Artistic Wisdom from Dolly Parton
2 Big Life Lessons for Singers from my favorite Dolly quote…
Dolly Parton once said:
“Find out who you are, and do it on purpose”
Recently, I revisited this brilliant quote, and 2 life lessons for artists emerged…
Why is this? Well, I have a few hypotheses…
We do the majority of our training in our teens and early twenties- While we are only a few years through puberty, our bodies and our identities are in a constant state of flux.
The “You Need to Be Fixed” mindset of some training programs. In an effort to please the aesthetics of a teacher who “knows best,” young artists can sometimes be lead into a trap of homogenizing their artistry and forfeiting their creative instincts at key points in their development.
“Finding Out Who You Are” sounds like a nice thing to work on, but feels intangible.
here are 3 Ways to better “Find Out Who You are”
Cultivate a more fine tuned awareness of your body- The better you can sense yourself, the better you can sense what feels good and expressive.
Hone your unique Artistic Point of View- What do you like? What do you dislike? What artists inspire you?
Regulate your Autonomic Nervous System- Freeing yourself from scarcity or survival can help you access a more authentic YOU.
Bonus: Release yourself of the obligation to please others (if you can figure out how to do this please let me know!)
This very idea is the premise of the book "Unintentional Music: Releasing Your Deepest Creativity" by Lane Arye
What results is insight into a more creative you. One that doesn't have to work so hard to do, because you're just being.
So I ask you...
Do you want my guess?
Scary at first, but oh so liberating in the long run!
If you’d like to explore this type of working with your singing, I’m happy to chat.
