TAMPA, Fla. — By day, Janelle Richardson is a vocal coach. But off the clock, she's a singer-songwriter who goes by the moniker "J'Nelle."
They're two passions fueled by a lifelong love of music.
But three years ago, the latter became a bit of a struggle.
"I was actually diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and it affected me and my music," she said.
For Richardson, managing her diagnosis meant confronting the isolation that many creatives deal with.
In her case, she did it by launching a local conference called Creatology.
"Creatives do not let other creatives create alone," she said.
Now in its third year, she said the goal is to create a community.
"We have workshops, we have networking events that they can attend, open mics, and also a panel discussion that focuses on the mental health aspect in the creative arts industry," she said.
In the end, Richardson wants other artists to know it's okay to struggle.
But she also wants them to know they don't have to do it alone.
And above all else, she wants to encourage them to push forward.
"Just do it, do it scared. Do it with that heart-pounding. Breathe and know that you are valuable, your work is valuable [and] who you are is valuable. Your work is needed," she said.
This year's Creatology conference will be held July 11-13. To learn more, click here.
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