We recently connected with Taylor Mroski and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Taylor, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
I don’t always feel confident. Everything is on the line when you make original music. You sacrifice so much in terms of security, money, time. That only intensifies the feeling of exposure as you step in front of your audience. What if it’s cringy? Should I have really written this song? What if they’re offended by the way I look at the world? What if my execution is poor?
I’m bombarded by negative thoughts in virtually every step of my work. It’s in my nature. I think “nobody really likes this music.” “so-and-so is way better than I am” “I’ve been doing this for so long. This will never pan out.” “I’m not unique enough” “I’m not good enough” Even though I feel these strong negative emotions, I still think that I have confidence.
To me, confidence is faith that what you are doing is worth it. If you really believe that your art is your calling, it matters. Be it invigorating, lucrative, and life giving–or humiliating, costly, and draining. If you have purpose, then self-doubt isn’t so scary. Personally, my faith in God sustains me in my artistic journey. I think he’s called me to this profession, with all its pitfalls and blessings. Because of that, I can rest in just enjoying the day-to-day, no matter what I feel I am worth in the moment.
Maybe I am better than I think. Maybe I am worse than I think. Who cares! Who made me the judge of my own art? No one. What matters at the end of the day is that I was true to my calling. I can’t control how the art is received. I can only control the measure with which I give it my full attention. If I gave it my all, it’s something I can be proud of.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I used to be a full-time youth pastor. It was an amazing job. Teenagers are so optimistic and fun. And I cared so much for my students and their parents. I went to their birthday parties and graduations and baseball games. I went out to eat with them. I attended the funerals of their loved ones. I took them on trips. I prayed with and for them. I was there with my students at their best and worst. And while all of this was so rewarding, I was drained.
I was not able to give 100% to my work as a youth pastor. My good, God-given temperament as a musician would not let me. I lied to myself, and came to believe that pursuing my dreams was somehow selfish–a betrayal of my calling as a youth pastor. I loved the people I was serving. I was so scared what would happen to them if I followed my dream to be a musician. But all this time, he was directing my passions and interests toward glorifying him through music.
What kept me at the youth pastor job, when I knew it wasn’t a great fit? I suppose pride. I thought that no one else could do my job as well as I would. I thought things would fall apart. I thought that the students’ faith would be in jeopardy. How self-centered! The church is not about Taylor. It is about God. In stepping down, it was an opportunity to show that God protects his people. Not only that, but clinging to the job was actually selfish. Not only was I denying myself the fulfillment of my own calling. There were hundreds of people who wanted to be a youth pastor looking for a job that I would not let go of.
There came a point one summer where the work was so difficult, and the schedule so chaotic, that I couldn’t do anything except my full-time job. It seemed 24/7. I was so drained. I couldn’t do it any more. When I expressed this to my congregation, they actually helped me. They saw my calling as a musician even more clearly than I did. They pushed me to go and become a musician. They continued to welcome me with the same love they always did. And they even continued to pay me a small amount to play music while I got on my feet.
My congregation helped me realize that God wants us to thrive as we do his work. When I finally let go of my pride and fear, I was able to step down from the job. The scariest part was the unknown. I remember having a mini panic attack when I took my salary out of my finance sheets! I’m laughing as I write this, because when I quit, It turned out to be a win-win for everyone. It’s 2024, and I’m still alive. I still have my house. My church is still thriving and growing despite hardships. Someone took over my position who’s every bit as capable as I was. I met and married the love of my life. And now, I am so fulfilled in tackling my calling every single day.
So, now that my story’s out of the way–what am I doing now? I’m a full-time freelance bass player and songwriter. I have a solo project under my own name. I play my original music in solo settings and with my full band. You can see what I do at taylormroski.com.
I also host a Spotify playlist called New Orleans Underground. Every month, I curate a playlist that is 100% local, original, and independent. Here’s the link. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2AP2KLLlIJW0tdv6UIeSyL?si=a4731aa201b04b83
I’m working on more original music every day. I’m deep in production of tons of work. I can’t wait to release it. The best way to keep track of me is to sign up for my email list at taylormroski.com or to follow me on instagram @taylormroski
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three qualities that I think are essential:
Versatility–freelancers need to be able to do a myriad of skills. Lots of people who would be fantastic artists can’t make a business out of it because they refuse to learn the relevant skills. I went to music college. But music college didn’t teach me about how to run social media, how to write, record, and market my music, how to operate my website, how to edit video, how to make graphics for my gigs, etc. Get on youtube. Don’t wait for anyone to show you how to do something. Just learn it! This goes for the craft as well. In the early stages (I’d consider myself to still be in the early stages), it’s good to know a bunch of musical approaches. I play funk gigs, ballets, straight ahead jazz gigs, and of course the songwriter music. I don’t think I would have financially made it in my first year if I wasn’t able to get income from many different places.
Playfulness–music to me is like a game. I try to keep it fun, even when I’m working. I’m always trying to keep myself from getting too clinical when I’m in the creative process. I try to work away from my computer until it is absolutely necessary. I embrace strange sounds. I let my mind wander. I try to multitask. I write poems. I make drawings. I cook new dishes. If I expect to have any longevity in this field, I have to stay in touch with the playful spirit that got me into this business in the first place.
Faith–whether you’re religious or not, you have to have some kind of underlying value system that makes what you do have some kind of importance. For me, I’m a Christian. I believe that God has given me everything I need in life and death though Jesus Christ. Everything I do as an artist is an effort to point people toward God, as a thank-you for what he has done in my life. I’m not saying you have to adopt that specific worldview as an ethic on which to base your work. But you’re going to need to know why you’re doing what you do. And that “why” needs to be something that really sustains you though the highs and lows of your craft.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
My biggest obstacle right now is my stage presence. I’ve learned a lot of tools along the way. And I just wrote at length about what I think confidence is. In practice, I’m still learning to live into those things. As it is, I just have go into every single gig, and be as selfless as I can, and give all I can, and hope for the best, knowing that it is meaningful.
Contact Info:
- Website: taylormroski.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/taylormroski
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/taylormroskisongs
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@taylormroski
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/taylormroski
