Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carly Glenn. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Carly, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
As someone who has had to keep myself alive through a heinous battle with mental health, keeping my creativity alive is way more simple! Creating has actually saved my life. Without my creative outlets, I wouldn’t have been able to process the things that happened to me. My creations have a simple formula: trauma + storytelling + getting vulnerable = a great project. Without my TV pilot, I Didn’t Mean To Go Mental or my debut album, The Beauty Of It All, I don’t know where I’d be. Art imitates life, and my art certainly has saved mine…along with incredible therapy! My creativity has stayed alive, because of how hard I’ve worked to keep MYSELF alive.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Hi! I am Carly Glenn, and I create lots of things! I sing, I write, I act, I produce! I try to have my hands in everything! Right now, I am currently in the midst of releasing my debut album, The Beauty Of It All, which is a 14 track album inspired by the last 6 years of my life. I have 3 songs from the album currently out on all streaming platforms, with a 6 song EP coming November 15th. If you follow me throughout the year, I’ll be releasing even more music and music videos up until the full album drop in May of 2025. It’s campaigning season, baby!
But how did this album come about, you ask? OK, let me tell you this cool story. So! I was named after Carly Simon (a legend…look her up if you don’t know who I am talking about) and I just so happened to connect with her beloved manager later in my life who ended up producing my debut record. This whole journey continues to be so serendipitous, and I know that this album is just the beginning of so many more songs and albums to come! I have so many stories to tell!
If you’re in the NYC/Brooklyn area, I have a show at Pete’s Candy Store coming up on Sunday, October 27th at 3:30pm…we LOVE a matinee! Come hang out if you can! If you can’t make this one, be sure to follow me on Instagram @iamcarlyglenn and TikTok @carlyglenn.
This album has opened the gate for happiness in my life again. Pure joy, honestly. Music is so healing, and my mental health is thriving in a way it hasn’t been since I graduated college in 2015. I’ve got my energy back, I want to perform for you, and I HOPE my music is a place where you can heal, escape, process and just take a time-out from the real world for just a moment!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
My journey has not been a straight line, nor should it have been, and will not continue to be. I will say this, artists have to understand that everything you are doing is literally for yourself. If you care for one second what someone from high school or childhood or your family thinks of your career, you are getting in your own way. You got into this world because you love it, right? Well, that’s exactly where you need to be operating from; the love of your craft. You will stick out like a sore thumb, otherwise! We’ll be able to SEE your hesitation and nervousness. Trust me, I’ve been there. Three things that I have had to practice to get out of my own way are patience, breathing and trusting that I am definitely great enough to be pursuing this career. I have also had intense training (and therapy) and have taken so many classes and courses that have specifically helped me develop and hone my own, unique skill set. BE a student in your career. You DON’T know everything and you’ll NEVER know everything. Make sure you have enough knowledge of the industry and of your own talents and what you’re capable of to support your goals, and then from there be extremely selfish. I am in the being extremely selfish part of my career, because I am finally operating from a place of loving what I do, and I feel so genuinely happy doing it. Did it take 10 years of grit to get here? YES! But that’s what being a creator is. It’s relentless, and we don’t stop no matter what.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
MY THERAPIST! I seriously can’t recommend therapy enough. It’s really hard to find the right therapist, just like online dating is hard. I was lucky to connect with the therapist I am currently with, but it took years to find them. My therapist literally saved my life. They were patient with me and worked with me like we are on the same team together. This allowed me to figure out and discover everything mostly on my own. Because of therapy and the major work I’ve done on myself, I have great coping skills, relationship skills and communicating skills, all of which are super essential for my life! My mental health is a catalyst for the things I create, so for me personally, therapy helps build my emotional intelligence, which helps me write my scripts, my songs in the studio and foster incredible relationships with people in life. Go to therapy if you can!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.carlyglenn.com
- Instagram: @iamcarlyglenn
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2JXT64hjPSkf6Ci7KryGug?si=hfwszUMuQGiwV9uzAJ1FAw
Image Credits
Shani Hadjian Andreas Endregaard
