We were lucky to catch up with Harrison Noble recently and have shared our conversation below.

Harrison, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I was speaking to my mum recently about how far I had come in regard to my anxiety and mental health and she reminded me of something. When I was young I was experiencing anxiety and was taken to see a therapist, she told me I was so shy I hid behind the chair I was supposed to sit in, too scared to even face the therapist. flash to today and I have a long list of gigs I have performed at, packed rooms with people I have never met, people who have no idea who I am and I have the courage to perform my set with confidence. Each time I step on stage I’m taking a risk, I’m pushing through fear, through the knots in my stomach, the worried thoughts of forgetting lyrics or embarrassing myself, and on the other side of that fear is pure joy.

Tips for anyone who experiences social anxiety and wants to get into performance or get out their shell would be to take small steps. Exposure therapy worked really well for me, taking small steps and doing the things that scare you to prove to yourself “you won’t die”. Over time I look back at what I’ve achieved with pride knowing that little kid who was scared of their therapist now loves public speaking and performing.

When you are about to take a risk and leap from your comfort zone I think it helps to remember what positive could come from taking the first step and that the temporary fear is worth facing for that desired result.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started writing rap verses when I was around 14, now I am 24 and still love writing songs. They provided relief to me when I was young and anxious. Now music is much more than an outlet, it’s a way to connect with my community, make new friends and spread a positive message to my small audience. The message I want to speak on with my music is mental health, I want those who listen to my music feel they are not alone with their challenges and that they can feel empowered within themselves. I also want to remove stigma around mental health as when you keep your troubles locked inside yourself it doesn’t help anyone. I want my music is be a safe space for all people.

I also provide production and mixing services online, I am currently getting my bachelors in music production and find immense pleasure in helping other artists bring their visions to life. Being an artist first I know the challenges you face when you know what you want a song to sound like but struggle with the technical aspects, this is where I love to help others.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Growing up with social anxiety I had this unfounded belief that if I was to become the centre of attention I would be judged and ridiculed. Peoples eyes on me felt scary and I was for so long worried about others judgment of me and my creative work. What I had to learn was people aren’t as concerned with me as I thought and that I thought about myself in a negative way more than others ever do. I was limiting myself for no reason, I was scared to fully jump into my goals because if I failed it reflected negatively towards me. When I started to fully commit to my goals of becoming a musician I realised people are just not that concerned with me as I thought, and this was a good thing, it means all the little mistakes that I thought would be the end of me are actually not even noticed.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative for me is when you nail the song, the mix, the performance or when the song gets mastered and your hearing it for the first time and its exactly what you had visioned in your mind. Creatives put years and years into practicing their art with an idea in their mind of where they want to be, maybe they think of an idol or a personal influence they are striving to be alike. When you see those years of hard work becoming reality it’s a feeling of pure joy. There is nothing to me, quite like that feeling.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/HarrisonNoble
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrisonnoble_music/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarrisonNobleMusic?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrison-noble-0ab999297/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFiTR1NO71A
• Other: My Mixing Account: https://www.instagram.com/mixedbyharrison/ My Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7LoXHBclSq7dEcmvxw9eVk?si=sSNEARZLTMKBnf89TM6rVw

Image Credits
@Rocketkidsart