Meet Coty Cockrell

We recently connected with Coty Cockrell and have shared our conversation below.

Coty, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

I’ve always felt like creativity has been a core part of who I am. Whether seeing rainbows in oily rain puddles at gas stations, endlessly reorganizing my crayon box, or simply taking the long way home from school, as a kid I was always curious to make colorful connections with the world around me. I dug deep into any activity that allowed me the freedom to shape my world: piano, singing, legos, dance, painting, origami… you name it. As I got older I involved myself in any activity that I could that furthered those interests: band, orchestra, choir, plays, musicals, and art classes. Through college and my professional life, I still maintained that involvement and strove to find ways to connect those passions into a career.

Directly answering the question, I keep my creativity through curiosity and continued commitment to these passions. It’s not difficult for me to remain creative, because it’s a space I’ve always felt at home. Channeling that creativity into “deliverables” — especially in an age of heightened (and even toxic) productivity culture — is a very different thing. But essentially… I am creative because I like creating. I must create.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’ve just released my debut full-length album, titled “Letters I Never Sent”. It features 10 self-written tracks, featuring myself on vocals and piano. Ten years in the making, this record is a collection of song like miniature vignettes. With influences like Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright, Elton John, and Jonathan Larson, “Letters I Never Sent” spans a wide range of genres, but always feels intimate and personal. Production of the album was possible in large part to my Kickstarter supporters, who over-funded the album, as well as The Performing Arts Project, which awarded me a “Gavin Grant”, a generous grant in honor of the Broadway legend Gavin Creel. The album is currently only on Bandcamp.com but will be available on CD and vinyl soon.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Some advice that I keep reaching for:

1. Be patient. “Inch by inch, everything’s a cinch.” In grad school, my advisor Dr. Lenora Hammonds taught me this. Taking small, manageable “bites” out of a challenge is one of my secret weapons for delivering on my artistic goals. Sometimes progress happens slowly.

2. Being self-reliant. One scenario that clarified this concept was when I was working with the US State Department as a musical ambassador in Sri Lanka. I had the opportunity to lead musical workshops, performances, demonstrations, and lectures across the country, to students from grade school age up to the university level. However, I never knew exactly what scenario I would be walking into when I arrived, so I had to be prepared for anything. Whether I would need an interpreter or have a room of 150+ participants and little else, I learned really quickly that I should prepare to rely on myself and trust myself… but have a plan.

3. Be flexible. There are so many things outside of your control, and plans change constantly. Staying flexible, breathing, and being able to pivot allow you to flex in the moment and re-center rather than break.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

Speaking for myself, I think there are strengths in both. Being well-rounded has allowed me to remain flexible, especially in my career path. I have a wide base to operate from, with some knowledge in a lot of areas. However, having some specialization is also essentially to achieve mastery, even if it’s mastering my own set of artistic goals. In other words, I don’t need to be the best piano player or best singer to make the best album… but I need to be the best at performing my songs with accuracy and feeling to get my voice out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cotycockrell.com
• Instagram: cotycockrell

Image Credits

Mary Bel