05 | Letting Go Of Your Inner Critic To Serve You with Stacey Ann

Through The Creative Door

From the excitement of being part of the 2023 Telethon to discussing the importance of personal creative space, Stacey Ann opens up about her experiences as a songwriter, business owner and a general creative being. She reveals the challenges of battling anxiety, even as a successful artist, and shares how unexpected detours can lead to beautiful discoveries in your art.

Laugh along as Stacey and Alexis recount her makeshift studio adventures in Europe and the joys of finding creativity in unexpected places. Plus, get a sneak peek into Stacey Ann's upcoming EP release and hear about the rollercoaster journey of creating a body of work. With laughter, honesty, and a whole lot of heart, this episode is a must-listen conversation for anyone needing to be reminded to celebrate the small wins, because art is linear and we're all on our own timelines. Get ready for some inspiration, support and giggles!

If you’d like to see more, you can follow Stacey on instagram @staceyannmusic

This episode was recorded on 24 October 2023 on the lands of the Wajuk Peoples. We hope that this episode inspires you as a creative person and as a human being.

Thanks for listening, catch you on the next episode.

Psst! We are always on the lookout for creative people to share their story and inspire others. Have you got someone in mind who would love to have a chat? Get in contact with us via Instagram @throughthecreativedoor

Artists from Stacey:

@_ribs_

@joanandthegiants

@kingibis

@verucamoon

@goldenpanthertattoo

Let’s get social:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/throughthecreativedoor/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ttcdpodcast

CREDITS

Created and Hosted by Alexis Naylor

Music by Alexis Naylor & Ruby Miguel

Edited and Produced by Ruby Miguel

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00:08 - Alexis (Host)

Hi, my name is Alexis Naylor and I am your host here at Through the Creative Door. On behalf of myself and my guests, I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians on which this podcast is recorded and produced. We pay our respects to all First Nations people and acknowledge Elders, past and present. On this podcast, I will be chatting to an array of creative guests, getting a glimpse into their worlds and having some honest and inspiring conversations along the way. Welcome to Through the Creative Door.

Welcome, Stacey Ann. Thanks for having me.

00:48 - Stacey (Guest)

Thanks for having me.

00:50 - Alexis (Host)

I'm so happy to see you. I'm so glad that we get to come into your little creative space.

00:58 - Stacey (Guest)

It's so nice to have you. Welcome.

01:05 - Alexis (Host)

You have just finished doing the Telethon, which is very exciting.

01:05 - Stacey (Guest)

It was so much fun, we had the best time and it was so cool to be a part of something that's so, so special. And they beat their records again this year, which they tend to do every year. I am so amazed as to how they do that, but it's pretty incredible.

01:20 - Alexis (Host)

I saw a little bit of snippets on socials and it looked pretty fun being in the studio, like the bit where they ring up and the call centre.

01:29 - Stacey (Guest)

Yeah, the call centre, that was so fun. All of them are so lovely and all the volunteers are just there to have a really good time as well, so it was pretty cool to be a part of that.

01:37 - Alexis (Host)

So cute. I wanted to have a chat to you. I'm asking everyone about their creative space and I guess you've welcomed me in and I'm very excited to be here. But I'm curious what does a creative space mean to you and why?

01:56 - Stacey (Guest)

That’s a great question, I don't know. I guess it's my safe space and it's my happy place and it's where I can just be myself, free of judgement, which I guess a lot of people can probably relate to in their creative spaces too. But it's weird because, having not really been home much, my creative space is in my bedroom, by the way, for context, but I haven't really been home much the last few weeks and even today, coming into my bedroom, I've just felt a lot calmer and it's really made me realise how much it helps my mental health just being in my own space, and it's pretty crazy that that can affect you so much. It's actually been a while since I've sat and played the piano, so that was something I wanted to do today to relax a little bit, because it's been a full on couple weeks, but really fun couple weeks, but I've just needed to rest in my safe space. It's just brought back how important it is to do that every now and again, because I haven't, and it's really shown that.

03:11 - Alexis (Host)

And we spoke offline, off the recording, off mic. But we talked about the peaks and troughs of it all, when it rains, it pours almost like you feel everything is on the calendar all at once and it takes you away from being in your creative space and being able to write because you're obviously the doing, which is amazing - that’s why we create for.

03:36 - Stacey (Guest)

I love the doing, but I also love the doing in here, which I don't get to do as much, unfortunately.

