Don't Wait Around for a Stamp of Approval

Chris Ballew, best known as the former lead singer of the 90s rock band The Presidents of the United States of America, is a musician with a fascinating career evolution. After the band's success, he transitioned into making children's music under the name Casper Babypants. He now makes music under his own name. We had an extremely engaging conversation over Zoom. Chris shared insights from his musical journey, the importance of creativity, and how he's maintained his passion through different phases of his career. I highly encourage you to explore his work further on his website and check out his music on your favorite streaming platform.

I usually interview traditional educational leaders, so this was slightly different. I reached out to Chris because he is my kids’ favorite musician! You never know what people will say when you reach out to them and ask to meet, and in this case, Chris had some time and said yes! What a fun conversation! I was even able to ask him a couple of questions that my boys asked me to ask him!?

Creativity as a Lifelong Journey

Chris emphasized that creativity is not a one-time event but a lifelong journey. He shared how his transition from rock music to children's music wasn't just a career move but a natural evolution of his creative expression. For Chris, creativity is about staying curious and open to new ideas, even if it means stepping outside of one’s comfort zone. This mindset allowed him to shift gears from the high-energy, quirky rock music of The Presidents of the United States of America to the whimsical and family-friendly tunes of Casper Babypants. Chris believes that embracing creativity as a continuous process can keep your work fresh and exciting. One of? the most interesting things he said was that sometimes embracing the creativity process means to ‘let the fields lie fallow.’ He said that during COVID he packed his entire studio into boxes and put them away for nine months. He has taken different types of breaks throughout his career, and he credits that to allowing him not to get burned out.?

Stay True to Your Passion

Another key theme in our conversation was staying true to your passion. Chris discussed how his passion for music has always been the driving force behind his career. Even during his success with The Presidents, he felt a pull towards creating music that resonated on a more personal and intimate level, leading to his venture into children's music. He mentioned that this shift allowed him to reconnect with his love for simple, joyful, and meaningful music, evident in his work as Casper Babypants. During our conversation, I couldn’t help but think that Chris is a fantastic embodiment of someone who is in alignment with his values, passions, and goals. He follows what excites him, leading to an extremely successful career!??

Be Present

Throughout the conversation, Chris and I kept returning to the topic of being present. Whether it was how present Chris felt while playing the song ‘Lump’ thousands of times throughout his career or finding purpose in doing nothing at all, being present makes a difference. He even talked about how he is working on a mindset shift when someone cuts him off while driving. He says ‘sick child’ to himself, assuming the person driving is rushing a sick child to the doctor. This helps him take the frustration out of the event. When I asked him about being ‘Time-Starved’ and how he manages to get everything done, he gave a different answer than most people I talk with. He spoke about how everything you do gives you a return on your time, and each has advantages and disadvantages. For example, he mentioned how he enjoys doing the dishes. It is a peaceful time for him, which means he gets a return on his time while doing the dishes, even though it is not advancing his musical career.?

Thank you, Chris, for your time and advice. What a fun conversation! Be sure to check out his music.?