We recently connected with Mckenna Bailey and have shared our conversation below.
Mckenna, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I try to focus on the process rather than awards or titles or anything that would make me feel like an imposter as often as I can. Most people I admire, from artists to athletes, talk about the process being more valuable and fun for them than the accomplishments result from their work so, I just listen to them. You can’t really be an imposter if you’re just trying new things and learning from them. It’s also helpful to reframe the whole situation. Either I tricked a bunch of very smart people, or they think I can figure it out. And I’m not that great at tricks.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Outside of my regular office job, I write and produce a zine about my favorite lyrics. In pop music especially, some artists say shockingly vulnerable or profound things, but they get lost behind fun melodies and big choruses. So, I made it my mission to make sure we don’t skip over some of the best, most accessible writing. Once a quarter, I’ll pick a theme to write about using essays, short fiction, and other prose using the best lyrics I know of. I’ve written about fandom, forgiveness, and allowing yourself to love the mistakes you’ve made in the past. It’s called Someone Said This and you can find them on Etsy and my website.
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?
The three most important qualities that helped me in my journey were keeping myself open to whatever comes next, staying curious about a variety of topics, and focusing on the process. Very early in my career, I went through a bunch of changes—some planned and others definitely not. Each time I had to start over, I had the freedom to try new things and gain skills I never would have thought about otherwise. That also helped with my second quality—staying curious about a variety of topics. I try hard to pull inspiration and knowledge from as many places as possible. So much of we see now is tied to a specific trend. And that can be a lot of fun. But the only times I’ve ever made a lasting impression on people is when I talked about a random thing I read or made a connection between Kobe Bryant and Shania Twain’s music. So, I think my advice would be to learn as much as you can from as many different places as you can. And prioritize finding your own voice through all that inspiration. Even if that means imitating people around you for a while.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib showed me it’s possible to be brilliant and talented without intimidating the reader with unfamiliar words. The best thing he teaches, at least in my opinion, is to take anything that affects you seriously. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Whitney Houston performance or losing someone you love. If it moves you, write about it like it’s a historical event.
Contact Info:
- Website: mckennabailey.net
