Art Pays Me

On this special episode, my wife, Natasha Nurse-Jones and I talk about some of her experience as a Black educator and our experience with anti-Black racism.

Youth and Community Advocate DeRico Symonds and I discuss police violence against Black people in North America, the significance of protest and some of the challenges that community advocates and activists face. I also ask DeRico about his background and what motivates him as a voice in the Halifax Black Community. DeRico online: Twitter Instagram Facebook Website ACCE

Matt Dowling, Founder of Freelancer Club shares his creative journey, how he's grown a business that advocates for creative freelancers and how a negative experience with a photography client motivated him to start this business. We talk about the business model of Freelancer Club, why it's different from other freelance marketplaces, where business and creativity come together and what the educat...

Multi-media Artist, Jordan Baraniecki talks about how the pandemic has effected his practice, why it's similar to the artist residency he did in Poland and why his newest project is his most dangerous. He also talks about his, time at NSCAD University, his acceptance into Emily Carr University and why he's more excited than nervous about the challenges the Corona Virus has created for him and his...

I interviewed multihyphenate artist Romana about her new music and the diverse creative interests she's simultaneously pursuing. She opens up about how the COVD-19 pandemic has effected her practice what it's like pursuing a creative career as the daughter of South Asian immigrants and why she left a successful corporate job to be a full-time artist. We also talk about why age ain't nothin but a n...

On this episode I share my thoughts on the first four episodes of basketball documentary, The Last Dance. I talk about my relationship with basketball, why I think Michael Jordan was successful and why this documentary has me contemplating a question that I think all creative entrepreneurs should ask themselves.

This week I have Leather Designer and Maker Tabitha from Tabitha + Co. I asked her what it means to produce mindfully made products and what implications that has on society – particularly during a pandemic. We talked about the importance of craft, why she decided to start a business in her 40s after being a mom and having a career, how having a mentor helped her to take that step and how importan...

Album Reviewer, and Twitch Streamer Luke James and I talked about coping with life and creativity during COVID-19. Luke breaks down his process for reviewing music, why he interacts with people in the comments, pushing through fear of failure and balancing creative output with self-care, family time and mental health. We also got into Luke's experience as a rapper, his early days as an online cont...

On this week's episode, I spoke with Writer, Editor and Podcaster Kyle Carpenter. We talk about his popular website and podcast Clients From Hell. Kyle shares why he left academia for a new path, his standup comedy hobby and our opinions on what makes someone an artist. Kyle Online: Kcarcfh   LinkedIn Clients From Hell Website

On this week's episode I hit 50 episodes and one year of doing this podcast! It's been a fun journey and I've learned a lot from the guests so far. Thank you for all for listening, commenting on social media and for leaving kind ratings and reviews. It means a lot to me. On this episode, I talk about why I'll be doing more solo episodes in the future, adjustments I'm making to my Instagram strateg...

On this short solo episode, I share my thoughts on the creative industry and where my creative energy is focused during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Music Producer and DJ, Paul Chin talks about how a 5 year hiatus from the music industry after dealing with some personal setbacks inspired him to make his latest album, Full Spectrum. He also shares how playing instruments can be an advantage for a producer in the digital era and why he's not interested in assigning a genre to his music. Paul's Latest Album, Full Spectrum Apple Music Spotify More...

Josie Matthiesen is the Jeweller and Metalsmith behind Salt + Summit. A nomad at heart, Josie talks about how living on the road with her now husband helped her find the clarity to start her business, how she felt more empowered after having her second child and how creating makes her feel more connected to others. Josie Online Website Instagram

Andrew Da Silva is a Montreal based Contemporary Artist. We talked about how hip hop and Montreal influence his work, the importance of consistency when developing your style and what he thinks about artists seeking validation on social media. Andrew online: Instagram

Artist, Melissa Townsend joins me to chat about doing commissioned work, her affection for art lovers and why having a connection to the subjects she paints is important. I'm fascinated by Melissa's high rate of production so I asked her how she's able to produce high quality work so consistently. We also talk about pricing, art school, how gallery representation can help market you to collectors...

Deedee Morris is a fantastic photographer. I was introduced to her work when she asked me to participate in a portrait series called Shifting Polarities. The series consists of portraits that explore the fluid spaces of gender and our connection with the non-human world (both organic and synthetic) from a range of masculine-identifying perspectives. We discuss Deedee's creative path and why gender...

Maurice Cherry is an accomplished creative strategist who received the AIGA's Steven Heller Price for Cultural Commentary in 2018 and in the same year was listed as one of The Root's 100 most influential African Americans. We talked about Maurice's mission to increase the profile of Black people in the creative industry through his podcast, Revision Path, his thoughts on diversity in the creative...

A. Harmony is a Writer and Emcee whose work and commentary can be found on CBC, Exclaim!, Bustle and more. She talks about the impact a formal music education had on her and how having experience as a recording artist and music writer gives her additional credibility as a journalist in the hip hop space. We both shared our thoughts on female representation in hip hop, whether or not your loved one...

Tina Essmaker is a Coach, Writer and Speaker who I credit with being one of the biggest inspirations for this podcast and my creative journey. Tina, together with her former husband and business partner cofounded an online publication called The Great Discontent , that featured in-depth conversations with highly respected creatives of various disciplines. I was able to discover leaders in the fiel...

Artist, Jordan Baraniecki discusses his creative process and why he thinks artists can do more to engage their audiences. Find Jordan Here Website   Instagram

Ryan Veltmeyer is a Social and Economic Innovator who's passionate about helping creative youth turn their passion into viable career options. We talked about the various initiatives he's involved in, the importance of activism and why he's passionate about what he does. Find Ryan at: Youth Art Connection LinkedIn Facebook

We back! On the first Art Pays Me episode of 2020 I interviewed up and coming Dancehall/Hip-Hop Artist, Lexxicon. Lexxicon shares how living in 3 different countries influenced his sound and how his relentless hustle helped him develop a high level of skill and knowledge in a short time as a musician. He also talked about how his experience as a community organizer helped him understand how to bui...

A lot of us see the end product of success and don't consider all of the losses and lessons that need to occur on the way there. In the the 2010s my business evolved quite a bit so on this episode I'm sharing the top 10 lessons I've learned as a creative entrepreneur over the last decade. 

On this solo episode I get into the importance of repetition in my process, why immediate success isn't always failure, how artists are like athletes and why it's important to lower expectations.

Lola Brown is one of the top travel writers in Canada who happens to be a friend of mine. I reached out to her about doing the podcast when she tweeted about some of the challenges she faced as a mother with a business and as a father on a similar path I, wanted to bring that conversation to the podcast. We also talk about how Lola got her start in writing, how she promotes her work and how chargi...