Meet Lizzy Weiland

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lizzy Weiland. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lizzy, sincerely appreciate your selflessness in agreeing to discuss your mental health journey and how you overcame and persisted despite the challenges. Please share with our readers how you overcame. For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
I have struggled with chronic depression and anxiety since I was young, however, music and art has always carved out a space where I could feel safe to be myself. Being born in a small town, being different was certainly not celebrated, and I lived most of my younger years trying to fit into a mold, catering to expectations others placed on me. I was very quiet and soft-spoken, and afraid to voice my opinions, as the consequences of not fitting-in were seemingly too great.

When I was 20, I came out to my family as gay, and at first they did not understand. I had very little support, spent holidays alone, and felt outcasted; which led to struggles with my self-worth and increasing mental health issues. The saving grace for me was finding my support system through music, where on stage with my bandmates it was quite the opposite experience, as I was celebrated for being my authentic self. This gave me a new outlook on life, and years later I am still grateful for my band members at the time who lifted me up.

Even though I still struggle with mental health, I have learned to use negative emotions to propel myself forward instead of holding myself back. I am still learning, actually, but it does get easier with practice, and the more I lean into the light, the more momentum I build towards having a better relationship with myself and the world around me..

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?
HoneÿCreeper is the name of my band, a project I started in 2021 while I was living in St. Louis. After almost three years of workshopping and recording, our first album is set to release this year. Although most of the songs were conceived with my guitar and I, alone in my apartment, they came to life in the studio collaborating with producer and multi-instrumentalist, Michael Girard, who helped me to bring my visions to life.

My favorite part about the creative process was watching my ideas transform, and experimenting with new soundscapes like synthesizers and electronic drums. I am a guitar player at heart, but the addition of synths and ethereal sounds really brought the music to life and created something unique and genre-bending, which I am quite proud of and excited to share with my audience. I hope you like it too!

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?
Adaptability, authenticity, and persistence were all qualities I needed to learn to create the best album I could.

There is an old saying I think of often, something like “you make plans and God laughs”. Nothing ever goes according to plan, so being adaptable in any circumstance will help you to navigate the unexpected challenges that arise. Whether that be a financial barrier, an extended timeline, or things just not going according to plan, being able to change course and adapt has helped me move forward despite obstacles or drawbacks.

Similarly, being persistent, and making a daily effort to improve is incredibly important. Before starting this project, I had only really sang background vocals, so it was a completely new challenge to step up to the microphone and sing leads. Continually going back to the studio, I was able to practice using my voice, and I learned a lot on the fly. My first vocals takes admittingly did not sound good at all, but a few months later I had heard my voice back and actually liked what I heard for the first time. Being persistent and unafraid to try again (and again.. and again) was the key to improving.

Being authentically myself was important during this process as well. I would describe many HoneÿCreeper songs simply as being…. weird.
Honestly, I am a weird person, so it wouldn’t make sense if I made a cookie-cutter pop album. In order for your art to truly reflect yourself, I believe it has to come from a genuine place and taking creative risks is apart of that. I intentionally tried to make decisions based on what I liked and felt was right for the songs, instead of considering what is trending or any preconceived notions of what I “should” sound like. As a result, I think I made something original and unique, which could only come from being your most true self.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
My biggest personal improvement recently, has been the ability to place myself outside of my comfort zone. Not only pushing myself in my creative work, but also opening myself up to new experiences and challenges. Towards the end of 2023, I moved from St. Louis, MO to New Orleans, LA, which has proved to be a rewarding journey so far.

I had always lived in Missouri, so the idea of moving somewhere far away from what I know was both exciting and scary. The novelty of a new city has improved my creativity and allowed me to make new connections, meet new people, and opened up opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise had.

New Orleans is such a vibrant and magical place, that it’s hard for it not to rub off on you. There is so much music and culture, and exposure to something new has given me the space to grow and transform in ways I did not expect. I am grateful that I took a leap of faith, and even if I don’t live here forever, I will always be happy that I had the experience. There was a time I never expected myself to have the confidence to branch out in this way, but it has been truly rewarding and reminds me that wonderful things lie outside of our comfort zones.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Amber Thiessen (@babetown.mo)

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