We were lucky to catch up with Crissy London recently and have shared our conversation below.
Crissy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
Growing up I never thought that I would be able to do anything creative as a career. I grew up in a household that valued grades and traditional job roles that would give me some sense of stability such as doctor, lawyer, professor, etc. I never wanted to do any of those things. As a child, I had creative hobbies such as singing, dancing classes (ballet, jazz, hiphop, latin dance) and I took piano lessons for about 5 years. At first I really enjoyed the piano but it soon felt a chore to me. I didn’t find joy in it anymore. So I would rebel. My mom at the time would dress me in pink dresses and my hair was always in a ponytail. I hated it. Not so much now but I think I just really hated feeling limited and restricted. I hated not being able to climb a tree or get dirty. As soon as I got to choose my own clothes or activities, I started playing sports and wearing pants. I was always an avid reader and although I have started writing a few books, those were career paths that never seemed to be available for me. I recall a callous art teacher I had who was kind of mean to me. She would crack short jokes on me and most of the time I was just ignored. Looking back at it, I realized just how wild that really was because I was literally a little kid so of course I was short… I don’t even remember her name but at the end of the semester she came up to me one day shaking her head and told me that I needed to be more proactive. I had no idea what she meant at the time but I always remembered that. It felt like she was reprimanding me. I was so confused at the time but maybe she had seen something in my potential then that no one else ever saw. Regardless, that encounter went over my head because no one has ever told me nor really encouraged my creativity. I never felt any external validation in any of my artistic projects. In hindsight, I think that’s really important because as an artist because you don’t need anyone’s permission to start creating something. Nor their approval. Especially not their opinions. I think that’s when the magic happens. You start doing things on your own accord not prompted by a class or teacher. Later I would take theater, photography, glass crafts, etc but it was never a focal point of my education. Even after college I attended Acting School in Austin and took a few classes but something always held me back. It was while I was living there hanging out with me friends that I would get a bright idea one day. We were hanging by Barton Creek and I was noticing how unhinged and hilarious our conversations would be. I was like man we need to record these and play them for others. Soon one of the girls had come back to the group telling us she found a studio, and then we started podcasting. This was before back before podcasting was even really a thing. I guess that’s officially when “C Money” was born. (That is my artist name that I had been calling myself since I was like 16ish…) It’s crazy because today I go to Best Buy and I see all the kits and stuff now in the stores and think to myself how much easier it really has gotten for people to start creating content now. Back then we had to figure it out the hard way. We met up once a week at the studio and would plan our podcasts in our free time. We were all working full time jobs and podcasting on the side. This was before social media was even really booming like that so we really had to figure out a lot of how to’s and what nots. The first dollar we made came from a studio party we threw. I think that was when we realized if we played our cards right that we could make what we were doing a thing and gain some income from it. After a couple of years of podcasting, like life, all things come to an end and from there I got the inspiration to keep going.
Before you judge me about what I am about to say next, take everything with a grain of salt. After some soul searching, I consulted my astrology and my natal chart. Yeah, I know, I know. You don’t have to believe in astrology but what I found was that I was right on time with the things I was leaning into doing. That natal chart read told me my whole life story lol . . . I took that as confirmation to keep going. One day I will be successful. I just have to believe it. I remember what my art teacher had told me again and begun to be more proactive in my passions. I started my Youtube channel. I attempted a web series with a couple of other girls. I attempted another podcast with another girl. I started my TikTok. It was intimidating at first to make a path alone. Especially after working as a group and learning how important it is to pick the RIGHT people for a group project because not everyone knows how to work with others! After these ventures, I knew who I was as a person but I didn’t know who I was as an artist. I didn’t know what my artistic goals were. I didn’t know my artistic purpose yet. Many people would ask me why I didn’t just podcast alone after and I guess at the time I didn’t have the confidence yet. Nor did I know exactly what I wanted to say. Which I’m still working at but I am in no rush. Becoming an “artist” for me is more than just painting a pretty picture or putting some words together on paper. It’s a lifelong journey similar to my self love journey. It’s an evolution. It’s about figuring out what your own perspective is (which may change over time) and how you want to convey that to others. It’s about expression. It’s passion. It’s also understanding the impact of the things you are putting out. It’s complex. It’s simple. It is art.
