Good afternoon, YouthMundees!
This week singer and soul searcher, Shelby Lyone gives YouthMundus an inside peak into her creative process, which extends past simply producing art for the public's consumption. She questions what it means to reach inside one's self to truly understand the root of one's creative passion within the arts.
Lyone is a New York native. Originally from Atlanic Beach, New York in Long Island, she attended City College of New York for while. Halfway through her college career she decided to cut her time in academia short and moved to California to purse singing professionally. After two years out West she came back to her East Coast roots and has been rediscovering herself as an artist in New York.
Lyone's main focus right now is diving deep within her own soul in pursuit of bringing clarity to her artistic passions which ultimately she hopes to authentically share with others. However she does make time to sing at RoseHill Mondays, an open mic, almost every week and will be walking in her first New York Fashion this weekend.
1. What inspires you and your creative process?
The creative process itself inspires me very deeply. For me, it took embracing all parts of myself, especially the super sensitive, emotional parts that I once suppressed. It blocked my creative flow for a long time. Fully surrendering to who I AM has given my creative proves a much deeper meaning, which I feel also reflects in my work.
2. What is the connection between your art and social justice? Why?
At this point of my life, I AM the art. I AM the thing I’m constantly creating, shapeshifting and transforming. The work I do on myself goes hand and hand with social justice. We are living in a time period where so much injustice is finally being brought to light. Injustice lead by unconscious actions repeatedly being swept under the rug. Individually, if humans are disconnected from themselves, they become disconnected members of society. They create the space for the injustice to occur. I believe we sometimes forget that as individuals, we each make up the society we live in and the culture we willingly accept. If we attempt to change ourselves in a positive way and become more conscious, we hold space for others to do the same.
3. What inspired you to pursue your art? What were the challenges you overcame in this?
I think I ask myself this question a lot. I don’t think I’ll ever fully know the answer. I think new little nuggets of “why” I do this find me every day. I hope it never stops. I have always been a very sensitive person. I was taught early on in life that showing emotion meant weakness. I suppressed a lot of feelings that would come up for me. The deeper I pushed them down, the more they demanded acknowledgement. There came that “explosion” point and I realized I had to restructure my perspective around being an artist.
Finding a new thing that inspired me wasn’t the easiest thing, until I started doing work on myself. I became so inspired by the changes I was seeing in my overall wellbeing, from years of always feeling like life just “happened to me.” I dropped the victim mentality and started claiming the power I had been giving away. After turning small habits into more of a lifestyle, I realized how essential it is to share this kind of information.
Everyone deserves to feel fulfilled and empowered. I try to prioritize showing that through my art now. The more expressive, open, and vulnerable I become, the more I show others it is okay to embrace those things.
4. What’s been the most rewarding part of being an artist for you? Do you have any advice for future artists?
Honestly, the most rewarding part of being an artist for me is connecting with people, especially other artists. The small moments you feel when you’re performing. Looking out in the crowd and seeing a singer you highly respect give you the staaaank face after that high note you landed flawlessly (staaaank face is a very high honor in the singing world). Being so moved by another singer that any reaction becomes impossible. You’re paralyzed by their sound and you can’t do anything but listen. Going up to an artist after their performance and paying them praise to find out they’re the most humble person you’ve ever met. These are moments I’ve experienced finally going out, performing, and listening to other artists. This community of people out there doing what I know is also possible for myself. It is the most warm, encouraging, glamorous, talented group of people I’ve ever come across, and I see a little part of me in each and every one of them. It’s a rewarding, beautiful sense of belonging. I don’t think I’ll ever stop searching for that.
My advice to future artists is very simple. Do this because it ignites something in you. Awakens parts of you that you never even knew existed. If you stick with it long enough, you’ll realize that the very thing you’re pursuing is YOU. Don’t give up when you feel lost, find a way to pour that ocean of emotion into your work. You will NEVER regret it.
But MOST importantly, only do this for as long as you love it, and when you stop loving it go and find that.
Thank you for your continuous support and kindness.
Lots of love,
#Team IVA
Interview by Tessa M. Dobrow
Socials!!! Follow Shelby's Instagram HERE!