Meet Mike Rathke

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mike Rathke a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mike, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Purpose, I believe, is not something that one finds, but rather something that one is assigned.

I grew up in a rural trailer court in Kansas. My mother suffered from severe mental illness, and as a result, I left home at around the age of eleven. I couch surfed through my middle school and teenage years, crashing with a handful of friends who understood my situation at home and opened their hearts to me. Throughout those years, I had an insatiable hunger, almost an obsession, for music. When I turned fourteen, I bought a cheap acoustic guitar from a neighbor girl for twenty bucks, and would sit for hours, sometimes the entire day, learning to play. What I considered to be a passion, back then, was actually much more than that. Music was an outlet to express the inner turmoil and disappointment I felt regularly, in a therapeutic way. I’m not sure where I would be today if I didn’t have music.

As I look back, it’s evident that various circumstances presented themselves in such a way as to have allowed me the opportunity to explore music fully. A few examples include the girl who had the guitar she was willing to part with. Around that same time, a kid moved into the trailer next door, played guitar, and showed me some basic riffs. He later moved, but I kept working on it, listening to old Metallica and Ozzy songs and figuring out the notes. Friends I was staying with always encouraged me; one even bought me my first electric guitar as a Christmas gift! All of these circumstances arrived just when I needed them. In this way, it is obvious to me that the purpose of my life was being orchestrated from somewhere outside myself. This always intrigued me. Though I did not know the source of these gifts, I was always grateful.

In 1997, I became a Christian, and that’s when this purpose came alive. A significant component of the Christian faith is that the Creator causes all things to work for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. That purpose has afforded me incredible opportunities that a homeless kid from a trailer court in Kansas could never have achieved on his own. It’s made life an adventure. Difficult? Absolutely. Disappointing at times? For sure. But the purpose remains intact, because it’s built on something greater than self.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I worked in church ministry (music) for about 20 years. Throughout that time, I also completed my BA (Film & Communication), my MA (Screenwriting), and am currently working on my doctoral degree in strategic communication. These achievements have afforded me employment opportunities, the chance to live in various parts of the country, and the opportunity to work with some fantastic people. Simultaneously, I’ve also been writing, producing, and releasing music as an indie-folk artist. Currently, I am releasing singles every week and plan to do that as long as I’m able. It’s not about revenue from streaming royalties (the payouts from Spotify and Apple Music are dismal). Instead, it’s about believing that the arts are actually vital to human society. Music was such a powerful force in my childhood. There is something almost mystical in the creativity of the human mind. This, I believe, is part of our identity and birthright as image bearers of our Creator. God is creative, and being made in his image, we intrinsically recognize and value creativity. Ever see a baby start dancing the first time they hear music? It’s literally in our DNA.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I saw an interview with Rick Rubin recently. For those who aren’t familiar with him, he’s a world-class producer who’s worked with Tom Petty, System of a Down, The Beastie Boys, and a bazillion others. He was explaining why he believes much of today’s art is not at the same quality level as it was in years past. From his perspective, much of what is being created today is an attempt to guess what OTHERS might like, rather than making music that the ARTIST likes and offering it to God. In this way, Rubin posits that much of what is being created today in the name of “art,” is actually just commerce, and art and commerce are two very different things.

With that in mind, my advice is to be true and authentic to your purpose, whatever that may be. Focus less on what others will think about your art and more on your vision for your work. If you’re an aspiring artist, make art that you like. If you mow grass for a living, do it with the best of your ability and take pride in your work.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Yes! I’m always open to collaborating with fellow artists. That’s one of the great things digital media has provided. I have friends all over the country that I work with on music projects through GDrive or Dropbox. It’s incredible to think how far we’ve come in such a short time. I keep an active pulse on my Instagram inbox and have collaborated that way. If anyone is interested, shoot me a DM.

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