We recently connected with Mia Schuster and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mia, thanks for joining us today. 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 think risk is the whole name of the game.

When I consider my journey and any of the major moments that stand out, they all demanded risk to be taken. No going over, under, or around it – only through.

For me, risk was moving across the whole country at 17 years old to study music, one of the most ‘impractical’ career paths. Risk was later dropping out of school and moving to California. Risk was pursuing music in LA full force as an independent musician. Risk was leaving LA and going BACK to school to learn production to support my music.

Risk is the months and months away from my family sacrificing that time in pursuit of a crazy dream. Risk is winging it on stage when I feel like my heart is going to explode because I hate being the center of attention (great choice of career am I right?). Risk is letting myself rest and recharge creative energy when the world says ‘do more! push harder! grind!’.

These are all just a few things that come to mind when I consider the idea of risk. I don’t believe it is one isolated moment, but instead that it is the continued buy-in of pursuing your passions. Risk and sacrifice often go hand in hand. Yet somehow, I do believe it is always worth it. Even if things don’t pan out perfectly, even if there is more loss than reward, because at the end of the day, you can say you spared no cost in the pursuit of what you were created for. That is worth it every time.

Mia, 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 mine! I’m a singer-songwriter, producer, and artist. I create indie pop music meant to ignite the soul and add a bit of sparkle to your day,

I grew up in Fargo, ND and have moved around quite a bit since. Now, currently based in Boston, MA, I am studying music production at Berklee. These days, I am focusing my energy on writing the most authentic music possible – I am just now beginning to tap into telling my story not just in my words and melodies, but also in my productions!

I am a creative through and through, so I am always pouring out creative energy into some medium – music, painting, or perhaps my recent hobby of crocheting. All of this pulls together to create a life with the intention of ‘making’, it is truly my passion. With this in mind, my biggest dream is to make the world a bit brighter with what I create. One song (or one scarf hah!) at a time.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The biggest driving mission in my life is to bring more light to this world.

It is not hard to see all that is wrong with this world and get sucked into the doom spiral. When that is the reality we face, hope is imperative. It may seem like a silly thing to think that little pop songs would have the ability to change any of that, but in my experience, they do.

When I think of some of my lowest moments, it was often music that pulled me up to a higher frequency. It was fun, vibrant, poppy music that reminded me that there is a reason to dance and sing and scream and maybe, just maybe, it’s all going to be okay.

I want to make music like that. Sure, I’ll probably write some sad songs, some angry songs, and some full-spectrum-of-emotions song. But I intent to always write with a thread of hope. I want people to remember there is still something good out there. If I have the honor of being that 3 minute moment of light in someone’s day, that is more than enough for me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part is simply being true to myself. A career in the arts is no easy thing to tackle. It’s emotional and riddled with self-doubt. People act like you’re crazy most of the time. It’s a bit of a wild goose chase with no clear path or plan to pursue success. BUT, if you truly love it with your whole heart, it is so, so worthwhile.

I was actually thinking about this the other day – music is so fun to me. I love asking people to co-write as an activity for fun. Not work, fun. Just as I would ask someone to play tennis or get coffee. Because it is one of my favorite things in the world – it is play! While there are certainly things I don’t love about this career path, namely the frustrations of business, the reality of getting to create is a dream.

So more than anything the most rewarding part of being an artist is the joy of walking in my purpose and knowing deep down I was made for this. Life is a whole lot better when you are flowing in your calling and purpose. Not necessarily easy, but oh so worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://minemusicofficial.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minemusicofficial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/minemusicofficial
• Twitter: https://x.com/minemusicofficl
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAzQef5i3SCPfV20MOGfUTw
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/minemusicofficial
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@minemusicofficial

Image Credits

Jenny Schuster