We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sierra Swan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sierra below.

Sierra, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I began my journey pretty much the day I was born. My father is a singer/songwriter and my mother was a dancer/songwriter, so it was always around. I began taking it seriously when I was 15 and decided to start writing songs and practice playing piano and guitar way more frequently. I think we as people come around to our “destiny” when the time is right, so I would not change the timing of my journey.

The most essential skill to learn is consistency. It is very difficult to make real improvement if you don’t remain consistent and ultimately that is the biggest obstacle, remaining consistent.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I got into the music industry officially by putting myself out there. Playing shows in the 90’s was kind of the only way to make yourself visible. There wasn’t anything like the social media platforms that exist now. So, if you wanted to be a working artist, you had to hustle. Being in my early 20’s at that time was difficult because I was also enjoying myself and partaking in activities that many people that age partake in, I am very lucky I got out alive and was still driven to be an artist. I am so proud of the stamina I had back then to keep going. I had a lot of reasons to stop but I didn’t, that is the key, KEEP GOING. My ‘brand’ is always changing because that is what artists do, well most of them. I have always been a chameleon, I love so many different things. I can’t keep doing the same thing. That feels like death to me.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

During the lockdown like most people I needed to create something that would keep me busy and creative. My idea was I would write and record an EP in my basement after my kids went to bed. I wrote, produced and recorded 6 songs. The only one I did not write was a song called PEACH, which was written by Billy Corgan, who is a very good friend of mine. After I did that, I wanted to further challenge myself and direct all of the videos, so I did. Except the video for PEACH, my dear friend Linda Strawberry directed that one and Billy Corgan agreed to make an appearance in the video which I am very grateful for, he has always been extremely supportive and that has meant the world to me. Now that all the videos are done, I wanted to press a few hundred vinyls and sell them on my website which is in the works as we speak. The EP is called TANGERINES and I am so proud of it. All of myself went into it, I am very proud of myself for seeing it through all the way.

It goes to show you, even though we hear it over and over, if you really want to do something YOU CAN, it just takes effort. Do something that gets you closer to your goal everyday. Could be small or big, just keep moving forward.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The mission driving my creative journey is to free myself from how societies view a creative woman like myself. I think, for the most part, society does not see a creative female artist like myself as a self realized individual. No one had a hand in who I am today, except myself. Sure, I have been inspired by other artist but I birthed who I am at this moment. I said “no” many times knowing I would be punished for saying NO in business situations. I always knew in the back of my mind that my journey was going to be a difficult one, but ultimately I would get to the place I have alway dreamed of, which is what I imagine sitting outside around nature in my 80’s smiling because I did my best.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sierraswan.com
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Image Credits
Sierra Swan