03:44 - Alexis (Host)

Speaking of bodies of work and the doing. What, if there is something that you're most proud of, whether that be something that you've created yourself or you've done in collaboration with others, how did that thing come about that you're most proud of?

04:05 - Stacey (Guest)

It's probably my EP that is about to be released, in March of 2024. I guess this is probably the biggest project I've worked on. It's been the longest time frame of project that I've worked on and it's been with people that I really admire as musicians and I'm really lucky to be a part of something so special with them as well. They make me feel so I don't know just welcomed in the industry as well, and I just feel so lucky to be able to collaborate with them on my music and they're so excited by it, which is so lovely to find that you can work on something that's your own, but they're just as excited as you are. Do you know what I mean? It's pretty rare to find that and I'm really really lucky. I'm super grateful that I found..

04:57 - Alexis (Host)

Your tribe.

04:58

Yeah, pretty much actually, yeah, I'm really, yeah, honestly, I can't express my gratitude for these guys more, because they are just so special, yeah, and even like working with a new producer and recording person. I think they're called sound engineers, but anyways, sound engineers, yeah, the things, the amazing magicians that they are, yeah. So I've worked with a new producer and sound engineer this year and he is just like amazing as well, and he definitely falls into that category of just such a magician in the music industry and my songs sound like just better than I ever thought they'd be able to after like the mix and everything. And yeah, I'm just, yeah, I'm really excited for it.

05:49 - Alexis (Host)

Yes, I'm so excited. Can’t wait to hear it. And it is that having your allies in your tribe around you, your backbone, your support network.

06:02 - Stacey (Guest)

Yeah, honestly because during this whole year, I've felt really like, obviously, like being an artist is such a rollercoaster of emotions and you constantly have to be your own cheerleader at some points as well, and I just feel like working with these guys, this like whole year has been such a rollercoaster, but like having them there is such like validation to keep going and, yeah, I don't know if I would still be doing it without them. Essentially, so I'm just, yeah, pretty grateful that they're around really,

06:31 - Alexis (Host)

And I'm sure they're very grateful to be part of your project too. Oh thanks. Speaking of things that we're proud of, on the flip side of that, as a creative, has there been something or a situation that's been quite challenging, and what was the major lesson?

07:02 - Stacey (Guest)

Mental health has been the biggest challenge recently. Yeah, I actually used to have the biggest, most severe anxiety when I was in year six in primary school, to the point where I couldn't leave the house, like it was pretty bad. And then I went into high school and met new friends and like had new environments and it kind of over the years in high school went away and eventually it became like just this thing that didn't even define me anymore and I just didn't even think of it as being part of my life and I was like, yeah, I've like beat this thing that used to be a part of me and consume me. And I remember saying at my graduating recital at uni that like I just never would have thought I would be on a stage like this and like, if you feel like you're not capable of doing something, like you are because here I am, kind of thing. And then I went to Europe last year on my own for two months and I was so excited for the adventure.

08:11

But it was a bit of an adventure that I wasn't really ready for because I ended up having like all of that anxiety that I had as a kid become triggered by a lot of things that were going on at the time and I guess, just being in a foreign country and like not really having your main support networks around you, it kind of yeah, it just took over my whole life for two months and I became like such a shell of who I was before I left, and which was really sad, because I really wanted that to be like a growing experience and in some ways it definitely was. Like it was such self discovery and I learnt so much about myself and what I'm actually capable of doing, but just not in the way that I thought I would, which is so funny, because sometimes the universe throws things that you don't really think are going to be there and then they just like

09:13 - Alexis (Host)

Oh, never get what we set out.

09:15

Like yeah no hundred percent, like I set out for a journey of self-discovery, but not really that one.

09:21

But you know what? Yeah, so I'm like hold two months in Europe. I didn't have, like my instruments or like anywhere I could go and sing or any music really around me that I was familiar with. I didn't really know where to go to find gigs to attend and like it was just such a different world and, if anything, it really made me realize how important is to have music in my life in some form, whether it's my own or someone else's. And yeah, I came home and I played a really beautiful gig at the Freo Church with Helen Shanahan and it was just like everything I needed and I like I sang a solo song on piano, which is like my biggest fear is like singing solo on stage while playing an instrument, and I was like you know what I Like was a shell of a human, like a month ago.So who cares? What's the worst that's gonna happen. Can't get any worse. When you reach rock bottom, the only way is up.

