Artists, Anxiety, and a Pandemic: How to Overcome Challenges as a Creative w/ Jeremy "DaConnect" Mills, Manager
What do you do when you’ve worked your whole life to become a mover and shaker in the music and entertainment industry - only to see that industry grind to a halt overnight?.
Jeremy “DaConnect” Mills, musician, tour manager, bandleader and creative entrepreneur, has spent decades becoming one of the people to know in the music industry. By serving in diverse roles on major tours and within musical teams with artists like Jay-Z, Keisha Cole, Jamison Ross, Cory Henry, Tye Tribbett, Adam Blackstone, Teedra Moses and dozens of others, he’s become one of the most “plugged in” people in the business.
However, in this frank and honest discussion on The God and Gigs Show, he opens up about the realities of facing new challenges as artists in the wake of COVID-19, as the pandemic has knocked the live performance world to its knees.
Raised in South Florida, “J-Mills” began his musical career in earnest after moving to Tallahassee, Florida and teaming up with a talented group of musicians, all of which eventually achieved major success in their own careers (including Grammy-winning songwriter Kendra Foster, co-writer with D’Angelo).
Now as a seasoned industry veteran, he is passionate about helping his fellow live performance workers and creative artists to weather the storm of the pandemic’s effect on the industry. His message to artists everywhere is to deal honestly with the fear, anxiety, and emotional toll of this career shift, and to find the right methods and opportunities to evolve so they can survive financially and keep their creative careers intact.
In this episode, J. Mills reveals:
- How he developed the mindset to handle various roles in the entertainment industry besides musical performance
- How his experiences have prepared him for major shifts in the industry
- Why creatives cannot simply “boss up” and push through this traumatic experience with more activity or creating new businesses
- The reality of the struggles creatives face when gigs and job opportunities are not available
- How he has managed to maintain his emotional and mental health through hard times
- Why it is so important for creatives to remain positive while acknowledging the harsh reality of COVID’s effect on their jobs
- How to use the ‘down-time’ to develop new skills and focus on the important relationships in your life
- How to look forward to new opportunities and pivot without losing your foundation
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