Erich Donaldson - Seattle, Washington, USA

Erich is a Hip-Hop writer for DJBooth.net in Seattle, Wa. He also works as a social manager for Visionary Music Group, home to Logic and Jon Bellion.

I first met Erich in high school through a program called ESA (Environmental Studies Academy). We became fast friends through some of the same interests and life itself. Erich is an interesting guy due to his profession, the way he thinks about life and how he motivates himself to became a stronger individual. I admire his way of thinking and his strong work ethic. People who travel like myself are fortunate in many ways. Erich, I'm sure would love to travel, but he has his own goals in life. I asked Erich to answer these questions because I find his passion for writing a great life skill. The harder he works toward his goals, the better results he will see. This story connects with traveling in an amazing way. We all have aspirations like Erich. His may be different, but the same methods work for those trying to find themselves through traveling and those who want to find themselves through their daily goals.
​~ Dan Hellinger

"You never know when you’ll find your passion."

"I want to achieve things like marriage, a family, traveling the world, etc."

Erich's Inspirational Story

"The craziest story is just life itself. My environment, being quiet and shy away, shaped me to be a journalist. If I had more friends and a reason to be outgoing, my life might have taken a different turn. We have a laptop in my house and that changed everything, because I’d only been online occasionally at school or the library. You never know when you’ll find your passion. It just happens, but you need to be somewhat in tune; it could eventually show up. Don’t ever let someone say you can’t do what you please. At the same time, I’ll always tell someone to look at more within a certain field. I’m a journalist, but I’m also a creative writer outside of music. I could one day write a book. I’m skilled in the art of digital marketing/social media management. I personally don’t want to feel limited in case music writing doesn’t work out." ~ Erich Donaldson

What improvements do you want to see the USA make in the next 5 years?

​"Near Safeco Field, where I currently work, there’s been a ton of tents popping up. Homeless people showing up from wherever they were before. I want to see America figure out some plan to help these people in need. Can we build an apartment complex in various neighborhoods across America and let these people have a home until they can get a job and support themselves? It’s not right to be stuck in the street. Most of those folks probably couldn’t get a job in their current state, or maybe they could if they tried but the stereotype weighs down. Who wants to hire someone looking like that? It’s a tough call. I think the entire world needs a huge re-evaluation. What is the true point of struggling? Why is that a thing? If I can live the life I want to, why can’t everybody else? Some don’t have the resources or opportunities to. Every good human deserves a shot. I don’t know how to create that, because it seems like an impossible task. We’re so accustomed to what we’ve created on Earth that to have change would be some kind of miracle that strikes everyone who has any power to figure it out."

What aspirations do you want to achieve in life?

"​My biggest aspirations have to deal with being happy with my life. There’s so many factors that go into that. For instance, I need to be living out my dreams and passions, not stuck working a job I hate. I want to leave an impact on the music journalism game, whether that’s through pieces on websites, a book one day, or whatever. I feel like I have a great ear and want my opinion to be respected and appreciated. Then, of course, I want to achieve things like marriage, a family, traveling the world, etc. I guess you can sum up all my aspirations as looking back one day and knowing I led a rich, fulfilling life. One I could be proud of."

Is money important or is the power of knowledge more crucial to you?

​"Knowledge, because money comes and goes. I’ve always been about knowledge, especially when I’m interested in whatever it is. Having the knowledge can lead to money that you wouldn’t have if you didn’t take the time to learn. I’m always reading other people’s works, books, and researching on the internet. Not just music related stuff either. I’m into video games, comics, articles about love, relationships and sex, wrestling, and so much more. I try to combine all of that to be a well rounded writer and that’s come at the cost of not getting money when I could’ve had a better day job. I chose the seasonal job that allows me more than enough time to create something special with my life, while making sure I’m not broke."