10:13 - Alexis (Host)

It’s true!

10:22 - Stacey (Guest)

So yeah, it kind of was like a huge stepping stone in my life and probably the biggest challenge that I've faced in the last couple years, but it was something I think I needed for sure to like recalibrate in a way and be like what is actually important to me, because like just having to survive each day and, like you know, make it through the day without falling apart, or like being able to eat food, for instance. You know, like that is sometimes like I would go through the day and be like yay, you ate three meals a day. Like go you, and it's so funny how your goals can change when you're going through something so crazy.

11:02 - Alexis (Host)

Totally, because you're going back to the fundamentals.

11:06 - Stacey (Guest)

Yeah, you're like I'm functioning and that is all I need to do, and sometimes you have to remind yourself, like even you're in the hustle and bustle, that like if you've drank water and you've eaten, seen a bit of sun, smiled, you know, like you've had a good day and it’s really humbling to like have an opportunity to be reminded of that. I think so. Yeah, it's actually really helped me with this EP that I've recorded, because I was like you know what? I'm just doing this for me because no one else. It actually doesn't matter if anyone else hears this, because I've had the best time.

11:40 - Alexis (Host)

Yeah, and it's hard. It's hard, obviously, being in the industry that we're in and the way that society is is that? Measuring by external, yeah. Parameters, yeah, but it's like we, only us, can we define what success is? Absolutely, and it's easy to say but sometimes really hard to embody.

12:05 - Stacey (Guest)

Oh, absolutely, yeah, yeah, and it's so funny because, like even because that was about a year ago, even a year I've like forgotten some of those things and I'm like have to remind myself. Like a year ago you were just like in bed all day. You know what I mean. So, like, yeah, it's really important to just remind yourself of like the fundamental things in life and if you're like supported by people around you, then you can make it through. You know what I mean.

12:34 - Alexis (Host)

Yeah, beautiful, I'm so glad. What a, what a beautiful full circle.

12:39 - Stacey (Guest)

Yeah, I feel like it is.

12:40 - Alexis (Host)

Yeah, speaking of being creative and we're in this beautiful space of yours Do you think that there's an object or a thing that you can't live without when you create? Could be something sentimental, could be like something really practical.

13:04 - Stacey (Guest)

I don't know, because when I was in the UK, I didn't have anything that I would usually have when I create, so I ended up finding a new way of like creating something, and it turned out to be like the best thing I've ever done.

13:19 - Alexis (Host)

Okay, you do tell, do tell do tell.

13:22 - Stacey (Guest)

Well, no, like it literally was just that I I didn't have my piano with me, so I was like you know what we're gonna midi this? Because I had my laptop, sure, and I ended up recording my vocals on my phone and voice memo-ing it and air-dropping it to my laptop.

13:36

Yeah, and then I was like yeah honestly, I was like we're gonna like make ship the studio here because I'm like in need of some help. And yeah, this was like a different way of creating music for me, because usually I would just like write the stuff on piano and like start off with like a fairly like slow tempo and I'll be like, oh, actually this needs to go faster. But like in terms of starting off the song, I just had like heaps of stuff will open on logic and I was like let's just chuck this beat in and like let's change. Like. I took this really slow song that I had already kind of written and I just put it into logic and I sped it up and I was like I just want to like play around with this and have some fun, because who cares?

14:23

Yeah, and it's funny what you do when you like let go of like your critic a little bit and

14:29 Alexis (Host)

Just go back to the inner child of just playing

14:31 Alexis (Host)

Yeah, I wish she was like I just want to play around and see what happens. And it ended up being like the single I just released and it's like my favorite song I've ever written. So I don't know, I feel like I have somehow weirdly managed to. As long as I have like the ability to not be too critical, then like I can just create something for me.

14:54

Yeah and yeah, I don't think I really need a thing. Yeah, I think it's a mindset to be honest, yeah.

15:03 - Alexis (Host)

It's so funny that you say about, like in a space where you didn't have instruments and you used what was at your disposal. So for me at the moment, with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and low right arm, I can't play piano. And so it's funny that you say that you just sort of pivot. Yeah, I did the good old like YouTube, slash Google of like piano melodies in A minor backing track, like whatever. So like had someone doodling over and like sang and made these like.

15:39 - Stacey (Guest)

I love it. You gotta do what you gotta do.

