We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lindsay Clark. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lindsay below.

Alright, Lindsay thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I was always drawn to writing, poetry and music from a very young age – so rather than deciding to pursue it professionally, it was something that landed more naturally for me and in some ways chose me. I was deeply interested and curious about it, so it was easy to spend a lot of time on it without really thinking about it. What I didn’t realize until much later was that I was choosing it professionally. Because I spent so much time with my own creative process and musical education, it simply became my profession because those were the skills and talents I had developed over so many years.

Lindsay, 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?

I am primarily a songwriter (folk), but also consider myself a composer, arranger and writer.

On the education side, I am a Creativity Coach, somatic healing practitioner and mentor for artists and creatives.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

What I’ve come to realize over the years is how difficult it is to carve out a path as an artist – financially, emotionally and spiritually. So it’s part of my mission to make that easier for others. Because this path can be so difficult, and because it was for me, I began to learn about Creativity Coaching and eventually somatic healing work (tapping/EFT) that could help me in my artistry as well as my career. I didn’t have the most emotionally supportive childhood or subsequent relationships, and it wasn’t until my 30’s that I started to see how that was really impacting how I was showing up to my music and even the quality of my work.

Even though I had a strong sense of what I wanted to say, I sometimes had a hard time contacting my own voice and creating from that place. I was also terrified of what people though to me and was always looking for approval through my work. Eventually I found a place of embodiment within in, where I am totally committed to myself and my growth regardless of others.

I share this knowledge through my Creativity Coaching, as it’s my mission to give emotional support to creatives who might be more sensitive and coach them on self-belief, confidence, vision and even financial empowerment. So many artists are struggling financially and it’s really heartbreaking. I haven’t figured that all out yet myself, but I think it starts with building awareness and the belief that we can support each other as a community and that we can learn how to better support ourselves. I want creatives to know about grants, for example and have their own financial literacy so that they don’t settle for poverty wages. I also want them to feel empowered to share their voices, that their work matters and that there’s a purpose to it even if they aren’t going to be famous or well-known. Basically, I want creatives to feel empowered (which goes against a society that doesn’t always value them, at least for those of us in the USA).

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I think for a long time, without realizing it I was placing my self-worth in gate keepers and communities that I wanted to be part of or that I wanted to feel seen or noticed by. I thought, if I succeed then I can start to take myself seriously and believe in myself, but it was actually the other way around. I had to choose myself, to believe I was capable of making an impact and stop caring about the gate keepers. Once I really chose my path and got behind it, my work got a lot better. I could grow in a way that I wasn’t able to before when I was outsourcing my energy to other people and how they might perceive me.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://spiritsong.space, http://lindsaybethclark.com
• Instagram: @linseabeth
• Youtube: http://youtube.com/@pasturesplenty

Image Credits

Image 1 – Myles Katherine
Image 2 – Lindsay Clark
Image 3 – Lindsay Clark
Image 4 – Montse Andree
Image 5 – Myles Katherine