We recently connected with Stefanie Potter and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Stefanie, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
When I was a freshman in high school, a friend invited me to a youth event. It was there that we fell in love with a local punk rock band. They had the typical fun carefree attitude of a rock band, but they were different. They weren’t just about themselves and their music. I connected with their deeper, sometimes spiritual, lyrics, and their hearts to encourage other people was evident on and off stage. I was going through a hard time at home, so their music–which opened me up to other bands like them–really made a difference in my life.
Until that point, I had written a few basic songs, played a bit of guitar, and sang every chance I got, but it was then that I knew I wanted to do something similar. So I recruited my friend and sister to start a band, and began spending most of my free time (ok… and some class time) on learning, making, and sharing music in an encouraging way.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am an “artist of the heart,” writing music full of raw human emotion, social consciousness, and therapeutic themes. I’m a social worker and person of faith, writing passionately and transparently from my experiences, because connection brings healing. I’ve written in a wide variety of genres, but most recently I’ve been creating soulful alternative music. My music is available on all major platforms.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My goal in sharing music is connection, because both my faith and my social work education inform me that empathic connection brings healing. I’m a pretty soft-spoken person in everyday life, and I don’t often think of the exact things I want to say until later, so I sing about things I think will be helpful in some way for people to hear. I want my music to inspire people to be the best versions of themselves, full of love and care for themselves and the world around them. I want my little corner of culture to be reminded about who we were made to be– each our unique selves, but connected together in a way that makes everything a bit more beautiful.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
The best thing people can do is to show up for each other. Enjoy time together, celebrate and share good art, and be there for each other when things get hard.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stefaniepotter.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stefaniepottermusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stefaniepottermusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/stefaniepottermusic
- Other: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/stefanie-potter/1088627179 https://open.spotify.com/artist/4L4714omaPEQ1QHED3RmFB?si=TvL-oAdYQdWM3LnTYI-atw&nd=1&dlsi=4d8f998161ca4852
Image Credits
Havilah Whetstone (color), Hunter B Media (b&w), Lea Giorlando (heart)