We were lucky to catch up with Leticia Soul recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Leticia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
I’ve been a creative all of my life. As a child I loved to sing and dance. I always performed in choir, and I studied performing arts through dance since a young age. I felt safe in choir because I was able to sing out, but I wasn’t the center of attention. I used to be extremely uncomfortable whenever the attention was on me because I didn’t have confidence in myself or my appearance. I had friends, but I was also teased quite often as a child. I highly underestimated the power of me. As I became older, I got a little more comfortable with being myself out oud. I won a pageant at my college after performing a song and it shifted my perception of what I was capable of. It wasn’t until 2014 after I graduated from college and moved back home that I decided to take my artistry seriously. I had a decent job with a credit union, and I was renting out my first town home. To most people looking from the outside, I had everything that a recent college graduate was aiming for, but deep down I still was not happy. I felt like I was stuck. I remember times at work in meetings where I would drift off in my mind thinking to myself, there has to be more to life than this boring dull routine. I grew frustrated with the job to the point I would go in the bathroom to cry, because I wanted to quit so bad. But of course, due to “adulting” I couldn’t because I had bills to pay. One day, I got into an argument really bad with a manger. I had, had enough. In that moment I made the decision that I was going to follow my passion until it became my real day job. No matter what happened I was determined to create music, inspire others, and be the version of myself I knew I was called to be. It’s been such a liberating journey as music is my safe and happy place. It’s what drives me. I certainly which I started much sooner. However, I’m grateful that I started.
Leticia, 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 always liked to think of music as my lifeline. It saved me. There was a time as a child I had to go through family court and the trial lasted for months. It did so much damage to me mentally. I was court ordered to be counseled for my mental health so young, and at the same time so much in my life was changing as a young girl. If I didn’t have music to take me out of those moments that I wished I wasn’t alive, I don’t think I would be here. I used to write poetry to help me release some trauma and emotions. I would later turn those poems into songs, but I never did anything with them. It was just therapeutic to me to write and create music. When I was old enough to look back and reflect on the fact that so much happened in my life to stop me from recognizing my potential and going after my passion, I knew that this was what I was born to do. Music was the way I got my lick back! I knew that writing and singing was something that I was gifted at. So, I took it, and I ran with it. Being a vocalist opened up so many other avenues. It allowed me to connect with so many people, and it helped me to see how there were so many more people like me in the world. I’ve grown to be able to counsel other people that are facing dark moments in life. I am now a certified sound therapist. I am a published author. I’m currently about to release a new e-book and audiobook. I’ve also been blessed to start my own cosmetics line in which I will be re-releasing new products this year. And of course, a new album has been a long time in the making, but it will be released in 2025. I’m so excited for the fans to see what I’ve been working on!
I am most proud that I kept going despite of all the times I could have given up on my dreams. I want my fans to know that there is no such thing as a time limit when you’re passionate about something. I want them to learn to enjoy the journey and learn that life really is not a race. We are all constantly learning and evolving into different versions of ourselves and the process is ongoing. The importance is to not judge yourself for what you did or didn’t do at previous stages in your life. The importance is that you remember that no matter what cards you were dealt, the only obstacle that could ever stop or limit you, is you.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My mission is what drives my creative journey. I want nothing more than to express myself because I know I’m not the only one. Whenever I put pen to paper and write freely, I know that there will be people who need to hear it. The same way that music saved me at the lowest points in my life, I want to be that lifeline to so many people. Music is universal, but so is emotion and life experiences. Sometimes as artist we can become so focused on numbers or what people think, we forget the point of it all. The point is to be relatable, that’s how we save one another. I want to be that voice in a song that someone plays when they want to give up, or when they feel worthless, or they don’t feel good enough. So many artists were that voice to me, I just want to be that for the world.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
I wish the world would respect artist and allow artist to be just that artist! The world is so quick to judge and give their opinion or go against a person’s creativity simply because they didn’t like it. However, we all need to be mindful that a shoe that may not fit you fits perfect for another person. And just because it doesn’t fit you doesn’t mean that it isn’t valuable. I would love if we could all stop competing to be number one and just be who we are. If we are who we are then the people, we are meant to touch will be reached. Allowing people to just be themselves without judgement is the best support that any artist could ever ask for. That’s exactly what art is, expression. So please, let’s allow people to do what they love without feeling the need to label or put their artistry in a box. Mine will never fit.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.leticiasoul.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_leticiasoul?igsh=OWJzNnZyaTIwb3Y0&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15XuVkaBSs/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@_leticiasoul
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@leticiasoul?_t=ZP-8tmC4u1StKx&_r=1
Image Credits
Channel 86 Films
K-Quick