this wasn’t with the theatre department.
In college, I was introduced to radio. I loved being a DJ, to the point where I helped run the 24/7 station during a summer and winter break for pay and managed all PSA production and the like my senior year.