Encouraging Creativity

We asked 3 local professional artists how they got started, how they succeeded in turning their passions into professions, and what insights they have for parents of aspiring artists. Each of their stories was unique, their answers thought-provoking and their advice essential for any parent who wants to help her child shine.

JEN BRADFORD began dancing not long after she started walking (at age 3). She says of dancing, “It instantly became my passion (although it took years to become my talent).” Jen trained extensively with some of the most prominent teachers and choreographers in the Bay Area and, later, in New York. She has performed as a professional dancer and worked as a professional choreographer with some of the best in her field, and now, after settling down in the Sacramento area, she has become Owner and Director of the Northern California Dance Conservatory (NCDC), where she also teaches pre-professional dancers. She counts her experiences with students among her most rewarding career accomplishments, and shared with us some of her insights as an artist, as a teacher and as a mom:

SP: What role did your parents play in you becoming a dancer?
JB: My parents have been supportive of my love for dance since the day I walked into my first dance class. As I grew older and developed a talent that caught up to my passion, the time and financial commitments became more and more. My parents’ sacrifices are countless and their unconditional support over the years has given me the opportunity to follow my dreams.

SP: How did you go from just dancing as a hobby to becoming a career dancer?
JB: Dancing was never really a hobby for me. It has always been a way of life, a very big part of who I am. I could not go one day without dancing in some degree. I think I was about fifteen years old when I received my first choreography job. I then began getting jobs to choreograph for professional companies and schools around the country.

SP: When did you start teaching, and how did you get into it?
JB: I began teaching in college as a part of my education.

SP: Why do you teach?
JB: Dedication, focus, discipline, healthy bodies, and self-expression are all benefits that come from taking dance class. I love to see my students…achieve these great benefits. Most of all, I love the opportunity to see first-hand the true joy that dance can bring to children. It allows them the opportunity to express themselves in a way that verbal communication cannot.

SP: What advice do you have for parents of aspiring artists?
JB: A parent can unintentionally be a roadblock for their children’s success, as often they do not share the same interests or talents as their children and are not sure how to direct them. My advice to [parents] is to do their research and find professional teachers and mentors in the art that can educate both them and their children about the opportunities and requirements for a professional career.

SP: What if they worry their kids might not have what it takes to make a living in art?
JB: In the dance world there are many opportunities to participate and support the art of dance even if you do not have the talent to be a professional dancer or choreographer. I feel it is my job as an educator to look at each child individually and help guide that child to success by introducing all of the options available to them.

SP: How do you encourage your own child’s creativity?
JB: I have a young child (two years old), so I don’t yet have much experience with this. But I do hope that as she grows, I can give her the opportunity to experiment with many different activities that may spark an interest or a talent.

SP: It seems like sticking it out even when you don’t feel like practicing is the hardest part of becoming a professional artist. How do you help your students through that?
JB: Dance, as in many art forms, requires hours and hours of focus, discipline and hard work. To keep our young pre-professional dancers focused, we [at NCDC] have created a diverse program of master classes, guest artists, field trips and performance opportunities that are constantly giving them new challenges and experiences. Although repetition is crucial, giving the dancers an opportunity for self-expression, creativity and freedom keeps them going strong.

GRANT REEVES, like so many other professional musicians, grew up in a family with music in its atmosphere. He began playing the piano at age five. He picked up the saxophone and began composing at age ten, and soon after he was on the path to professional success. “My brothers were professional musicians, so I had opportunities to play gigs very early, starting at 13 or so.” At fifteen he was working as a paid musician. He began touring with bands in his twenties and, at age 35, started a music scoring/ composition business in San Jose, where he worked for twelve very successful years before moving to Sacramento. Luckily, for young artists in our area, he started teaching full-time then, in addition to playing music. He shared some of his lessons with us:

SP: How did your parents encourage your musical gifts?
GR: My folks started all of us kids in music at an early age (I have two brothers and two sisters). My dad plays accordion, violin and piano and would play music with various groups weekly.

SP: What professional training did you have?
GR: I would have to say my professional training began as a professional. I joined the music union (as a saxophonist) when I was 15 and would get called to go play at wedding receptions, etc... Later on I toured with bands then I began working only with original groups. At 21, I began doing studio session work and made my living that way for ten years or so as well as producing music for commercials…

SP: What made you start teaching?
GR: I was approached by interested students. I have found teaching to be very rewarding. With beginning students the rewards are in getting that student started with the proper tools… With more advanced students the rewards come as the student discovers the joy in being able to play & perform at a proficient level. With improvisation students the reward is in seeing the light bulb go off as students consciously understand the way in which the theory they have learned allows their playing to become a spontaneous form of expression.
I also learn from all my students… Finding a way to communicate difficult concepts to each individual creates a deeper understanding of the material for the student and myself.

