Meet Andrew Toomey

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andrew Toomey. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andrew below.

Andrew, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

I have not really “overcome” imposter syndrome as such. It’s more something that I have to contend with, not unlike a disability. By any objective measure I have achieved amazing personal and professional success despite a long history of generational trauma, but I doubt I’ll ever be free of the idea that I’m somehow not good enough or not deserving of joy.

That said, I make a pretty concerted effort to maintain a relatively aggressive self care regimen that helps me stave off these feelings. This includes things like abstaining from intoxicants (it’s own complete battle), eating fairly healthy, regular low impact things like walking, meditation and so forth. That has enough of positive effect on my mental health that when I feel like I’m somehow faking it I can say to myself “You belong here. You got here through consistent hard work, plus a lot of luck and determination.” and that usually will get me past the episode.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Since 2020 I have been recording with members of Peter Gabriel & David Bowie’s bands, King Crimson, and NIN, to name a few. I’ve released several records with different combinations of these musicians, all available on https://andytoomey.bandcamp.com/ and all the streaming services.

At first I thought this was mostly just luck, and that’s certainly a factor, but as it turned out these folks seemed to enjoy working with me and kept coming back. They say never to meet your heroes, but I have not found that to be true. Almost without exception, I have found these insanely talented and famous musicians to be kind and generous to a degree that seems amazing in these strange times we live in.

One interesting side effect of this is that I have been able to really expand the limits of what I can do musically and stylistically because they are just so good. Think what you will of the songs, the musicianship is beyond reproach by even the most jaded listener.

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

In retrospect, the three things that have helped me the most were a dogged determination to succeed, and absolute unwillingness to give up in the most difficult and challenging situations, and a firm belief in my ability to manifest things into being if I worked hard enough.

Likewise, my advice to anyone starting out is to never, ever give up. People are going to tell you that you can’t do this or that for all kinds of reasons, but they don’t matter at all. Never compromise your art or your vision, or listen to anyone who says you must or must not do this or that. Being true to yourself and your art is the key to artistic integrity and with inform your work with an authenticity that is impossible to fake. People will sense that authenticity (or the lack of it) and respond accordingly.

On a seemingly contradictory note, I always tell people to fake it ’til you make it. As in the previous question, I suffer from imposter syndrome. I always FEEL like I’m faking it, but I know deep down that I’m really not. It’s just something I have to do mentally to observe the above rules.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Tim Ferriss (of the Tim Ferriss Show podcast) has two books, Tribe of Mentors and Tools of Titans that I have found to be extremely helpful in my day to day life. Not just in music and art, but in all my endeavors. He essentially distills his podcast interviews with luminaries from all walks of life from Arnold Schwarzeneggar to Jocko Willink. Artists, authors, musicians, athletes, finance people, and more talk about their processes and what has propelled them to the tops of their fields. Highly recommended.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

All photos © Andy Toomey

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?

Coffee? Workouts? Hitting the snooze button 14 times? Everyone has their morning ritual and we

Highlighter Series
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?

Our deepest wounds often shape us as much as our greatest joys. The pain we

Highlighter Series
Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?

Culture, economic circumstances, family traditions, local customs and more can often influence us more than