Meet Sherrod Foster

We were lucky to catch up with Sherrod Foster recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sherrod, so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?

Perfectionism has been my biggest barrier to taking risks. Knowing my procrastination stemmed from perfectionism, and that perfectionism stemmed from fear of failure and rejection revealed my need to lean into risk.

One practical way I did so was setting rejection goals. Aiming to be accepted into every residency, festival, or showcase was keeping me from applying at all. Aiming for ten “no”s in a given period is easier and more motivating to my inner critic. It soothed my perfectionism because I was either going to meet my own goal or get a surprise acceptance.

As in creative practice, I knew pursuing a few “perfect” things could only stunt my pursuit of the repetition, risk, and rejection necessary for success. Redefining my goals in those terms helped me be more present with the process and release my grip on the outcome, something I’m always pursuing in all areas of life.

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 am a Memphis-based recurring dreamfolk songwriter and producer. This fall I look forward to releasing my debut EP Somniscience (from the roots somn “sleep” and -science “knowing,” alluding to the self knowledge that comes from dreams) to streaming and cassette through Big Tobacco, supported by a regional tour. I’m deeply excited about this concept project and hope others find as much joy and catharsis inhabiting my dream world as I have.

As fosterfalls I fuse folk and art-rock influences, atmospheric production, and nature-inspired lyrics to invite you into a sonic forest where clarity arises from self-observation. My sound has drawn comparisons to artists from Big Thief to Bon Iver and Joni Mitchell to Boygenius, all acts creating containers for internal journeys like I hope to do.

Release and tour dates will be revealed to my instagram and website soon, and my email list even sooner if you’d like to know what’s next.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Three qualities I find invaluable in my journey are flexibility, big-picture thinking, and openness to connection.

Going into a creative field with few connections and little context of how the surrounding industry worked, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I could create goals with only limited information, and needed to constantly evolve and course-correct those goals as the big picture became more clear. I was also in need of connection and community-something that has often been difficult for me as a queer, neurodivergent introvert- both to give new life to my artistic practice and to give me that context I was seeking.

Static and rigid goals have lead to more frustration than fortune, and flexibility and flowing with the energy, opportunities, and connections available have led to unexpected boons once I became willing to leave my perfectionistic, results-focused, isolated comfort zone.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I’m always seeking collaborators. I’m in an ongoing phase of learning when to pass things to someone else and when to dig my heels into my own process.

If you’ve been hoping to collaborate on dreamy nature and fantasy-inspired visuals, looking for someone to write and/or perform esoteric lyrics and melody for your music, or seeking a folky tour opener or performer you can reach me via email at [email protected] . I’ll be looking forward to hearing your vision.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Jamie Harmon

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