We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lynn Solar. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lynn below.
Hi Lynn, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I am my most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on!
When I decided to pursue a life as an artist, the journey was of self-discovery, growth and transformation. Up until that time, I felt I was living a life of making life choices based on the suggestions, direction, opinions and limited beliefs of others versus what I felt in my heart. In order to become the artist that I envisioned myself to be, I had to discover my authentic self. It was a hard process that involved lots of introspection, challenging conversations with close friends and trusted people in my network, allowing myself to be vulnerable in ways I had never been and create without being hard on myself and unnecessarily judging my work. Most of all, the journey involved being honest with myself and facing my emotions and my own perspectives and limiting beliefs! I had to 100% own every part of my story… I had NO idea that this is what I was signing up for!
As I kept peeling back the layers to uncover who I was, I was unlearning bad habits, creating new positive ones and doing the creative work of writing songs for my album, Transformed. My album is my story, well part of it, the songs are snapshots of how I was feeling about my life experiences at that time. Those experiences were about dating, the challenges around pursuing my dreams, dealing with life’s transitions and my emotions around those things. I learned a lot about who I was by how I navigated my wins and losses and grew from them. I was recreating myself and carving out my own path.
So, the creation of my album is meaningful because it was the first time that I was letting the public in my personal story…the first time I was telling the world “Hey! I am an artist, a creative person and I have something valuable to say”. It was the first time I was taking power over my life circumstances in ways that were more meaningful to me. In doing so, I’ve helped others face their own challenges, fears, vulnerabilities and identify their own power and purpose. I believe that we all all here on this earth to identify and operate in alignment with our purpose, so my album is one of the ways I contribute to the transformation and empowerment of others.
Lynn, 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?
About me:
I enjoy having amazing life experiences and designing a life I love. I love music, movies, theater (anything in the creative arts), learning new and interesting things, great food and spending quality time with friends and interesting people. Brunch is my favorite meal and time of day. I love exploring my city- Chicago has so much to offer. And I love traveling the world.
Some of my friends refer to me as “the queen of self-care” a title I haven’t yet fully embraced. I’ve just learned how to take the best care of myself, my mind and my heart by “doing the work” and making sure I put myself and my needs first. I believe that “self care” is how we curate our personal selves. I have acquired a great deal of self-care and self-love tools that include adequate rest, meditation, yoga and exercise, eating well, hydrating, monthly massages, quality time with others, travel and quiet time. I thoroughly enjoy having easeful mornings beginning with a self-care routine to jumpstart my day.
I am a multi-talented, multi-passionate, multi-hyphenate, creative entrepreneur with a holistic approach to life. I am intentional about everything I do. I believe in being my authentic self, staying open to endless possibilities, and operating in alignment with my life purpose and with integrity. I intend to fully love the life I have and I work toward that vision daily.
Here’s a little bit about how I got here:
I’ve participated in the arts as extracurricular activities since I was 5 years old. I was a member of my church choirs, high school concert choir, and Black Chorus in college. I have also taken dance class from the age of 9, primarily in Tap, Jazz and one year of ballet.
When I was a teenager, a woman at my church had a theater outreach company and took me under her wing. I worked with her company as an actor, stage manager, instructor and assistant director during her summer theater camp.
While I was not pursuing a college degree in the arts, I always remained connected to music, dance and theater in some way. I eventually left Black Chorus and began to perform at events across campus with my singer & musician friends. I also helped to produce a weekly poetry set on campus from sophomore to senior year and I performed in several arts showcase events hosted by my sorority,
After graduating college and navigating “the real world”- job searching, having my first real jobs, learning how to manage real adult bills, etc.- for the next two years, I went to grad school for Instructional Leadership, specializing in Early Childhood Education. After graduating with my Masters degree I eventually learned that I didn’t totally love working in the classroom. Actually, it took the intervention of one of my sorority sisters who pointed out to me that I haven’t enjoyed my jobs or life. “You’re not happy…”. She then asked “Without considerations or limitations, if you could do one thing for the rest of your life what would that be?” At that moment a vision of me performing flashed in my mind and even though I was apprehensive, my reply was, “I’d love to be on stage.” From then on, my Soror Lo, became my partner in creating a plan to get me closer to my creative vision. It was time to stop playing small and start being my authentic creative artist self. As an artist, I am passionate about curating experiences that organically support, inspire and cultivate connectedness, engagement and fun!
-I am a singer, songwriter, performer and recording artist through my company Lynn Solar Music. At my shows, I perform songs from Transformed, along with my favorite R&B, soul and pop covers. I create my set lists like mixtapes with each song connected by a message or theme. I am looking forward to expanding and performing in different cities in the upcoming year.
