Seattle creatives joined the Office of Film + Music at KEXP for the February 2018 Mixer, featuring local singer/songwriter/guitarist/podcaster John Roderick. Mixer guests spent the first hour networking and enjoying drinks, before Roderick took the stage to give an overview of his life as an artist and lessons he’s learned along the way, along with a short Q&A session.

Roderick described a career full of mini-successes—making a living “one $160 check at a time.” Many artists don’t have a single big break and experience smooth sailing from there, but rather build their careers steadily over years. He advised the young artists in the crowd to stay humble and continue to say yes to even seemingly trivial opportunities, since even small checks add up over time. He also spoke about his experience dealing with mental health issues and their effects on his life and career.

You can find more information about John Roderick on his website, or follow him on Twitter.

The March Mixer will feature a presentation by Ventures, helping Mixer attendees translate lessons learned from Roderick’s talk into concrete steps they can take to make and save money for their creative enterprise. We’ll see you there on March 28, 5:00-7:00 p.m., at the Vera Project.