We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Lightman recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Sarah, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love it if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I started working at a pretty young age. I grew up around hard working parents, so I was always around people who were hustlers. I think the combination of being around that, to working multiple jobs in College and beyond consistently creating a unique skillset where I knew that if I wanted something, I would need to find a way to make it happen. Nobody was going to do it for me, and even when I was in middle school, I had a fire inside for the artist waiting to be fanned. I think that passion, desire, and habits are essentially what have taken me to where I am now. Building integrity through my actions and maintaining strong character even when I’m afraid I’ll fail (which I will) in my experience have taken me to more results than any manager or mentor, any gig, producer, or agent. I’ve learned that creating opportunities and learning how to make room for them are a big key to success, and in a nutshell that is what makes up my current work ethic.
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?
I write songs that advocate for various avenues of mental health. Meaning, I choose to speak up about topics that might be uncomfortable to talk about. Things that I went through in various circumstances, and then voicing them to help myself and others feel better about this journey. Being human is weird and hard. The more we know we aren’t alone, and the more we will heal and connect. That isn’t to say the prime purpose is to heal per say, but it’s a healing and revitalizing experience to share what’s in our cups with each other! Music is a powerful medium that we all communicate through. These days it’s really hard to be in the same room without people becoming defensive or polarized about their views. I feel like music is one of the few places left where we can find a middle ground no matter what our individual values are and that’s what makes what I do really special.
March 29, 2024 I’ll be dropping a new song called Change Is Here Again and celebrating the release the same day at Sofar Sounds here in East Nashville, TN. This song is not my typical format as it is a folk-country song highlighting the journey I took relocating from Los Angeles, CA to Nashville, TN. The transition was huge and very drastic. When I arrived in town and signed the lease to my first apartment, I remember feeling slapped across the face with all kinds of feelings. I was starting my life over after a lot of loss, and at that moment I had to process leaving my first adult home in California on top of that. It took several months to begin the adjustment. I’m excited to share a small moment of that process through my new release and the content that will go with it! There will be many fun behind the scenes teasers, a visual lyric video, and more surprises along the way!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
There’s this book I read a while ago called the Alchemist, and I feel like it puts in perspective just how important every experience can be an opportunity for growth. For me I suppose the top 3 for me would be Consistency, patience, and a growth mindset. This has helped facilitate and fine tune everything I’ve built from the ground up! In my opinion, consistency is the way to develop, build, and maintain where you want to grow. I’ve been learning that consistency looks different for everyone, and even for me I’m constantly redefining what it looks like for me. Starting from where you are and honoring the authentic direction that pulls you naturally is a good place to start. Even if you don’t know what to choose, make a pros and cons list, or make a little raffle for yourself and choose blindly and go from there. Eventually you’ll get to where you need to go despite the overwhelm in the process of wanting to achieve the “right” things, or perfectionism. Throw it all out the window!
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents raised me to be open minded and to choose what I love even if it may not make everyone happy. They were always supportive of me having a career in the arts. I may not have been able to see it throughout every part of my life, but I was very lucky to have my family expose me to all kinds of cultures, beliefs, and various art forms. We didn’t have a whole lot of money, but they truly did the best they could with what they had at the time. They didn’t have all the answers, and they never will, but they were open and supportive of the talents I had. I’m also very grateful that even though my dad wasn’t with me for more than 14 years, he taught me a lot of valuable things as a human and creative.
TICKETS TO THE Sofar Sounds Show: https://www.sofarsounds.com/events/54979?utm_medium=email&utm_source=transactional&utm_campaign=ArtistConfirmation
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sarah-lightman.com
- Instagram: @SarahLightman
- Facebook: @SarahLightmanSings
- Twitter: @SarahLightman
- Youtube: @SarahLightman
- SoundCloud: SarahLightman
- Other: https://vibe.to/sarahlightman
Image Credits
Mellie J Photography Stefan Heuer Silence Cover Art: Diamond Tucker Chase Portraits
