We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Eleanor Kingston a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Eleanor thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

I would not be the artist or woman in business that I am without my parents: more specifically, the duality of my parents.

My mom has always been my biggest cheerleader, and in her eyes, everything I touch is truly gold (lol, parents am i right?). Growing up, she always told me that I can be whatever I want in this world. I decided in 2nd or 3rd grade, when I got cast as The Princess Who Kissed the Frog in the Elementary school play, that I wanted to make art for a living. From there, my mom made exploring my creativity a priority and went to the ends of the earth to fund the pursuit of my dreams. From taking me to Los Angeles for acting camp at just 12 years old, to accompanying me at my first recording session in a real studio, she sacrificed her childhood dreams to be a mom who pushed her kids to pursue theirs. I’ll always be indebted to that sacrifice.

My dad was a highly educated college professor, stern Harvard rugby coach, and has always been my harshest critic. Every time I did anything, from dying my hair to playing a volleyball match, I would expect a comment as to how I could have done it differently or better. I looked up to my dad as an incredibly intelligent, creative thinker and, as if it were the word of God, I took his criticism to heart. So, when I finally did something impressive enough for him to show pride, to shed a tear or to whisper a “well done”, it hit deeply. In creating my art, I am enduring a lot of the same things that I did as child; I take a lot of criticism, get a lot of notes, put in long hours, and when told “well done”, I have imposter syndrome and want to do even better.

My mom’s parenting taught me that anything is possible, we’re all worthy and capable of success, and that art can indeed be my life’s mission if I want it to be. My dad’s parenting taught me to have the drive to improve, the grit to never quit, and to never have an ego. In his words, he’d actually probably say that factually speaking, if sometimes you fail and sometimes you succeed, then you aren’t that great or better than anybody else. The combination of both my mom and my dad, combined with their equal praise for education and hard work, made me the artist that I am today.

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.

My name is Eleanor Kingston. I’m a 22 year old artist, entertainer, writer, and business owner. I live in Los Angeles and spend most of my time making music at the studio, acting on set and in classes, marketing my art, and running a business that services other up-and-coming, indie artists that I believe in. I’ve been in LA since the day I graduated High School and have been making art, and working alongside artists ever since. I’m passionate about authentic storytelling and how vulnerability can inspire people from all around the world and can make true change.

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

There’s no better feeling than opening an instagram DM and reading that my song has had a massive impact on somebody’s life. Whether someone is telling me that a record got them through a tragedy and was like therapy for them, or that my song was the soundtrack to them falling in love with their partner, or just that they enjoy twerking to it, it keeps me going to get those messages. I can only compare the feeling to a surge of electricity flowing through my body and igniting me with a yellow cloud of happiness. It is truly a drug to love what you create and to hear that it means something to others as well.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I’ve predominantly built my platform utilizing both Instagram Reels & Tik Tok short form music content. When making these videos, it’s always been a priority of mine to build a place where people feel accepted, heard, and that they have someone to talk to. I’ve created an environment where if people find my video, resonate with it and want to message me, I will respond and have a genuine conversation with them. I’ve found that when I’m running around, trying to stay updated with the latest trends, copy other content, I feel defeated and inauthentic. When I make videos like that, they really never comes across how I want it to and the response can be pretty negative as well (lol). Lately, i’ve really just been focused on making music that I’m proud of, filming a video that feels natural, and making sure to engage with the community that I’m creating. My main piece of advice would be to find a way to have fun while creating content versus doing what you think you “should do” even if it feels like a drag. When you consume other creator’s content, make sure to ‘save’ the videos that you like and go back to those when you are stuck and need inspiration. When you do find success, make sure to give back to the hand that feeds you, develop a relationship with your fanbase, and always keep them, and the happiness that they give you, in mind when you need the extra push to keep going.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eleanorkingston
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ekingstonmusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kingstoneleanor
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/EleanorKingston
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eleanorkingstonmusic
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4NflbC6MLEv2KnPSdLEi7T?si=SseQdxEDS6OEM6m6YEAVWQ&nd=1
• Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/eleanor-kingston/1382421666

Image Credits
Portrait with Dog Shot by Matthew Crawford Performance Video Shot with Microphone by Lex Hidalgo Music Video Shoot on Black Couch Shot by Katy Ferris Crazy Makeup Shot by Anthony Palmer Pink Studio in front of Microphone & Pianos Shot by Edward Kingston