Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Isis Destiny. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Isis, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
My first lesson with resilience came from growing up in a household with a teenage single mother. Although she got a lot of support from the family, she went through her pregnancy and graduated early her senior year and moved out to live on her own with me. From a young age I grew up seeing my mom as this super hero who was able to get things done with elegance and grace even though she was totally just a human, a young one at that, struggling with depression, addiction, and woman hood all while caring for me on her own. As I got older I had to learn to implement the grace my mom showed into my own day to day, to keep myself from becoming bitter from the struggles life threw my way.
Touching on living in a household with parents who struggled with addiction, it effected my path in many ways. I chose to implement resilience into my life to cope with the inconsistency i was dealt in my adolescent years. My dad was hardly in the picture and mother was in and out of rehab and jail as long as I can remember. By the time I was a teen I was on my own without either parent actively in the home guiding or nurturing me. Although those times bring up so many painful memories I choose forgiveness, grace and love every time.
Music and creative expression became the reflection of my resilience from a young age. I was able to express myself and uplift myself with my music. I was actively choosing a different path than what the statistics were telling me. I had many people express doubt in my ability to show up given my circumstances so I wanted to prove to myself that I could learn healthy habits and unlearn bad ones. That I’m capable of taking responsibility of my future and breaking the cycle of addiction, trauma, and toxicity. Most importantly I wanted prove if you want something enough, you will find a way.
Another example of my resilience most recently starts when I moved out to Kyle this last year. It was my first time outside of Austin sense I was born- although not far from home I was also starting my 1st semester back in college. This was a huge leap for me, I dropped out of high school and got a ged back in 2017. I was really nervous to be in school again but also excited to start taking my music journey very seriously.
End of my first semester I was in a head on collision leaving my hospitalized for a week with an injury that required surgery on my left arm. My car was totaled and I was unsure If I would be able to continue making it to school in Austin without transportation, being that I’ve been a full time student and wasn’t financially in the space to purchase a new car. My sustained injuries took weeks to heal but once I was well enough to walk around without support I was back at school finishing up my finals, car pooling, bussing, walking, riding my bike-whatever necessary to show up for my commitments.
I am now a full time student that juggles two internships and still makes time for all my passion projects. I’ve learned to organize myself enough to allocate the time to not only face my adversity but come out the other side a successful person. Resilience comes easy to me, it is second nature to problem solve and play on my strengths. I am not perfect but I will always try my best <3
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
As of now I am focused on my career as a musician and creative entrepreneur first and foremost. My hope is to continue building connections in the Austin Music Scene, I want to bring authenticity and realness into the spaces I exist. I spend most Monday nights at the Volstead lounge for the Underground Voices Open Mic. I love the energy that UV brings to the community, it has created a space where I can network and build relationships with other local artists. Ever sense I’ve been going I’ve started getting booked out for shows and collaborating on more music. Everyone in the community really pushes each other to be better and hold each other accountable. It’s been an exciting journey to watch the momentum build in my career through my live performances. This upcoming April I’m booked out for every weekend and through the help of my Grammy U mentor, SIA, I’ll be embarking on my first tour- hitting 5 Texas cities with a team of friends that are super supportive. Beyond the tour, I’m working on an ep called “Lucky Stars” that Im excited to share with people later this year.
My day to day commitments are with Austin Community College getting my Associates degree in Audio Technology and Industry. Out side of that I intern with Juice Consulting, a local business that focuses on Pr and Marketing- and Spaceflight records, a non-profit record label here in Austin, helping with merchandise and sales.
Being involved in these internships has taught me so much about every aspect of the business of music, especially working alongside the founder of Spaceflight, Brett Orison, his passion has influenced the direction I hope to take in my career. The community and support they create for local bands and musician’s that are at such a pivotal point in their careers is not only admirable but inspirational. This has influenced my passion for creating community events that highlight authenticity and creates spaces that uplift the Austin culture. I’ve been able to implement everything I’ve learned through college and my internships into the way I move as a musician and creator.
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?
Looking back, determination has gotten me where I am today. If you want something enough you will show yourself the way intuitively. For me, that looks like showing up and getting things done even on days that imposter syndrome is tearing at me. There’s times that my mental state is a hurtle I have to climb and sometimes it feels like my dreams are too big. I show up everyday regardless of what I’m going through and it’s taught me how to trust myself. Sometimes I feel a little wild because as is my situation doesn’t financially take care of all of my needs but I’m happier and more fulfilled than I was working a regular job/ not pouring into my dreams and aspirations. It requires so much work but I believe that this path will pay off in the long term. I have to tell myself that to keep from going crazyyyy in the midsts of weeks where I’m unable to provide for myself in ways that I wish I could. It is truly a lifestyle that I’m constantly having to adjust to, but I am determined.
Another skill that has really been beneficial that I WISH i had learned earlier on is being organized. In this industry it takes a team to help push you forward. Showing up with a plan for those who are helping you is essential to being efficient and respectful towards everyones time, including yours!! It makes things run smoother in the long run. When you’re organized it’s easier to reach the little wins towards the bigger goal. The reality of the situation is you have to put in a lot of work so the more organized you become sooner in your journey the more progress you will make over time!
Above all else, if there’s any advice I would give to someone that is early on in their journey, regardless of the pursuit. It would be to stay positive. Celebrate the journey that you are on. Life is so short and it’s easy to get caught up in the day to day grind that you forget to stop and smell the flowers. Enjoy the little wins, take the leaps, dont second guess yourself. Remember what inspires your passion and follow that.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Like I said earlier, my main focus is to continue to grow as a singer and creative entreprenuer! I want to continue working with other local musicians in the community. I believe that I have a lot to offer beyond just my vocals. I’m working on building my portfolio around tour and music management as well as community outreach. I’d love to offer my organizing skills for people that are needing support. I’m also working on building a band. It’s a dream of mine to have an all girl band but truly just being able to vibe out on stage with a group of people is a dream. I’ve always been a solo act and I want that to change.
If any of that resonates with you, you can always reach to me at isisdestinyxmusic@gmail.com
Contact Info:
- Website: isisdestiny.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isisxdestiny/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@blubonnetbaby222
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/isisdestinyxmusic
- Other: https://linktr.ee/isisdestiny
Image Credits
pics by @leah bury and @ amy primrose
