Reading chapters from Poor Artists made me think a lot about my own journey through arts. Like the authors, I’ve always found it hard to imagine making a living from art, especially working in more experimental and underground music scenes like industrial noise and ambient. For a long time, I worked outside the arts—in hospitality, casinos, and now as an outreach worker in a homelessness charity. Creative work always felt separate from the jobs that paid the bills.

The chapter reminded me that I’m not alone in this feeling. It’s tough to find your place in the arts, especially if you don’t come from a background that gives you easy access to the right networks or spaces. I realised I might not have been looking in the right places, or I didn’t know what opportunities were even out there.

One important realisation I’ve had recently is to appreciate the things I already have. I’ve been lucky in many ways—I live in a guardianship space where I don’t have to pay full London rent, and I have the freedom and space to work on installations and make sound without worrying too much. For a long time, I didn’t have to work full-time, which gave me the chance to study and focus on developing my creative practice.

I now see how valuable that time and space have been. I also understand that once you work full-time—especially in a busy, expensive city like London—it becomes much harder to keep a creative practice alive or even to expand it to a full-time income. This makes me think more carefully about how I can make the most of my current situation, while continuing to explore ways to build a sustainable path in the creative field.

Before starting my studies at the University of the Arts London, my creative work was mostly all about music. I was focused on experimental sound, scoring performance art acts and exploring what sound could express on its own. When I began studying at UAL things rapidly shifted. Being surrounded by artists working with different mediums and technologies brought a lot of inspiration and new ways of thinking. I became especially inspired by work with micro-controllers, creative technology and how it can bring together sound, light, and movement.

During my studies, I started collaborating with others, which had a big impact on me. One of these collaborations was with audiovisual artist Aleks Zamyarski, who helped me see how sound and visuals can work together especially using software Touchdesigner to create powerful experiences. I also started working closely with my wife, Ona Tzar, who is a dance performer, musician and visual artist. For her shows and videos, I designed and built a custom LED set, which became an important step in combining my skills in music and technology. Thanks to this project for her I developed necessary skills which now I apply within creating an intricate LED array installation.

These experiences showed me that I love creating interactive, sensory environments where sound, light, and the body are connected. Now, I want to keep developing these kinds of projects, working with artists from different fields, and pushing my ideas into new spaces—like public art, live performance, or immersive installations.

An important realisation for me during this time has been that making a living purely from art—especially as someone working in fringe music genres like industrial noise or ambient—can be very challenging. Exploring creative technology has opened up new possibilities for me, giving me more confidence to eventually build a sustainable creative career. It allows me to work across fields, collaborate on different types of projects, and apply my skills in ways that go beyond music alone.

Later this year, my wife and I are planning to move to New York City. I’m really excited about this new chapter. New York has an amazing art and tech scene, and I hope to meet new people, start new collaborations, and explore fresh opportunities. I feel ready to take my work to the next level, building on what I’ve learned, and seeing where it takes me next.