Not all performers do it for the fame. Truth is, most performers never achieve fame.  The performers I know are pouring craft beers in the gentrified bar around the corner from your overpriced apartment; they babysit the children of Wall Street, and put fun little designs on your lattes. They work fun, odd jobs with flexible hours to make time for the thing that brings them the most joy...their art. And they all agree, "Fuck a 9 to 5." I am that bartender. I am that babysitter. I make those lattes, except my latte art is mostly on accident and usually just looks like ovaries in some thin foam. And after working long but random hours, you would think my exhaustion would inspire a job search that actually utilizes my degree (not what I learned in school, but what the name of my prestigious alma mater implies I am capable of). Unfortunately, that's not the way my heart works. My heart wants to connect with others through my own vulnerability. My heart wants to understand human behavior, write about it, sing about it, and inspire others. My heart wants to bring people together for the sake of sharing art. My heart wants to feel all the things all the time, and share all of those feelings. My heart wants to connect with others on a spiritual level. I don't seek attention as much as I seek connection. And I won't say there aren't people pursuing an art for the wrong reasons, because we all have a few of those people in our timelines on the regular.  I pursue my craft because I can't not do it. I tried. I worked a 9 to 5 and I broke out in hives...no lie. If I see a stranger playing guitar on the street, I may join the vibes and sing along--not because I want others to hear me, but because music feels good. Music heals. It has healed souls since the beginning of time, it has brought people together throughout history, and it will continue to uplift spirits until the end of all of our days. It heals me, and the vibrations take me higher. I could never do it for the fame. I do it for the love. Music is love.