We recently connected with Ginger Rust and have shared our conversation below.
Ginger , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?
Alright so boom, the year is like 2004 or 2005 and I have a Disney’s Winnie the Pooh Play along Piano Book. Now imagine my stubby little-kid hands on the piano playing “444-33-555-33-444-33-4353435” One of the first songs I ever wrote and remember vividly writing was called “So Confused”. It’s kinda funny looking back because those were my first moments expressing my emotions in a way where I could understand, make sense of it all, and tell someone exactly how I felt and hopefully understand where I was coming from. The lyrics went, “Sometimes you feel like there’s no change, Sometimes you feel like you’re stuck in a game, and you don’t wanna be an ordinary girl no more (no girl no more)”. That was the opening line. The song was the result of a much-needed break. As the oldest daughter by default, we’re mom #2. Writing things down was the first place I found solitude in a place where I feel like I had to be accommodating to survive. However, how do you articulate that as a 6 or 7-year-old girl? I didn’t recognize it as a kid, I was just like okay I guess I’m going to write in my diary and see what comes up… because what the heck was that? Time to either dissociate, write about how I feel, and then maybe turn it into something, if it makes me feel something. Now I realize that the habit is so essential for hearing your inner voice and making sense of your feeling.
I relate a lot to being misunderstood. Upon reflection, my earliest memories of being a little songwriter usually follow a moment of survival, not understanding, or feeling out of place and needing to make sense of it all for my sake. I took those moments where I felt out of place and put them down on paper. Soon I had notebooks and journals filled with ideas, thoughts, dreams, plans, feelings, and experiences to pull from. I didn’t recognize it but, it was practice for what I was called to do as an artist. As a kid, it felt daunting and isolating to hold on to the secrets, hopes, disappointments, and expectations of the adults around me. That can be very overwhelming for a kid, luckily I discovered my voice and love for music early on and that helped me compartmentalize. In hindsight, all of the journaling was essential practice for trusting myself creatively to turn my ideas into something tangible. (which is the best feeling in the world btw)
As I’m working on completing my project, The Authenticity Tapes, I feel like I am in a space where I am metaphorically pulling up the weeds in my life. That starts with accepting who I am in totality with unconditional love. I agree with Nina and feel like I’m here to reflect on my time, experiences, and life here on Earth. As I grow, I realize how much that encompasses. Life is so full and beautiful, especially mine. It makes me feel free to pour into myself, make mistakes, and love on myself harder. I recognize that I was gifted my lens of the world because I was supposed to challenge and end themes I’ve noted in my family line relating to survival mode, intimacy, and self-destructive tendencies. While I felt like I only had notebooks to offer my true thoughts and feelings to, I soon realized, being misunderstood was my superpower. It also in the past year has forced me to speak up for myself and not shy away from a little healthy confrontation. I have to tell myself sometimes that confrontation is just acknowledgment with some spikey-chrome-platform boots on, it’s really not that intimidating. They’re practically cousins.
As of late, I’m in a headspace where I feel like I’m shedding that weight of holding everything in for myself and truly practicing saying how I really feel. Which, as a recovering people pleaser, is hard because I don’t wanna hurt anyone’s feelings but if you cross my boundaries I’m telling you about it and if it so happens to be over a beat I produced, so be it. I also just have been finding more opportunities to respond and offer my insight creatively as an outside eye and infuse that into my music, visual storytelling, and artistry. I guess I’m welcoming my expansion in a way when it comes to the little bits of wisdom I’ve picked up either from lessons I’ve learned in my childhood, watching my friends, or hearing my grandmommie talk about her past. I view the collection of lives lived as stepping stones revealing the path to building my life to be as full as I want it to be. So, I’m grateful for the experience and my life.