SP: What advice do you have for parents of aspiring artists?
GR: Look for the best teachers to instruct your child. Find out what role you play in their development. The bottom line is that motivation must come from the student. The teacher can help by paying attention to the specific needs of each student and responding. A teacher that is gifted and loves to translate the art form they teach can be very motivational…

SP: How can parents help their kids develop self-discipline?
GR: Practicing day after day is hard work. It is a very hard discipline to embrace, but it's critical. Learn from the teacher what the student needs to focus on and help them, especially in the beginning, to stay on track.

SP: What if a kid loves his art, but, frankly, he just isn’t very good?
GR: I wouldn't encourage a student to pursue their art as a career unless they have at least some talent for it. Pursuing the arts as a career can be an extremely difficult path. Having said that, desire and passion can take a person a long way.

DAVID GARIBALDI seems out to destroy the stereotype of the “starving artist” (and a fistful of other clichés while he’s at it). Born in Los Angeles in 1982, Garibaldi started drawing just as soon as he “was able to pick up a crayon.” He was a graffiti artist in his youth, but chose to start putting his gifts on paper as a teen. At age 20, he turned his artistic attentions to the canvas, and soon started painting live at urban jazz sessions, nightclubs, and hip hop events, where audiences could witness the music infusing his work. Those audiences liked what they saw—a lot!—and word spread fast, thanks in large part to Garibaldi’s business savvy. Now the 24-year-old Sac-based painter lives more like a rock star than the stereotypical portrait artist, traveling around the world to perform for live audiences, music thumping as he works both the canvas and the crowd. In his live performance art show, “Rhythm and Hue,” Garibaldi quickly creates 6-foot portraits of pop icons, CEO’s, rock stars, sports figures or historic figures. In his studio, he produces scenes from post hip-hop America that capture a whole spectrum of emotion and experience. His aim is always to inspire. Asked about his unusual fusion of performance art and painting, he responds, “Who said the artist has to stay in the studio? The stage is where I feel the most free.” So, we asked this local rising star just how he found that freedom:

SP: What role did your parents play in you becoming a professional artist?
DG: ENCOURAGEMENT! The one, intangible thing my parents gave me was encouragement. You can’t buy that. Because of that, when I said I was going to be an artist, they helped me believe it was actually possible. Even though the world wanted to detour me from it. The encouragement from my parents still continues today.

SP: What kind of training or education did you have?
DG: I was lucky enough to attend Sheldon H.S. where they have an advanced arts program. I didn’t do too well in high school due to poor decisions, so I never got to go to the college I wanted to go to for more training. To learn how to paint, I just painted. All day, all night. I’m very lucky to do what I do, and I definitely encourage schooling for those still finding their style in art.

SP: When did you start getting paid to paint?
DG: I was 20 years old, painting live in night clubs. I painted four nights a week, and sold almost everything over the course of my first year painting. I didn’t get a whole lot for them, but I was definitely getting paid…

SP: How did you make the transition from hobbyist to professional?
DG: Honestly, I felt professional from the beginning. I always wanted to have a plan and a vision for the future. (A hobbyist sets no plan and goes about it with no direction or set course.) That is a big reason things have happened so quickly for me. If you want to be a professional, set a plan, and execute it. It may not be the best plan, but have something.

SP: Have you ever considered teaching kids?
DG: Unfortunately, I have never taught. I would like to in the future, but I still consider myself a student, and I have a lot to learn.

SP: What advice do you have for parents of aspiring artists?
DG: If you see any naturally creative or artistic eye in your child, encourage it right away. It’s like a soccer mom for a soccer player. Do the same thing, but for art. Buy the tools, get the training. Then the kids can decide whether they really want to continue it… Let them explore the possibilities because the art world is not just limited to poor struggling artists. They can be very successful, IF they work hard and they are encouraged along the way.
I never want to force my kids to be creative, but I want to expose them to it, so they know they have another option. I also want to expose them to different sports, and music, and culture. If my kids are creative, I would do the same as any parent. I would provide them with the tools, and the programs necessary to help them get where they want to go.

SP: And if parents have kids who like art, but they aren’t very good at it?
DG: Still encourage it. You can still learn many life lessons from the process. There are also many other positions to be filled in a creative business...

SP: How do you stay disciplined and focused?
DG: It comes down to a “Will to Win.” When an athlete trains for a competition, they are training to be number one, not number three or four… As an artist, you have to think of it that way as well. If you want to make a career out of it, and you want to be successful, you must be determined. And if that means you are up all night painting, or studying about new techniques, then that’s what you do. It’s okay if you just want to create art for fun, but if you want to make a career out of it, you must have a “Will to Win.”