Hey everyone, basically what the title says.

I am an entrepreneur trying to build a business, but also a pianist on the side. I have tackled advanced repertoire like Mozart Sonata No. 15 in F, Chopin Ballade No. 1, etc. but nowadays I constantly find myself short on time to do new repertoire and maintain my previous pieces.

I am curious how people with a day job manage to do this and even thrive. I have seen countless instances where people are playing the pieces I could only imagine to play and also having a stable source of income from jobs in a completely different industry.

How are people sustaining it? Is it even the norm or are these people outliers?

How can I do the same?

Hey everyone! I'm u/vexedbox, a founding moderator of r/ParallelArtists.

This community is for musicians and artists balancing creativity with another career, responsibility, or life path.

Maybe you:

• Write songs after a 10-hour shift
• Produce music between classes
• Play weekend gigs while working full-time
• Practice late at night after taking care of family
• Dream about music constantly while building a career elsewhere

You belong here.

ParallelArtists exists because creative life doesn’t only belong to full-time musicians. A lot of incredible art is made in apartments after work, in garages on weekends, on laptops during lunch breaks, and in exhausted but determined moments most people never see.

This is a space to:

• Share music and projects
• Talk about balancing work and creativity
• Discuss burnout, discipline, motivation, and identity
• Celebrate wins, big or small
• Learn from others living the same “double life”

What to Post 🎵

Post anything the community would find interesting, helpful, relatable, or inspiring, including:

• Original songs, demos, or albums
• Studio setups and workspace photos
• Stories from gigs, rehearsals, or failed shows
• Advice about balancing work and music
• Time management or productivity tips
• Burnout and motivation discussions
• Questions about creative routines
• Wins from finishing a song or booking a show
• Collaborator searches
• Behind-the-scenes creative processes
• Memes about musician life and day jobs

Community Guidelines

• Be supportive and constructive
• No gatekeeping about who is or isn’t a “real artist”
• Self-promo is okay in moderation
• Respect privacy and anonymity
• Keep discussions relevant to creative life alongside other responsibilities

Introduce Yourself 🎤

Drop a comment and tell us:

1. What do you do outside of music?
2. What kind of music do you make?
3. What’s the hardest part about balancing both?
4. What are you currently working on?

Community Vibe

We're building a friendly, constructive, and grounded community where people can talk honestly about balancing art with real life.

No pretending.
No elitism.
No “you have to quit your job to be serious.”

Just people making music anyway.

How to Get Started

• Introduce yourself in the comments
• Share something you're working on
• Ask a question
• Support another artist here
• Invite someone who would love this community

Interested in helping moderate as the community grows? Feel free to reach out.

Thanks for being part of the very first wave.

Together, let’s make r/ParallelArtists something special.

Looking for people who are good at writing conversational, engaging, and natural-sounding content for various online communities and discussion platforms.

This is ongoing remote work paid per task completed.

What the work involves:

• Writing short-form discussion-style content
• Creating engaging conversational responses
• Community-oriented writing tasks
• Opinion/feedback style writing
• Internet culture/community research tasks

Requirements:

• Strong written English
• Ability to write naturally and conversationally
• Familiarity with online communities/forums
• Reliable communication

Payment:

• Payments sent via PayPal
• Pay is 12-20 cents per word
• Paid in USD
• Payment based on amount/quality of work completed
• Long-term work available for reliable contributors

Please comment/send me a DM if interested

Looking for long-term contributors who understand internet culture and can communicate authentically online.

Looking for people who are good at writing conversational, engaging, and natural-sounding content for various online communities and discussion platforms.

This is ongoing remote work paid per task completed.

What the work involves:

• Writing short-form discussion-style content
• Creating engaging conversational responses
• Community-oriented writing tasks
• Opinion/feedback style writing
• Internet culture/community research tasks

Requirements:

• Strong written English
• Ability to write naturally and conversationally
• Familiarity with online communities/forums
• Reliable communication

Payment:

• Payments sent via PayPal
• Paid in USD
• Payment based on amount/quality of work completed
• Long-term work available for reliable contributors

Please comment/send me a DM if interested

Looking for long-term contributors who understand internet culture and can communicate authentically online.

