We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Celeste Marie Wilson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Celeste Marie below.
Celeste Marie, appreciate you joining us today. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?
When I began my songwriting journey, I had a lot of people say some pretty nasty things. They still do. Mainly it’s “she’s not good enough”, but it can range from calling me “petty”, “mediocre”, “ungodly”, “stupid”, “untalented”, “ugly” and some other terms I prefer not to say. There was an enormous rumor flying around that I started my entire career to get back at a boy I dated in high school. I lost a lot of friends over it. I was quickly characterized as a “crazy ex-girlfriend” who was “desperate for attention”. When in reality, I was a young woman sharing her gifts and chasing her dreams. I was exiled from an entire social group after the release of my first song, 738 Days. I’d always been the good kid who follows the rules, shows up on time, loves everyone and works hard. So, the sudden change in public perception was devastating. I’d always written. I’d always sung. I had two options: give up my dreams for people who didn’t love me or persevere. Even though it hurt, I got back up and released more music. Slowly, perception of me had started to change. There is no replacement for honesty and hard work, and if you keep at it, people will not be able to ignore the truth.
Celeste Marie, 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 am a singer-songwriter with a heavy emphasis on the writer portion of that word. Writing feels like breathing to me. It’s second nature. I’ve written every day since second grade: diaries, poetry, short stories, fanfiction, songs. Last year, I built up the courage to finally share my work with the world. I regularly release singles as I’m working towards my album release. I also preform live. I love getting to meet fans in person. To know someone has felt seen through my music, makes me remember why I do it. You can find my work on all streaming platforms under Celeste Marie Wilson. Hopefully I can meet you at a show one 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 the idea of being “comfortable”. I was taught by a social group to be small to make others feel comfortable. That’s not possible in my line of work. To be small is to give up on my dreams entirely. I have to take up room. I have to use my voice. I love it, but it was a learning curve— being vulnerable and myself. Putting myself on stage and allowing people to judge me for exactly who I am is terrifying, but there’s so much reward in it. There’s only one you in the world. That’s what’s so beautiful about it. Only you can create your art, and only you can be you on stage.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding part is getting to share my writing. I used to dream about it all the time: letting people listen to my songs, read what I wrote, listen to what I say. It’s happening. My childhood dreams are happening. It feels unreal.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celestemariewilson?igsh=ZzBibHhnaG1ieHNh&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090742831213&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@celestemariewilson738?si=1YokAuxVayDsbow3
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0XnwolqnQ0sW2cmbjcwUwb?si=jsZPJagoTmWSU6u7CFsMAg Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/celeste-marie-wilson/1665789112
Image Credits
Lisette Wilson, Wayne Wilson