We were lucky to catch up with Daniel Grimsland recently and have shared our conversation below.
Daniel , so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
For me it can still be an on going struggle, but it really came down to going out and doing the thing I wanted to be. Once I decided I wanted to shift my focus to producing music, I had to then had to go be a music producer. Meaning, I had to find someone to produce. Someone who was willing to take a chance on me. I had to get the proper tools, and learn how to use them. Start a project, and finish that project. And once I got to the end of that first project, I would be a “music producer”. At least that’s what I told myself, over and over again, to try and convince myself it was true. But really, it is kind of true, right? Sure no one is winning any grammy’s here, or selling millions of records, but there is now a finished project, that I was partially in charge of bringing into this world, so I guess that’s all it takes…? I try to shift to that perspective, and it can be very helpful for me. I try to remind myself that if you have actually done the thing, then it’s alright to call yourself (whatever your thing is).
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
These days I spend a lot of time writing songs and composing music for sync libraries (music for commercials, and things like that), as well as, recording and producing music with other artists. I have a home studio and I do the majority of my work there. I really love working with other artists. When I write for sync, I generally to the work on my own, playing all the instruments myself, but that can get boring sometimes, and helping someone else bring their vision to life has really been something special for me. I hope to do much more of that in the future.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Communication with others for sure. Especially when working in a creative environment, you have to do your best to respectfully communicate with others. Another was to try and be as flexible as possible. Things are always changing and you got to be ready. And lastly, just to try to be cool. Not like “cool”, but try to be a good hang. It’s hard enough to be creative and get work done, and no one wants to deal with someone that’s difficult on top of that. Someone once told me when I was first starting out, that you can be the best musician in the room, but if you’re not a decent hang, you likely won’t get the job. I always keep that in mind.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
My partner Siobhan. She has been there for the ups and downs, and is always supportive, and a great listener, and will also, most importantly, tell me when I’m wrong about something.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.danielgrimsland.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielgrimsland
Image Credits
Ryan Ly, Ken Pappanduros, Catharina Christiana, Steve Markota, Jeff Bisti
