We asked experts from a broad range of industries to open up to us about things they know about their industry but that we probably don’t and we’ve shared some of those responses below.

Jackson Bliss | Mixed-race Fiction Writer, Screenwriter, & Essayist

1. That very few fiction/nonfiction writers live off of their writing and many never receive an advance at all. In other words, the prestige of being a published author bears no relationship to the income it gives authors, which is why most authors teach creative writing at the university. 2. Celebrities don’t write their own memoirs (but they still get massive advances that other writers would die for) Read more>>

Annie Armstrong | Entrepreneur, Floral Designer, Owner of best day ever floral design

I feel that there are two main things; first how physically laborious floral design is. It is incredibly taxing and requires not only very early mornings and long days on our feet but also an incredible amount of strength and stamina. Half of a florist’s job is lugging around heavy buckets of water, never ending boxes, lifting, loading, unloading, going up and down ladders about a million times, installing things in tricky settings, etc. Read more>>

Beulah Obioma | Actor & Model

How hard it is to consistently create, and stay in that headspace despite all that is going on with the world. Read more>>

Luke Skippy” Harbur | Creative Producer & Entertainer”

In the creative production and entertainment industry, it takes some serious money to start it properly. To create high quality products and services, you need to understand that you may lose money in the beginning quickly but must think about how your projects can pay back and turn a profit in the long-term. As someone who continues working through anxiety, there are days when I freeze up about making the decision to do this full-time. Yet, as I prepare to put on my first major production that involves a crew of 10 people, you realize what you’re doing is about setting aside your ego for a greater good of serving others financially, morally, and emotionally. This makes the industry worth it in the end! Read more>>