Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lindsay Martin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lindsay, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?

When I started the Lindemann program in September 2024, I came in with a mix of excitement and pressure. I thought I was supposed to show up as a “finished product”—ready to perform, ready to impress. But very quickly, I realized that mindset was limiting.

What I’ve learned this year is that there’s no such thing as a finished product in the arts—or in any meaningful career. Watching some of the most respected performers up close, I saw that they’re constantly evolving. They’re refining, experimenting, adjusting. You are never done learning and this realization shifted everything for me.

I also learned that mindset is EVERYTHING. The way I approach my work—whether with fear and self-judgment, or with curiosity and openness—shapes not only how I perform, but how I grow. I now see my job not as proving myself, but as continually expanding—technically, creatively, and personally. I’ve learned to observe myself and my surroundings not with a critical lens, but with a mindset of learning and listening. The goal for me is to grow and accept my whole self no matter how well my art is received. Your self worth is not based on your art. I am a human living a creative life……

Every rehearsal, every performance, every conversation, every moment is an opportunity to grow and learn. That shift in perspective has allowed me to grow in ways I didn’t expect—and it’s made the work feel more meaningful and alive.

Lindsay, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, I’m Lindsay Martin. I’m a 24-year-old artist—most often an opera singer, but I really think of myself more broadly as someone committed to creative living.

I’ve been singing and playing piano since I was six. I started out writing songs, and not long after, a music teacher recognized potential in me and introduced me to the classical music world. That set me on a new path—one I didn’t expect, but which ultimately shaped so much of who I am. I continued studying classical music while still making music with friends, writing songs, and singing/playing in bands.

I went on to earn my degree in voice performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Even then, I struggled with being pigeonholed into one genre. I loved classical music, but I was equally drawn to creating across different forms—collaborating with composers, experimenting, writing, and exploring other styles. That creative pull eventually led me to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Southern California, where I continued to develop both my technical skills and my artistic identity.

It was during my master’s that something really shifted. I stopped trying to fit myself into the conservativeness of opera and instead started shaping the art to fit me. I realized I could interpret these roles in ways that felt personal and alive. I fell in love with the emotional depth of opera, with how performing these characters let me explore parts of myself and process my own experiences.

Knowing myself—really knowing every corner of who I am—has always been a major goal of mine. Opera and the broader act of creating helped me get closer to that. Through that process, I found my way back to other creative outlets I had set aside: writing poetry, songwriting, photoshoots, modeling, directing, even learning to DJ. I began to see all of this as part of the same drive. I don’t separate these forms. It’s all creativity. It’s all art.

In the middle of all this, I auditioned for and was incredibly fortunate to join the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera. That moment was huge. I moved to New York and began this next chapter, and now, as I finish my first year, I’m filled with gratitude for how much I’ve grown—both as an artist and a person.

I will always sing. I see myself in the classical world for a long time, but I also see myself releasing albums across genres, collaborating with composers, and building creative communities. Recently, some friends and I started a DJ collective in the Bay Area called @silliestoption, throwing music events and parties that bring together people who love the arts and value creative expression.

To me, creative living means saying yes to the things that bring you joy, refusing to limit yourself, and staying open to every form of expression that feels true. I believe this mindset will keep opening doors—and connecting me with other artists who want to share in that. Because honestly, art is essential.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is self-discovery. It’s something I find deeply important—the most essential way to live. Truly knowing yourself and what matters to you isn’t just empowering; it’s transformative. It allows you to connect with your emotions without judgment, to accept every part of who you are.

From that acceptance comes authenticity. And it’s often from that space—raw, honest, and unfiltered—that the best art is born. When you allow yourself to express freely, without limitations other than the ones you’ve chosen for yourself, your art becomes uniquely yours.

Authenticity resonates. When you understand yourself more deeply, you can begin to understand others too. That connection—between self and other, between artist and audience—creates a powerful feedback loop. The more you connect with others, the more you continue to uncover about yourself.

It’s a full circle.
Art gives you that.
Creative living gives you that.
It’s a path—maybe the most meaningful path—to self-discovery.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Yes, yes and YES!!! Some of the works that have shaped me—books like Train Your Hero by Don Greene, Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, The Places That Scare You by Pema Chödrön, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, and even episode #98 of The Tim Ferriss Show with Robert Rodriguez. Each in their own way has taught me how to live a creative life and what comes with this journey. A lot of dedication, hard work, note taking/journaling, creating and sharing….these books and podcasts taught me how to get sh** done and live your life to the fullest.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: uninterruptedgirl

Image Credits
Natalie Powers, Dante Mireles, Canal Knight, Kristen Loken