Looking for people who are good at writing conversational, engaging, and natural-sounding content for various online communities and discussion platforms.

This is ongoing remote work paid per task completed.

What the work involves:

• Writing short-form discussion-style content
• Creating engaging conversational responses
• Community-oriented writing tasks
• Opinion/feedback style writing
• Internet culture/community research tasks

Requirements:

• Strong written English
• Ability to write naturally and conversationally
• Familiarity with online communities/forums
• Reliable communication

Payment:

• Payments sent via PayPal
• Pay is 12-20 cents per word
• Paid in USD
• Payment based on amount/quality of work completed
• Long-term work available for reliable contributors

Please comment/send me a DM if interested

Looking for long-term contributors who understand internet culture and can communicate authentically online.

Looking for people who are good at writing conversational, engaging, and natural-sounding content for various online communities and discussion platforms.

This is ongoing remote work paid per task completed.

What the work involves:

• Writing short-form discussion-style content
• Creating engaging conversational responses
• Community-oriented writing tasks
• Opinion/feedback style writing
• Internet culture/community research tasks

Requirements:

• Strong written English
• Ability to write naturally and conversationally
• Familiarity with online communities/forums
• Reliable communication

Payment:

• Payments sent via PayPal
• Paid in USD
• Payment based on amount/quality of work completed
• Long-term work available for reliable contributors

Please comment/send me a DM if interested

Looking for long-term contributors who understand internet culture and can communicate authentically online.

Hey everyone! I'm u/vexedbox, a founding moderator of r/ParallelArtists.

This community is for musicians and artists balancing creativity with another career, responsibility, or life path. Not all of us are pursuing a music career, but we still find time to create and practice just for the love for the craft!

Maybe you:

• Write songs after a 10-hour shift
• Produce music between classes
• Play weekend gigs while working full-time
• Practice late at night after taking care of family
• Dream about music constantly while building a career elsewhere

You belong here.

ParallelArtists exists because creative life doesn’t only belong to full-time musicians. A lot of incredible art is made in apartments after work, in garages on weekends, on laptops during lunch breaks, and in exhausted but determined moments most people never see.

This is a space to:

• Share music and projects
• Talk about balancing work and creativity
• Discuss burnout, discipline, motivation, and identity
• Celebrate wins, big or small
• Learn from others living the same “double life”

What to Post:

Post anything the community would find interesting, helpful, relatable, or inspiring, including:

• Original songs, demos, or albums
• Studio setups and workspace photos
• Stories from gigs, rehearsals, or failed shows
• Advice about balancing work and music
• Time management or productivity tips
• Burnout and motivation discussions
• Questions about creative routines
• Wins from finishing a song or booking a show
• Collaborator searches
• Behind-the-scenes creative processes
• Memes about musician life and day jobs

Community Guidelines

• Be supportive and constructive
• No gatekeeping about who is or isn’t a “real artist”
• Self-promo is okay in moderation
• Respect privacy and anonymity
• Keep discussions relevant to creative life alongside other responsibilities

Introduce Yourself!

We are excited to get to know you! Drop a comment and tell us:

1. What do you do outside of music?
2. What kind of music do you make?
3. What’s the hardest part about balancing both?
4. What are you currently working on?

Community Vibe

We're building a friendly, constructive, and grounded community where people can talk honestly about balancing art with real life. Just people making music regardless.

How to Get Started

• Introduce yourself in the comments
• Share something you're working on
• Ask a question
• Support another artist here
• Invite someone who would love this community

Interested in helping moderate as the community grows? Feel free to reach out.

Thanks for being part of the very first wave.

Together, let’s make r/ParallelArtists something special.

I like convenience but I am really shocked at how loud this thing it. I expected it to be a silent helper in the background but it sounds like a jet engine in the hallway. Unbelievable that a tiny appliance is so loud!

For those of you who have quieter setups, what did you do?

Are the higher end models actually quiter or is the "quiet robot vacuum" just a marketing ploy?

Does the floor/rug matter in how noisy the appliance is?

Any tips for scheduling so it is less annoying in my day to day life?

Right now mine is at the point where I can either have a clean floor or a peaceful apartment. Would love to hear what worked for you, because I feel like there has to be a better balance than this.