Daily Inspiration: Meet Jake Fraczek

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jake Fraczek.

Hi Jake, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Although now a writer and author of the books The Waiting Room and Quicksand, I’ve always sought expression through various artistic outlets. It started very young, drawing and painting, getting that from my grandparents, who both painted and acted in plays. Just before my teens, skateboarding came into my life and stayed at the forefront for ten years. While energy drink brands and ESPN package it as an extreme sport, which it can be, it was always an art form to me, one that eluded mainstream and societal approval. That outsider aspect had a comforting quality I gravitated to.

At the same time, enamored with Hip-Hop, with feeble attempts b-boying and dabbling with graffiti, in my late teens, I applied my poetry writing to writing rhymes and freestyling, snowballing into an indie rap career, recording and releasing many projects, playing live shows around the country, collaborating with notable artists, and even having my band Blue Gold for a couple years. Oddly and painfully, as my music career was at its’ brightest, the non-artistic sides of the industry began to sour my willingness to entertain the politics that are often necessary for artists to keep advancing. I was making choices I didn’t like, disappointing myself, feeling surrounded by people and elements that drained me to the point where I didn’t want to participate in the circus anymore. I went cold turkey and stopped making music.

A couple of years after, I found myself writing short stories and poems to channel things I was dealing with, and felt a pull to write my first book, telling stories in a different manner than I had in my music. The transition was so natural, and the pleasure I got from it was too great to deny. So, here I am. Oh yeah, I host my Damaged Goods Podcast, where I get to speak freely without the limitations the music biz can place on one’s feelings and outlooks being shared.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not the roughest, not the smoothest. I never try to frame any story I tell as a “woe is me” tale. When I look at some family and friends who’ve had crazy rough roads, my path looks much smoother, and that’s whom I generally measure my journey against to keep things in perspective. But then I have family and friends who’ve had much more stable, gentle, and “normal” roads. I would never say I’ve had a rough or bad life. It’s been great, even the tough parts (once they’re over). But there have been bumpy patches for sure. One thing I realized early was that I have had a more “unique” life than many I know, seeing, doing, and experiencing some wild and rare things. I can thank my parents for much of that. I don’t mean that in a condescending way either. Good or bad, it’s all served as inspiration, material, and motivation for my art. Growing up in the West Indies, going to a boarding school for three years, parents living wild & nefarious lifestyles, crime, drugs, numerous near-death encounters, depression, suicide attempts, up and down financially, getting paid to travel the world, love and heartbreak… good or bad, it has all sculpted me and the art I create.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As an author, I am known for telling short stories, all true, in what I guess is labeled “creative non-fiction”. I have two books published, The Waiting Room and Quicksand. They are dark-comedic in nature, and while there is some sentimental and heavy subject matter, it’s told through my anomalous lens braced by my offbeat sense of humor, all the while keeping a poetic approach. Some readers find comfort in the vulnerability and honesty, while others enjoy what seems startling and hilarious. I am proud of what I write because it comes from pain, love, curiosity, fear, societal critiques, and a compulsion to bear it. My stories stem from what I live and how I see it all, not trying to fit any mold or appease any trends. The life I have lived has provided me with so much that is unique to me, I don’t have to chase after other notions. I also write movie reviews and host my Damaged Goods Podcast, talking with other creatives about their experiences.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
As far as the literary world, I’m void of any clairvoyant powers, nor do I like to try to predict where things might go. I’m gonna to write what I write to be who I am regardless. While AI affecting creative arts is a topic on many tongues lately, particularly in regards to the threat it poses to writers, I think that may be a bigger concern in the world of writing in relation to film and TV, and less so books themselves. Many movies and shows are adapted from books, so hopefully, that keeps true creators, aka fuckin’ human beings, above water. People gravitate to what they can feel and usually, what is simply better (although clearly not always, as we see commercialized, watered-down entertainment often appeases the masses). If storylines, plot ideas, or commentaries come off as authentic, personable, and tangible, they can sense that. To poorly paraphrase an old fable, if a thirsty person sees only a dirty glass of water, it appears as merely a glass of water, and they will reach for it. If you place a clean glass of water next to it, they can see which of the two is more fitting to drink.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/jakefraczek/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakefraczek/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/jthes
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU3lqnW4LH10iurB6GyGXzQ/videos
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1977253407/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HQ94JXJQW3R2YW7FNJAS

Image Credits
Photos by Adam Amengual Poster print by Brendan Donnelly