We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zoe Noelle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Zoe, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
The risk I take as a songwriter is trading my own comfortability and reputation to bring healing to my listeners through authentic storytelling.
The way I see it, every true artist carries secrets to the soul.
What differentiates an artist from anyone else is their ability to embrace the process, steward their discoveries in their artistry, and lead others into the revelation they’ve found.
Embracing a process looks like taking risks. Stewarding discovery looks like allowing yourself to be uncomfortable as you grow in your artistry. Leading others looks like trading perfect reputations for authentic story telling people can relate to.
Songwriting and releasing music can be a very vulnerable thing! Especially because my songs are all written from personal experiences and processes. Over my years of songwriting I have recognized the many potential risks, both personally and towards my listeners if I ever lack vision for who I am as an artist.
As I was saying before, artists carry secrets to the soul. Secrets that could build up, bring vision, purpose and healing. Or secrets that tear down, lie, manipulate and control.
I began to see how my artistry can either help heal the wounds of those listening, or reopen wounds to leave them exposed in pain as the song comes to an end.
The risk I take as a songwriter is trading my own comfortability and reputation to bring healing to my listeners through authentic storytelling.
For myself, the easier thing to do would be to pour out my emotions about every injustice or heartbreak I have walked through. But why lead my listeners into brokenness, when I know the way to healing?
Authenticity and vulnerability are major pillars of who I am as an artist. I’ll put my heart on the line hoping someone catches the beauty that’s found in the process of life’s highs and lows.
My last single, Break Me, was first written out of a place of brokenness. I knew I was in the midst of a story that needed to be shared. Therefore, I embraced the uncomfortable process of healing.
When I finished the song, I was able to bring my listeners into revelation that healed my heart and could heal theirs too!
Zoe, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I spent my childhood/teenage years in Vancouver, Washington. Here is where my love for the arts took root. Myself, along with my 4 siblings grew up in a creative household where we were always encouraged to pursue our creative dreams. I started voice/vocal performance lessons when I was around 6 years old and never stopped singing! As soon as I was old enough, I joined the worship team at my previous church back in Washington. I grew up knowing Jesus as my Savior but as I got older, the Holy Spirit began to teach me how to connect with Him through the gift he gave me. I began piano lessons and starting writing music at 13. I learned the basics on the piano then continued to teach myself over the last 10 years. I am no expert on the instrument, but I connect with God the best when I play and sing to Him. No matter the genre, most of my music begins at the piano with Jesus!
I sang in choir and auditioned vocal jazz ensembles throughout my high school career which sharpened my skill and expanded my creativity in writing.
After high school I decided to take my songwriting more seriously and write with the intention of releasing. I took a few years to establish myself as an artist. What is the purpose for my art? What sets me apart? Who is my music for? These are only a few questions that have led me to know who I am as an artist and what I represent today.
I would consider myself to fall under the alternative pop/singer-songwriter genre. I also write in the christian/worship genre.
The entertainment industry is full of incredible talent and too many have nothing substantial to say. I have watched as my generation jumps from one emotional high to another, looking for something to make them feel seen and connected. I have come to know, nothing can fill a searching soul like the presence of God. This fact fuels my creativity!
I write and release music with the goal of leading others into purpose and joy through authentic process and story telling!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I spend my teenage years leading worship at my previous church. While I loved it, I believed this unspoken lie that if I wanted to pursue music as a solo artist, I would have to choose between becoming a CCM artist or create, sound and look like Taylor Swift, the pop icon of my generation. There was a dividing line between my songwriting and my worship to the Lord. I didn’t see how they could co-exist, therefore I believed it wasn’t meant to be. I would write songs about my life experiences and they wouldn’t always sound like the worship music you’d sing at church. It was my raw, unfinished processing on paper. I would keep my personal songs hidden while sharing my worship songs with the world.
The moment of unlearning this idea was truly freeing as a creative who loves Jesus! I moved to Fort Worth, Tx and got connected with a creative community called AXL Creative Co. Here is where I learned how to create with the Holy Spirit. I learned how to invite the Holy Spirit into moments of pain, confusion, doubt, frustration, joy, contentment and strength; ALL of it. I began to write freely, knowing that every song written with the Lord was giving Him access to heal and finish what He started in me.
In conclusion, I learned my creativity is not worship because I sing the name of Jesus. It is worship because I create to give Him glory.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is hearing how my listeners catch the revelation of what my songs mean and why I wrote it. I love to write poetically, causing my listeners to listen past the sound to the message. I tell stories in my music with great intention to bring others into the freedom I’ve found through authentic and close relationship with Jesus. It is fulfilling to know that my authenticity when writing prepared a way for someone else to find freedom!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @zoenoelle_music
Image Credits
Photographer – Kenaniah Snider
IG – @kenaniah.photo