We recently connected with Melissa Carter and have shared our conversation below.

Melissa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I’ve basically known forever.

Growing up, I dreamt of being a Spice Girl and wrote songs constantly. When I was a teenager, I decided I wanted to commit to being a professional actor. So, I got my BFA in acting and worked in theater for the better part of my 20s. I definitely didn’t make it, but booked everything from Equity gigs to hair commercials. Over the years, music and audio tugged at me more and more. At first, it took me time to listen. As Elizabeth Gilbert (and the Greeks) would put it my muse eventually wouldn’t shut up. So, I went back to school for audio engineering, music production, and composition.. During my studies, I got a ping to look into podcast editing and engineering. I just knew that my path post MFA would be in podcasting. And here I am, editing my favorite podcast I’ve ever listened to and working with amazing folks! If there’s a lesson here for all of us it’s to listen to your instinct. It’ll be damn circuitous, but it will take you where you’re meant to be.

Melissa, 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’m an audio engineer and musician who has found a home within the world of podcasting. I edit and engineer podcasts for small business owners, creatives, and more. I also have the privilege of composing music for said podcasts and love every moment of it. This summer, I will be launching my very own podcast studio: Making Audio Magic. To me, the act of creating something is magic. In every aspect, I want my clients to feel like what we’re making together too, is magic.

Beyond that, I have two projects: the first of which is Rosalind, a dream pop band driven by three-part harmony. The second is a brand spankin’ new project named after my great grandmother, Hattie. Hattie’s first single “Nobody” will be released on June 2nd. What’s special about all of my work is that I put storytelling at the center of everything I create. I’ve always been a storyteller and believe that as human beings, we share ourselves most deeply through story. Thanks to my circuitous creative path, I’ve studied this stuff from so many angles (from acting school to music + audio training). I finally feel like I’m at home in this work and am so grateful to do it every day.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn (and am still unlearning) the myth that being busy equals being successful.

WOW. This is a big one. In my early twenties, I overbooked myself all the time. So much so that I wasn’t able to keep up my commitments. I had to learn to say no. To be honest, boundaries feel a lot easier and my work life has much more space now, but this is something I’m constantly refining. As they say, I aim to work smarter and not harder. My ideal relationship with work is one that’s easeful, full of creativity and purpose. When I’m too busy, I’m not able to connect to myself, be present and my most creative.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative professional and musician is that I *get* to interface with something greater than myself every time I sit down work (or stand if I’m playing a gig!). I believe that we collaborate with creativity itself. I alluded to Elizabeth Gilbert, an American author who is known for her views on creativity. She really opened me up to this way of relating to my creative practice. I’d be remiss to not mention Julia Cameron, the author of The Artists Way, who holds a similar view. I believe we have to be collaborating with some sort of greater force whenever we make art. And, more than anything, it’s what keeps me going.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.melissakaitlyncarter.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/hattie.wav
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissakaitlyn/
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/fJ1FbO4BDQ8
• Other: rosalindband.com hattiemusic.co makingaudiomagic.com

Image Credits
Photos by Emil Benjamin, Courtney Sutlan, and Victoria Lau