We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Liv Laughlin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Liv , thank you so much for making time for us today. We can’t wait to dive into your story and the lessons you’ve learned along the way, but maybe we can start with something foundational to your success. How have you gone about developing your ability to communicate effectively?
As a child there were a million universes coexisting in my brain at once and I had no idea how to make sense of it all, so I wrote. I wrote so much that every conversation I’d have with someone would be a poem I had already written. Over the years, the only way I’d make sense of everything was to process my thoughts through writing. This is how I learned to express myself. The empathy I feel when with others made me absorb the impact my words had on them. Through this give and take process I learned how to tell stories and leave space for someone to finish it. I learned how to step up and step back.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am an elementary school counselor by day and poet and artist by night. I am currently organizing my first poetry, music and art showcase hosted by me, happening March 3rd at 5pm at The Jungle in Somerville. At this event there will be an art exhibition along with a set list of talented poets and performers. I will be performing my own poetry set as well as exhibiting my most recent paintings. This event uplifts women and femme voices and talents in the community. It is free of charge and open to all 21+. I have also been in the process of publishing my first book for the past couple years. I am still searching for the right press to publish with.
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?
I’d say passion, discipline and the eagerness to learn have led me to my current state. If you love what you do you will create with a fire beneath your feet. I attained discipline through my competitiveness to be my best self as well as a sense of urgency to access my potential in this lifetime. Becoming a forever student and getting excited about learning has helped me evolve in my artistry and take criticism and feedback and apply it to my craft. Once you find what you really love doing and what brings you closest to your truest self, there is no limit to what you can achieve.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
The very thing that makes me an artist is sometimes the very thing that makes me feel most alone in the world. I feel incredibly deeply so I grieve just as deeply. This drives me to create. But it also drives a deep sadness and longing within me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: poetic_art_by_liv
- Facebook: Olivia Laughlin
- Twitter: livvlaughlin
- Youtube: livlaugh613
