Torn Between the Paycheck and the Passion

The creative part of me, as an independent musician, is tired. Tired of fighting for space. Tired of trying to squeeze my passion into the gaps between my retail shifts. And, lately, the frustration is only growing as I watch my music dreams feel more and more like an afterthought.

I’ve been lucky enough to be given a chance to move up in my job and become a manager. But it wasn’t a choice I made lightly. It’s more like a necessity. With the way the cost of living is climbing, I didn’t have much of a choice but to take on more responsibility and try to make it work. But deciding to accept this role was a real struggle. Managers aren’t just responsible for solving problems during office hours. They’re on call, expected to be available if something goes wrong. The responsibility doesn’t just sit at the desk. It follows you home.

But here's the thing: there aren’t enough hours in the day. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s true. Sure, there are 24 hours, and yes, I can work 40 hours a week and still “find time” to make music, but that’s not how creativity works. You can’t just force creativity into a time slot. You can’t clock in and out of it like a retail shift.

And when I do get those precious hours of freedom, I’m spent. I’ve used all my energy to show up and be the best manager I can be, and there’s not enough left for the music that’s supposed to fuel me. It’s a constant struggle to balance the demands of being a decent human being at work—someone who is present, responsible, and performing well—while also trying to nurture the creative side of myself that feeds my soul. But the truth is, it's just exhausting.

The pressure doesn’t stop there. To make any kind of headway as a musician, you need to market yourself, sell tickets, and push for streams. The cost of living is climbing while gig pay drops. You’re constantly being asked to juggle all of this, and it’s hard to stay afloat when none of it feels fair.

It’s not just a problem for the artists. Fans are losing out too. You see, the human creativity behind the music is what feeds people’s souls. It’s what gets you through hard times, brings joy, and connects us all. Yet, that creativity is at risk. If you’re not a musician, ask yourself this: where would you be without music? Don’t you want as much music to choose from as possible? Your next favorite song that helps you through a tough time may never be written.

The financial strain of today's economy hits us all but for musicians, the gig economy is unpredictable, and the music industry’s streaming revenue model is broken. The big corporations have set the streaming prices so low for listeners, it’s unrealistic to simply ask for a raise in pay-per-stream payouts. It’s too late for that. We need innovation and real change. That’s where a platform like Divvy Music can really tip the scales. They’re not just offering another streaming service; they’re shaping a future where artists and creators have sustainable revenue streams outside the current model. With Divvy, the goal isn’t just to pay artists fairly; it’s to reshape how we, as musicians, can be supported.

The way things are now, it’s only going to get worse. Artists will keep fighting for visibility while the streaming platforms keep taking it all. But if we start supporting each other, if we put the power back into the hands of the people who create the music, we can build something sustainable. A system that gives back to those who give everything, and still gives fans the streaming experience they are used to.

I believe we can shift the system. A social enterprise like Divvy Music is poised to be an alternative to Spotify for ethical streaming. Subscription fees will go to the artists listeners play, local music scenes and community causes. It's the only way out of this trap so many of us are stuck in.

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About Taylor Lee

Taylor chose to use a pseudonym, not out of fear of her employer seeing this, but out of respect. She values her job and is grateful for the opportunities it provides. However, she also recognizes that many people are in dire need of work, and she wanted to be mindful of that reality too. For Taylor, day jobs aren’t the enemy—corporations that profit off the creativity of others are.

Her story isn’t just hers; it’s the story of countless musicians and workers balancing their passions with the demands of making a living.