Meet Hayley Nelson

We recently connected with Hayley Nelson and have shared our conversation below.

Hayley, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

I’m a firm believer that creativity can be found everywhere. By adjusting your mindset to let your mind wander, you’d be surprised at how much inspiration you can draw from the things around you—both ordinary and extraordinary.

Growing up, I often let my mind wander to places that differed from those of others, landing in a spot where all I could do was focus on that one thing. Sometimes, this worked to my detriment, as it distracted me from the task at hand. As a result, I was often alone and sometimes fell behind my peers, harboring the belief that who I was wasn’t enough to thrive in the world ahead.

But I was lucky to be blessed with figures in my life who saw my perceived weaknesses as strengths that just needed refinement. With their help, I was immersed in an after-school routine under the veil of theater and visual arts, where I could channel that creative energy into skill sets that shaped my life into one I love living.

Wandering is a gift, and the world is abundant with that gift if you allow yourself to revel in it.

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?

To put it simply, I’m a artist—with a career focused on voice-over, vocal performance, animation, and design.

I vividly remember standing at a crossroads before entering adulthood. With a strong foundation in both the performing and visual arts as promising career paths, I was told to choose one.

But I couldn’t. My wandering mind wouldn’t allow me.

So, I made the rather intimidating decision to pursue both.

I feel incredibly lucky that I get to wake up every morning and make a living in both careers.

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?

As much as I have sung the praises of being a wanderer, that alone can’t make your dreams a reality. I believe the three most important traits on this journey are wandering, determination, and love. Wandering gives you the spark to move forward, determination drives you to keep going, and love reminds you why you started in the first place.

My best advice—though a bit cliché—is to remember that your journey should be just as fulfilling as the goal itself. The coolest thing about your path is that it will never be like anyone else’s. No one can do what you do the way you do it, and that is what will make you unique to everyone else on a similar path.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

I honestly believe my biggest obstacle is within my own head. It’s so easy to let self-imposed pressure and comparison cloud your thoughts, as that mechanism was originally designed to keep you safe. But I find that re-framing your perspective is often the best antidote to negativity. Instead of punishing myself for feeling stuck, I try to practice patience. Creativity, progress, and success are never linear, even for the people I look up to. It’s okay to be where you are at this moment, because it won’t be that way for long.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hayleynelson.com/
• Instagram: @hayleynelsonofficial
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nelsonhayley
• Twitter: @hay_lizz
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@haylizbethofficial