We recently connected with Ross Victory and have shared our conversation below.
Ross, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the toughest things about progressing in your creative career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?
The biggest obstacle and challenge I have faced is probably not prioritizing my mental health as early as I should have and the subsequent loss of opportunities- specifically around developing strict confidence and focusing on my personal goals.
Writing has always been my preferred method of coping with the world around me. Writing was my cashmere blanket on a wintry night, and I had ‘lost my blanket’—writing—for an extended period.
Almost ten years ago, I moved to South Korea. I was coping with the breakdown of my parents’ thirty-plus-year failed marriage, my new status as an unemployed college graduate trying to understand the job market, and my eldest brother’s stage IV cancer diagnosis. I thought I was being clever by escaping to a different country. Little did I know that not working through challenges (or pretending they don’t exist) can be a catalyst for anxiety and depression. I took the long way—the long way to self-awareness.
After returning from South Korea, even more panic ensued. My brother did die of brain cancer, and my family continued to splinter as people coped in silence. After my dad’s health started to spiral and I discovered that he was facing elderly abuse, I made an active decision to make my mental and spiritual health my top and sole priority.
As an Artistpreneur, an ambitious, and overall passionate person, I genuinely realized the power of surrender, which was getting back in touch with creative writing. Writing stories or music gives me the chance to express myself uninhibitedly. Courage feels easy and accessible, but I know it’s not to most people.
And because I have survived harrowing experiences, I want to be a beacon to those who may not have access to supportive people or even the resources necessary to get professional help. I want to be a beacon specifically to black and brown youth, including LGBTQ youth, to get on fire about their lives by believing in themselves and taking the driver’s seat instead of being a passenger. I will do this through writing stories, creating music, and my brand, “Books & Bangers.”
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’ve been singing since I was two years old. My mom said she knew I could sing when I sang Happy Birthday on a family member’s voicemail.
By seven, I had recorded a ” mixtape” for my first-grade teacher, Miss Bland. I performed in talent shows throughout middle and high school. I was a nerd, always writing songs, producing beats, and using my money working at AMC theaters to record in the studio.
In 2007, I was a Top 5 finalist in a Myspace singing competition for Step 2 Up The Streets Soundtrack by Atlantic Records. Although I did not win, the contest got me started developing my creator platform as an author and musician.
I studied marketing in college, so I decided to intern at Power 106 radio station and ASCAP to learn more about marketing and publishing. At the time, these internships seemed like a way to marry practical work experience with my creative interests.
After college, I began teaching English as my first job when my music and job goals didn’t pan out. After my dad and brother died, I began to look back on my life and asked some hard questions about my interests and the work I wanted to do in life. I remembered my love for creative writing and music and released my first book, Views from the Cockpit, in 2019. I began to release music shortly after the book was published. I quickly began appearing on podcasts and speaking at book fairs and bookstores.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I wrote four more books: Panorama, Egg, Father & Sun, and Your Story Is Your Clout, Your Voice Is Your Power. I also released an EP called “Winter Nights in Quarantine,” a four-track project of smooth soul.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The best part of being an artist and having a creative disposition is, I make the rules. For a small moment in time, I become the architect of worlds and can shape music and words into universes. It’s quite relaxing and therapeutic considering all the restriction and constriction I experience in my day-to-day life. Let’s get of the rules when we can!
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
The Mastery of Self, by Four Agreements author Don Miguel Ruiz, looks at humanity through the Toltec tradition lens, originating in 10th-12th century Mexico. This book was quite pivotal in igniting my sense of self-awareness and taking accountability for my life in minor ways.
Ruiz frames the notions of society and self through two key ideas:
(1) The Dream of the planet, which is society/collective thought
(2) Personal Dream, which is a personal perspective of the experiencer
Ruiz offers several practices to stimulate self-awareness. The first is to identify how you have been domesticated and ask yourself if you’re willing to survey your attachments.
Ruiz states that most domestication happens during childhood through reward/punishment scenarios from our parents and teachers. So he forces readers to get into a state of reflection and intention.
The intention is a huge part of creating a story, a music piece, and even leading a team of people to accomplish a goal. So I try to ask myself, who am I serving by this story? Who will benefit from my presence? Who needs me to be bold and brave now so that they don’t spend time crying in a bathroom.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rossvictory.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/rossvictoryofficial
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/rossvictoryofficial
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-victory-656abb50/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/rossvictoryla
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Z0-O-j3pGSvmyseTZs2jQ
Image Credits
Paige Sierrra Christiana Valenz