15:42 - Alexis (Host)

Yeah, yeah it's so funny. It was like I've somehow managed to find myself a backing track.

15:46 - Stacey (Guest)

We love it. I love that so much, but he actually it's weird because you find like different avenues of creating and sometimes that'll lead to a completely different thing that you would have never created otherwise, which is like the beauty of the of music, because it's such a different language and there's so many avenues.

16:05 - Alexis (Host)

Now, if you could give one piece of advice, nugget of wisdom, to another creative. What would it be?

16:17 - Stacey (Guest)

Wow, I've actually been thinking about this recently because I've had such like a deflating couple of weeks in the industry, but also like the most, the most lovely and the most like fueling couple of weeks. But, as I said, it's a roller coaster. So we don't get one thing, we get it all.

16:37 - Stacey (Guest)

But I guess the biggest thing I've learned is to not do it for anyone else, because you're not really going to achieve much if you set out to make a sound for someone else unless, of course, that's like a brief that you're trying to feel, but like in terms of like original music if you're not doing it for yourself, it's just really hard to please people, and I guess I had a few things written down because I wanted to. I remind myself of these all the time, especially recently. Not everyone is going to like what you do, which is one that I had to remind myself of actually today, because I got heaps of feedback on this song that I had just released and it's like, as I said, my favourite song yet and they were just like a lot of people that were like, yeah, not my taste, or like it's not for me, and like they can word things in a way that make you feel so awful about what you've just like put a year into but, at the end of the day, like there were people that also loved it.

17:43

so you just have to like remind yourself of the positive ones and celebrating the small wins yeah, I kind of ties in with that one oh,

17:51 - Alexis (Host)

I'm such an advocate for that yeah

17:55 - Alexis (Host)

Like no matter how small they are, like even just like getting on a playlist or like finishing a chorus of a song and like loving it at the moment, like that is such a small win that deserves to just be lived for a little bit, and celebrate.

18:13 - Alexis (Host)

Especially because for us it's not like we're getting to some imaginary finish line, like you're running through tape. This is just like, once we sort of get one little goal, we're on to the next goal, like there's no. It's linear.

18:23 - Stacey (Guest)

Yeah, right, and there's no like formula yes, which is crazy to me that like we're all kind of working in this industry and like doing all these things that like we're told to do, to like get your song out there or like write a certain way, and it's just pretty crazy because it's such a subjective industry.

18:42 - Alexis (Host)

It's art. It's not a corporate letter that we follow absolutely. It's art. it's appropriation yeah, opinions, it's points of view.

18:52 - Stacey (Guest)

Yeah, so yeah, lots of those things have just been in my brain bubble at the moment, because it's really important to just remind yourself that like this is for you and like people will love it if you're authentic as well. There's no point doing it if you're not just loving it because people will notice that and love you for it. The next song I'm actually releasing is called Ripples, and I wrote it about my friends because they are like ripple effects in my life that like once you surround yourself with positive people, it just it creates ripple effects in all other parts of your life and you're happier for it. So I just find that, support networks are up there.

19:35 - Alexis (Host)

Yep, for sure 100%. One last question yeah, if you could have anyone come on this podcast and answer these questions, who would it be and why?

19:46 - Stacey (Guest)

Wow, I actually, like so many people come to mind because I have such a tribe of beautiful, creative women in my life and I'm lucky enough to call them my friends and my support network at the same time, and I think they all have such beautiful stories to tell and different journeys and avenues and I feel like any one of them would be such a beautiful thing to witness. So, Georgina Crammond from Ribs, Grace from Joan of the Giants, Nadine from King Ibiss, Vanessa from Veruca Moon.

20:27 - Alexis (Host)

Off mic, you did mention a tattoo artist.

20:30 - Stacey (Guest)

Oh yeah, there's a beautiful tattoo artist that I will potentially be collaborating with in my other creative career and she yeah, she's amazing. She works at Golden Panther and she does lots of like tattoos for people who have just received top surgery and amazing people who have had breast cancer and things like that, so I think she has a really beautiful story to tell as well. Yeah, her name is Naomi Pearl, so keep your eyes tuned, I reckon, and your ears, because, yeah, she's doing some amazing stuff actually. So very cool.

21:14 - Alexis (Host)

Beautiful. Stacey Ann, thank you so much for joining us, my pleasure. Thank you so much for having me.