We were lucky to catch up with Kelley Williams recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kelley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?

I have not been able to earn a full-time living from music. That is something that was surrounded by a lot of shame for me for quite some time.
I found peace in knowing the following:
1, I work very hard to have enough money to not only pay our bills, but also to be able to build the life we dream of.
And 2. I truly believe that we are all on our own timeline, no ones story is the same.
The timing of God and the Universe is perfect. I feel that if we force ourselves into something that isn’t in alignment with what we truly feel we should be doing, that is working against an opposing force, working against the flow of the Universe. It’s like swimming upstream… when the world is pointing you in a direction, that is for a reason.

This approach commonly gets mistaken for not working hard enough or not “grinding” and really going for what you want.
I was eaten up with anxiety at times thinking I wasn’t working hard enough because my timeline and mentality didn’t coincide with others around me.
The reality is, my timeline and mentality are just different. And that okay, and it id for a reason. I, and those closest to me know how hard I work at music, and how badly I want for music to be full-time. I am doing everything I feel I should be at this time to further my career. That, is all that matters to me.

This phase of my career has been very difficult, to just accept, embrace and learn, while still having that fire burning inside to succeed. These emotions are hard to balance, but I have learned that if you accept the flow of the Universe and trust God’s timing, they can actually work together to magnify success. I have started to see the benefits of trusting in this. When I release doubt, fear, and comparison, and walk my own path, that is when I feel the largest reward and the most significant steps towards my goals.

So I guess that is my major milestone, and I truly wouldn’t change the timing of anything. I believe everything has happened the way it has for a reason and I am better off for trusting that.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a singer-songwriter based in Nashville, TN. I got my start in music very early on, singing and writing around my home and the barn I grew up riding horses at. After sports took over my life in my teens, I reconnected with my love for music in college. After college, I moved back to Columbus, Ohio (where I am from) and started playing cover gigs at bars and restaurants around the city. In 2020, my then fiancé and I moved to Nashville and I have been writing, singing, playing, promoting, and learning since. I have played hundreds of shows, solo, duos, full-band, writers rounds. I’ve written a ton of songs for both myself and others. I have released two singles with plenty more on the way. I have built a network of talented, driven and genuine people around me that I love working with. I have developed into an artist and writer that I am proud of, and continue to do so. I have worked towards perfecting the many crafts that go into artistry, and I have done all of these things in a way that feels genuine to me. That is what I am most proud of.

I think the main thing I want people to know about me is that I am an artist that is never going to put on a front. I am always going to be authentically me, I will figure things out as they come, that may not always be perfect, and that is okay. I feel that my music and artistry communicates that. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I want my group of people to always feel safe, and understood with me.

My brand is embracing authenticity, and I welcome others want to join me on that journey.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you? 

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey. 

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelleyannwilliams/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/01OqrgDNaVqTQZgqaRzsTD?si=Ujs0FT3rQHOisKccBad3Yg
• Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/kelley-ann-williams/1619820688

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