When the pandemic shutdown started 14 months ago, it seemed perfectly logical to suggest lists of things we could do with the unexpected time off.
Now, as the pandemic seems to be winding down (although we’ll see about that), I find myself reticent to offer advice on how to re-enter the world. If there’s one thing that we’ve learned in the last year, it’s that we cannot be certain about what will be possible at any given point. While that has always been one of life’s little truisms, facing it every day for such an extended period of time has changed many of us irrevocably.
My hope is that learning to live within that uncertainty will serve us very well as singerpreneurs moving forward. We can’t always know
- where our next paycheck is coming from, or
- what will happen next year, or
- whether that organization will still exist in five year, or
- what our live performance options will be, or
- how many students we’ll have, or
- what shape our voices will be in.
Where does that leave us? More than ever, the arts world will be a place for people who can adapt, pivot and continue with the kind of determination that makes dreams come true. As freelance artists, we live in the grey. The very best thing we can do for ourselves, for our work and for everyone around us is to not just accept that uncertainty, but embrace it as the adventurous part of the lives we’ve chosen.
It’s an adventure, not a slog. If you can find that spirit of fun and intense curiosity about the parts of life we cannot control, your work will thrive.
…and so will you, no matter what comes next.