Since I’ve turned 24, It feels like all the things I’ve lived through and seen have a place to go now. As my metaphorical garden clears I realize, I don’t have to carry it with me and find myself feeling more secure in the person I’m becoming. I like to think of it as making the transition from hearing my inner voice on paper to finally having full control of my superpower by putting it on record and letting whatever happens, happen. I can be like yeah, I lived through it! Here’s a little timestamp of that emotion or experience! If you’ve experienced it too, we can feel it out together and move on, rationalize, compartmentalize, or do whatever it is we need to do to acknowledge so we can heal. As I come into myself, I yearn to be authentic. Understanding myself enables me to say what’s on my heart. It’s a pivot from being misunderstood. Through my work, I am reminding myself that perhaps I am simply harder to place into a singular box. I’m okay with that.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
“From an early age, I always gravitated towards singing and performing. I chose the music industry because I wanted to do something I love. I also wanted to feel like I’m contributing to something that I believed in and find long-term satisfaction. When I realized making music was something that could blossom from a hobby of mine into my own business, I chose an artistic career. I think it’s gratifying to both who I am now, and my inner child, to do what I love and to see where my ideas take me. My hope with this project and all the work I do is to create timestamps of my experiences and emotions. I used to write on walls a lot as a kid and get in trouble for it. In a way, I think it was me saying “Hey, I was here”, literally. Another part of me believes it is my way of creating what I want to see and putting it somewhere that will outlive me. I want to do the same thing with my music. If my life and experiences can make someone else feel seen or recognized or connected to something I’ve experienced in a way I’m doing my job as an artist right.” -Gingerr Rust, 2023
Gingerr Rust makes one hell of an introduction with her debut album Jayne Tv and continues to cement her place in R&B with her timeless EP, Mr. Bleu. Aloof from the confines of genre, she blends R&B, Soul, and Jazz seemingly effortlessly to create an intoxicating mix of unique fuzzy melodic sounds that demand to be heard beyond the walls of her bedroom studio (“Lounge Interlude”, “Shroom Tea”) This self-taught multidisciplinary artist facilitates you on a musical journey as her sultry unconventional sound, chaotic yet relatable stories, and poetic lyricism transport you to an exact moment that imprints itself vividly in your mind (“Left”). Throughout her discography, there are these beautiful points of reflection that circle throughout the album that feel so nostalgic and relatable. With a sharp tongue and an eye for detail, her collection of experiences provides such beautiful yet cathartic insight into the intersectionalities of womanhood (“Jayne The Virgin”, “Stallions”). While seeking her truth, processing trauma, and holding space for herself on the road to self-love, she emits this realness that is undeniably contagious (“Sad Girl Hours”). Her inventive sound keeps you in a constant state of anticipation as you never know what to expect next (“Tokyo Drift”, “86%”, “Rage Wave”). Truly proving herself a force to be reckoned with, the 24-year-old singer creates these artful concoctions that speak to her mind-blowing talent and eclectic taste. In December 2021, she released a short film titled, The Authenticity Tapes inspired by her upcoming project. It’s a narrative slice-of-life documentary cataloging her journey as an independent artist. The film follows Gingerr’s team & herself as they discuss upcoming plans during artist manager meetings, prep for photoshoots, travel for performances, as well as work on songs from the upcoming album in the studio with some of her collaborators. The audience gets to watch her performance journey around hotspots in LA which ultimately contribute to the process of showing the audience the ins and outs of her coming up as an emerging artist. The film previews songs suspected to be on the project according to Gingerr. It seems that the album will serve as a reintroduction or deeper dive into Gingerr Rust, the Artist. We can’t wait to see and hear what she sonically has in store for us.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is turning my ideas into real life. There’s something magical about turning my voice memos into songs people sing back to me. Another part is that the little kid version of myself would think what I do is so cool and stoked that she’s living her dreams. The other is I make music that I want to hear. Being an artist also makes me feel connected to something bigger. I get to share parts of myself with the world and feel satisfied that I was able to respond with my insight at the time.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
So I’ve been reading this book called, “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron and honestly, it has helped me so much to reshape my perspective, get unstuck, and build a better creative working routine. I’m honestly so much more of a right-brain person. This book has helped me to implement tools in my life that aid my journey to becoming a more well-rounded person leading a creative life. I truly feel like it’s getting me mentally and emotionally prepared so that when I am in a space to launch my rollout I’m organized, optimistic, and in a clear mental space.
The last year or so I’ve been self-managed, in and out of school, performing like crazy, in a relationship, and recording my album in the in-between. The use of morning pages, weekly exercises, artist dates, and check in’s has really helped me to get back to my center. I feel like I’m reimplementing a creative routine shifting internally to focus on my priorities. Outside of being inspiring the course has awakened old and new passions leading me to trust myself more. I find I’m following through more and finding lots of really cool synchronicities and opportunities to do things that excite me. I feel lit up again which is nice, leading me to be more adamant with my self-discipline and holding myself accountable when it comes to finishing projects and meeting my deadlines.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tell.ie/gingerrrust/PaSDbHuzaBty?fbclid=PAAabsj8aCFGgEz-HCHvwLRSOc-FVKd_qE-Eo_Z8RcG_TyPmfiHMA3KwEyf-w
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gingerrrust/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/100064035944623/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gingerr-rust-928757116/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/gingerrrust?s=21&t=8ZPqXJfn_NpD2GLh4JOwkg
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkDoC0pO2XRLC0fabmhtmmg
- Other: (Documentary) “The Authenticity Tapes” https://youtu.be/H5j9VmbgaSE (Spotify) https://open.spotify.com/album/6Gj7ktMrc82JqtT1noWxyP?si=DjyJGZp6RS-DA2pNN3Akdw (Apple) https://music.apple.com/us/album/mr-bleu-ep/1578053553 (Bandcamp) https://gingerrrust.bandcamp.com/album/mr-bleu (TIDAL) https://tidal.com/browse/artist/16344819 (Audiomack) https://audiomack.com/gingerrrust
Image Credits
Alejandra Diaz