We were lucky to catch up with Giselle World recently and have shared our conversation below.

Giselle World, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

One of the earliest memories I have of my start was in middle school hearing I would never make it to “1st chair”—the top position in the band, within the same year on flute.
I was fueled by the challenge and said “watch me!”. As you can already imagine, I was sitting “1st chair” within less than that first year.

I always had a natural talent and gift for music since I was a toddler, but it was truly my drive, discipline, and love for music that helped me succeed.

Later on, as a young adult in college I heard many people tell me I was being irresponsible and frivolous pursuing a career in music because I would only end up a “starving artist”. The competition is too high, there aren’t enough jobs, and I would never stand out enough to become the exception. Another challenge accepted!
Truth be told, I enjoy the most beautiful and finer things in life way too much to allow myself to become a “starving artist”.

My degree didn’t teach me anything about being a successful business woman in music, an already male dominated industry. I was challenged to try different things and figure out how to get “out there” and explore many different avenues of music even though I had trained classically.

Eventually I found what worked for me.
Authenticity.
When I found my authentic voice , which happened to be in the realm of healing music or what’s known as “medicine music”, my career took off. I didn’t have to sell anything. People felt called to it and it opened doors to many exciting and beautiful opportunities. All I needed to do was say yes, show up professionally & in a good way with a high vibration felt by the people, and stay true to myself.
I launched my first album and few after and they proved to be successful helping me book amazing well-paid shows around the world, giving me passive income through sales, and usage in promo videos for others.

Covid proved to be another challenging moment as musicians and artists were being called “non-essential”. I was again being tested to find new ways to become “essential”. Phew!
I found what I already knew: music and arts are healing and essential, and I decided to offer help to people in isolation during covid by developing a vocal healing course, and offer healing music in wellness retreats. To my surprise this all took off! I made more money during covid than ever. It was all about staying in service and making music my service.

Last year, I managed to purchase my first home– a big, beautiful home on a large land in Miami where I now hold my own private retreats, concerts, and conscious events. I did this as a single woman creating successful small businesses out of my music and dedication to wellness and spirituality.

One of the keys in all this for me was being able to ride the waves of all these cycles and having many different ways to generate income that were related within my field of music, as well as creative, and inspiring for me. Basically having multiple streams of income. In this case, teaching, music performance, studio recording, albums, producing conscious events, facilitating retreats, and touring.

I believed in myself and I persevered. I am an example that it is all possible.

Giselle World, 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?

Today, I have a vocal healing apprenticeship program run through zoom offered a few times per year. This is a course I created to help people overcome their fear or blockages around their voice for singing and self-expression. The apprenticeship offers deep study not only in singing and music, but also on the spirituality of plant medicines, ancient indigenous wisdom, as well as the opportunity to meet people around the world building and expanding community through the voice!
You can find info on this on my website Giselle.world

I also guide spiritual healing ceremonies distinguished by music at my retreat space, which is my land and home in Miami called “Cantik Villa”. “Cantik” means beauty in Balinese, as my home style is inspired by Bali, and the life path I follow is known in Native American spirituality as “The Beauty Way”.
I have a formal church named “The Four Wings Beauty Way Church” where I run these ceremonies through, and can gain support in my mission to aid indigenous tribes, and help bring them here to Miami to share their culture and wisdom with us.
This space is also available to rent as a retreat space or conscious event space.
Anyone interested in these types of gatherings and events can send me an email to learn more.

Aside from my own concerts and performances around the world and locally, I am passionate about using my platform to amplify the work and gifts of many other artists/musicians and I host conscious events, usually musically inclined. They are inspired by environmental consciousness and nature. You can follow me on IG to keep up with these event offerings. These are conscious events, so they are alcohol-free, community-building ,educational on important topics around sustainability, indigenous culture, plant medicines, sound healing, the environment, and healthy human connection.

Outside of Miami, I perform concerts and facilitate retreats. It’s great fun to move between the spaces of deep service and community building locally, while tending to my land and home, and then jumping from plane to plane to offer concerts and retreats around the world in between.
It never gets boring!

I’ll be releasing a new album soon! In October 2023 I’ll have my long awaited release of “Voz De La Selva” —translating to “Voice from the Jungle”. This is a different kind of album from my previous ones as it’s not an electro-fusion dance album. This one is more of a deep sound healing album with chants inspired by sounds and inspirations from nature, and the Amazon forest.
I’ll also be releasing a third “Tribal Waters” EP before the year is over.
You can purchase and download music at my bandcamp searching for Giselle World. Bandcamp is the most supportive platform for musical artists. You can also follow my music on Spotify, YouTube, and SoundCloud.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Yes! For me up to now it’s not been so much about actual business building and models, but more on building my character, strengthening my spirit, and learning how to use the power of my mind through various different techniques to heal myself so I could become more available to create the life and career of my dreams. I learned about the quantum field and how we can create anything from there and form it into reality in this physical dimension. I know for some readers this may all sound like “hippie woo-woo” nonsense lol…but it worked for me and for so many. I would narrow it down to the teacher who has recently influenced me the most and that is Dr. Joe Dispenza.
Any of his books are incredible to read starting with “Becoming Supernatural”. I also attended his week-long advanced retreat. Literally changed my life.
After attending that retreat I managed to heal myself of an ailment I had been trying to heal for years, and I also suddenly through the help of his practices started making way more money than I ever had and then within 3 months found my dream home with land, and closed on it 2 months after. It was wild and almost unbelievable, except my community and family saw it all before their own eyes. It was powerful and that would be the main thing I would highly recommend.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Pay them! Value their work, talents and services to humanity, your community, your day to day by paying them the same way you pay for every other service. This outdated concept that artists, musicians, and healers should offer themselves for free is ridiculous. Musicians, artists and healers all deserve to live well, eat well, and provide for their families just like everyone else. Their gifts are essential. Just imagine a life without music and arts. A very sad world it would be.
Let’s help keep it alive by supporting them in this way. Providing real ways for them to make an income, have healthcare, and savings. This is one of the main ways I feel we co-create a supportive environment for artists and creatives. Thank you Canvas Rebels for supporting us artists and creatives by sharing our story and amplifying our gifts!

Contact Info:

• Website: Giselle.world
• Instagram: @_giselle.world_
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@GiselleWorldMusic
• Other: Spotify & Soundcloud : Giselle World Bandcamp to purchase music: https://giselleworld.bandcamp.com/

Image Credits
Photo credits to: Daniel Suchi, Luis Geraldo, Richard Stow, Elena Andreou, and Rosell Visual.