-I am an actress for Theater, TV and Film, represented by Talent X Alexander talent agency. For theater, my special skill is playing multiple characters in a show. It’s a fun challenge to switch between characters and keep them different and interesting. For TV & Film I’d love to get cast in action, drama, comedy, thrillers, period pieces and films based on/inspired by books.
-I am an Event Producer. My company, Purple Crown Productions is a full service event planning, production, management, & consulting company, specializing in creating dynamic, transformative and engaging experiences ranging from intimate to extravagant gatherings, in-person and virtual events. Based in Chicago, we produce events worldwide for corporate & non-profit organizations, and individuals who desire to “add a little sparkle” to their live events.
Problems I solve and what sets me apart:
I offer my followers and clients fresh and exciting perspective and invite them to be as creative as possible when dreaming big. This helps reveal the most empowering and inspiring themes and aspects to building out a big idea, solving any problem and/or curating an amazing experience. I show my followers and clients how to dream big and turn their big ideas into actionable steps to reach their goals in ways that feel organic and authentic to them. I help them make powerful choices based on their vision, needs and desires.
What Am I most proud of:
I have been building my professions and brands for 14 years. I started from the ground up, doing whatever it takes to move closer to my Big vision. As with any journey, it has not been easy. I have taken some hard hits and have been intentional about learning from every single challenge. Through every shift, I remain focused on being the very best version of myself I can be. I am proud of my ability to get through the hard moments and transform every part into something valuable. I am proud of still being in the game and using my journey and platform to create positive impact for others.
Main thing to know about me and my brand:
I empower others that they have everything they need to be, do, and have whatever it is they desire. By sharing my journey, living powerfully and creatively I inspire others that they too can follow their dreams and hearts desires and create the life they love. I create a safe space for my followers and clients to DREAM BIG. I show them what’s possible and help them make it happen.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
The most recent story that illustrates my resilience-I am a Survivor of “the toxic workplace”.
Like many, I was laid off during the pandemic. I had been working as an administrative coordinator for a team that curated cultural events and programming at a popular tourist destination in Chicago. When the pandemic eventually led to me being laid off a few months later, I took the time to rest, restore and reconnect to my big vision. Most of the past 14 years as a creative entrepreneur (mainly a solopreneur), I have also worked full time jobs and for the first time I understood the magnitude of how tired I was from doing it all, and for such a long period of time. For me, the pandemic shutdown was a time of reevaluating my journey, plan and vision. It was a time of wiping the slate clean, combing through every detail, desire and my needs so that I could rebuild the dream. It was my way of “throwing the spaghetti on the wall” to see what resonated with me the most.
I dedicated all my energy to writing out, recreating and upgrading my creative vision. I brainstormed all of my possibilities for generating income, highlighted the things that excited me and created action plans around each one. I did everything on my to do lists that I hadn’t had the time, energy or capacity to do prior to the shutdown. I took advantage of all the newly relevant resources available to me: followed thought leaders I discovered on social media, read books on my shelves, started a weekly Instagram Live conversation series, created a daily self-care routine and practiced it consistently, I took classes for acting and event planning and I picked up guitar as a hobby. It was my desire to never find myself in a 9-5, in a full time workplace, as someone’s “employee” again, because “I have everything I need to be (who I want to be) do (what I want to do) and have (the life I want to have)”. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I had to deep dive in exploration and Dream BIGGER.
Although I made some really great choices during this time, when the world was reopening my efforts had not yet produced consistent income to save me from returning to a 9-5. I enjoyed my previous job and the people however as a creative person, I’ve never really fit in the 9-5 life. Over the course of the pandemic, I had developed a new outlook on how I would navigate the workplace to best support and leverage my Big plans. I strategically chose positions and organizations that were seemingly closely aligned with my newly redefined creative vision, in hopes that the experience would build up my résumé and future clientele and position me for opportunities I was really excited about.
Unfortunately, I found myself in three back-to-back roles at companies that severely perpetuated the toxic themes of overworking, burnout, high stress, microaggressions, racism, unjust hiring and firing practices, psychological abuse and everything in between. This led to the deterioration of my mental, emotional, psychological, spiritual and physical health. To say that these jobs gutted me, would be an understatement. At the acceptance of these job offers, I was hopeful of the amazing possibilities to come, but that hope quickly faded. I was unwell and depressed. I felt so alone. There were many times when I didn’t know how or if I was going to make it through such hard seasons. My experience revealed to me that no matter how thoroughly you vet an organization and assess best fit, you can’t truly predict the future and you won’t fully be able to know the truth about your future employers and teammates until you are in the job.