Crissy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am an Archaeologist/Anthropologist by profession/degree. Content Creator in my free time. Artist by choice. I have worked many random jobs. I have many interests/talents. I have traveled a lot aka grew up an “Army brat”. And now I’m a toddler Mom. After I had a baby a few years ago, I stopped actively working in the field as an archaeologist. It’s not my first career break so maybe I will be back in the field again one day. Who knows. Anyways, I decided after having a baby to really put my foot on the pedal and lean into my artistry. Lean into being an entrepreneur and working for myself for a change. I figured that while I was at home raising my son until he starts school, I could find another way to provide. That gave me that drive to begin creating content more, vlogging, and working on my art in general. After a while, I started my company La Beachy Day with the father of my child in hopes that we could create a legacy of some sort to pass down for my son eventually when he gets older. We have a bunch of athleisure clothes that are perfect for the beach, yoga, chilling around the city, etc. I really enjoy innovating new patterns and designing the fabric for our pieces. It’s interesting that I’m doing this because I remember as a child my mother would get patterns and fabric to try to make me clothes. She wasn’t very good at sewing and the clothes weren’t the best but we didn’t have any money so I appreciated the efforts she would make. I remember one outfit in particular. It was a baby blue Flintstone print fabric that she would make into a shirt and some shorts. She also made a little hat to go with it. It wasn’t comfortable at all to wear but I knew she like when I wore it because it made her feel proud lol… I remember the first pair of jeans I cut in an experiment to make something from the scraps. It wasn’t that great but you have to start somewhere! When it comes to our brand, we are environmentally conscience and don’t believe in creating waste. So when you make a purchase, that is when your clothes will be made by our manufacturers (so make sure you are checking the size charts in advance!). We understand that it takes a little longer for items to be received but you will be receiving a product that has never been worn by anyone and was literally created just for you.
Side note: You know when I think about it, a lot of my artistic outlets were influenced by my parents. My mother wanted to be an ethnographer so I grew up having archaeology and anthropology books in the house. She was an active member of the church choir and was one of the key people pushing me to keep practicing the piano. My father was an amateur photographer, karaoke dj, singer and loved to cook. He’s no longer with us and was killed before I started my company but Im sure he would have also be surprised to see me embarking on a path that was less traveled. Looking back, I am very grateful for their influence.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I think the most rewarding thing about being an artist is seeing the creations you’ve made come to life, like actualizing your ideas into tangible things that can be experience. It doesn’t always come out like I imagine but that is okay. I think that’s where the practice part comes in. Also, at times your projects comes out way better than ever could be imagined. I love surprising myself with my projects. I like to take my time and allow for creative inspiration. I love when you’re halfway into a project and then you get the idea on how to elevate your project. That’s when it’s really time to get “cooking”. Lately I’ve been shying away from perfection. I’ve began to see the beauty in the imperfection. Embracing a more organic way of being. Nature is often times perfect in its imperfections. Not only that but imperfection gives the opportunity for improvement. I don’t expect to have it all figured out today but tomorrow I hope for improvement so I can be just a little bit better every day. I remember my first piece that brought me joy. I had created a larger than life size paper mache bust of Cleopatra when I was a kid. It was pretty large. It had hair made of yarn and was ornate with a gold shirt made of ribbon. I was very proud of it. I sculpted the wire to create the frame and it was one of those projects that turned out WAY better than I thought it would. Then I got the idea to create a headdress and I made the snake on top out of clay, which of course painted gold. I was so proud of myself because even though I didn’t think I could pull it off. I attempted it and was pleasantly surprised with the results. Years later I still have the bust at my moms house. She’s survived after all these years of us moving around.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
You know I was thinking the other day about what my “masterpiece” is or will be and I definitely don’t feel like I’ve created it yet. Or even started it to be honest. I have no idea what medium it will be. I don’t know when it will be. I don’t know what it will be. I don’t know if it will even have an impact. I think I’m okay with that. I do not intend to ever limit myself in the possibilities of my life. I think at the end of my life if someone was to ask me what I believed my masterpiece was that I would say it was my life. My life was my masterpiece TO ME. My work was impactful FOR ME. I hope to be able to tell you that I was able the create the all the things I wanted, I got to experience all the things life had to offer me, I was able to travel to all the places I’ve ever wanted to visit, I tried all the food that was worth eating, and I actively loved all the people around me. Real life goals. Living in our world today, I just can’t help but notice how toxicity is so common in our society that most people don’t recognize it. I don’t want to participate in the hate. I don’t want to have disingenuous relationships. I know I can’t “fix it” or fix others. I can only control myself so I choose a different path. I want to spread love, joy, self respect, kindness, etc. I want to influence people to embrace who they are and not be afraid to live an authentic life. Authentic to themselves. When I was growing up, I was never popular. It wasn’t that I didn’t know anyone but I never cared to be “popular”. The reason why was because back then I was able to recognize that most kids in the “popular” circle were so busy trying to “fit it” that they never really got to be themselves. I didn’t want to live like that. I don’t want to suppress my voice because others may disagree. I don’t want to do things that don’t align with my spirit for the approval of others. I don’t believe in cancelling people because they do not agree with you. I don’t have the solutions to everything but there has to be a way for us as humans to be able to embrace our individualities and coexist simultaneously without harming others. Will there ever be world peace, who knows but I will certainly always hope so. A sometimes hope is enough.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cmoneyoutloud.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/c_money_253?igsh=OGQ5ZDc20Dk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crissy.london.9/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/I_never_fall
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@C_Money_253
- Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/6mVGVvzLoL5VLCdb7
- Other: https://www.labeachyday.com