As a high functioning, well educated and highly experienced African- American woman, these jobs challenged the fundamental things about my skills, expertise, and character. Staying or leaving these jobs became a matter of life or death. And I don’t believe ANY job is worth sacrificing your health. Through all the challenges and disappointment, I still knew that I was being propelled into a greater future. I made the choice to leave the third toxic job in March 2024. It was a part-time job that I had hoped would help me smoothly transition into full time entrepreneurship. It ended up being just as stressful as the full time job before it. It had an unbelievable resemblance to the job I thought it was saving me from. The compounded weight of this being the third toxic job in a row, was extremely heavy… I never want to go through that again. And I never want anyone I know to go through what I experienced… It has been heartbreaking to know other women like me are encountering the same thing.
It’s remarkable how you can feel bad about a choice even when you know deep in your heart you are doing the right thing. It has taken me the past 6 months to heal from my experiences and clear the shame, guilt and the range of negative emotions for simply doing what is best for me. I know I still have more healing to do. My voice still cracks a little and tears well up in my eyes at times when I recount the specific stories but I feel SO PROUD of what I have been able to accomplish since then! I have pushed myself in different ways to get my desired results. I have taken everything I have learned and gotten more strategic in how I operate my businesses and achieve work-lifestyle balance. My laser focus has turned up to 1000% and I have felt the clearest, sharpest and most empowered I have ever been around my businesses and life goals.
I have enjoyed being my own boss in areas where I never felt empowered in previous leaps of faith. I love having more autonomy over my day-to-day. Yes, there are still hard days and sometimes there have been hard weeks, but knowing that I have the freedom to determine when, where, how I work and what projects I work on without having to ask a single soul for permission or approval feels amazing. As a full-time creative entrepreneur in three industries, I have the power to fully own this journey of mine without the distractions that toxic workplaces and burnout perpetuate.
Since my Quantum Leap, I have had some major wins in business and life. In March, I was Assistant Director for a concert reading of a musical production. Through my event planning business I get to choose and work with some amazing clients: I have a client planning her 2nd annual women’s empowerment dinner and I recently completed my first large contract as Deputy Director of Convention Services for a large and well-known organization for it’s four-day event in Chicago, bringing in over 50,000 attendees from across the United States. To have had this wonderful and fulfilling experience of being a decision maker for such an important large-scale event, just four months after leaving the workplace, is an accomplishment I will never forget. I just returned from a “self-care” trip to Bali. I needed that trip to reset and restore. I wish I had been able to take it sooner. Now I am feeling refreshed, healthier and clearer. I believe I am a true example of how faith, preparation, trusting your intuition and strategic movements yield Big, Powerful and Valuable results.
My wins have empowered me and affirmed for me that I am in full alignment with the timing of my life and my purpose. I am SUPER PROUD of myself. I am proud of the level of faith, tenacity, discipline, flexibility I have demonstrated to ensure a Greater future for myself. Fully committing to my BIGGER Vision is the greatest gift I could give myself right now. I am looking forward to what’s to come because I haven’t even scratched the surface! I have opened up a realm of new possibilities by taking this Quantum Leap of Faith. For that I am grateful.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I say that I am spirit-led and purpose driven. My purpose has guided me every step of the way of this journey. Knowing my purpose has pointed me in the right direction and I know when I am on the right path by how I feel.
My sorority sister who intervened that day in December once told me that we go through things for others. Meaning- what we learn in our own victories and challenges, wins and losses become valuable lessons and tools to allow you to help others. It’s true. There is power in sharing your story. I, myself have learned a great deal from listening to and observing others. I’ve had many mentors and guides along the way. I wouldn’t be where I am today if those people hadn’t shared parts of their story and their life lessons with me. While it can feel uncomfortable being vulnerable and sharing parts of my own story, the bravery that it took to do so helped me let the heavy things go and has empowered others to create the life of their dreams. I want freedom for myself and I want it for others who want it for themselves too.
Lastly and certainly not least, I intend to live a great big juicy, fulfilling, courageous & passionate life. That exists in my fearlessness and audacity to follow my heart and design a life I love. Its an ongoing process. The journey continues!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lynn-solar.com/ & https://purplecrownpro.com/
- Instagram: @LynnSolar & @PurpleCrownProductions
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LynnSolarMusic/ & https://www.facebook.com/PurpleCrownProductions/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-solar/?_l=en_US
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/lynnsolar
Image Credits
Main Photo: Miguel Trujillo
Additional photos: (In order from Left to right)
1 Bowe Wilson
2 Bowe Wilson
3 Bowe Wilson
4 Mo Parker
5 n/a
6 Bowe Wilson
7 Ian Mclaren
8 Putu Yudha, Mypoto Bali
9 Putu Yudha, Mypoto Bali