Meet McKeon Roberts

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful McKeon Roberts a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

McKeon, 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?

There’s no choice. I guess I believe that to live is to suffer, and you can’t achieve success unless you learn from and appreciate the suffering. I also feel that when life is challenging it’s because it’s meant to lead you into the next best thing. You can’t have what you want out of this experience until you understand what you don’t want. And those fits of depression, those times when you want to yell “gimmie a break” are all motivators to stay on course and trust nothing lasts forever. The good and the bad. It’s all a loop of learning and gratitude.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

All and all I’m a storyteller. Even if the medium is without words. Through instrumental music, you can still paint a picture and evoke emotions. Anything I do, creative writing, recording/playing music, filming, and photography, is all meant to share an experience. I live for those “where am I?” moments where you find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings taking it all in and reminding yourself to be present. The little details, the symmetry of what’s in view, and the senses that ignite each other like a passing torch. The OCD involved in enhancing what is seen, felt, or heard. Ultimately I’m the one experiencing the moment but being able to share a part of that with a community or audience is also rewarding. Like a middleman reminding people what it’s like to live. I have to remind myself to live too and that’s what quells the void or ache. Not sure what I’m searching for but maybe the search itself. Perilous as it is to chase what you can never really have. Essentially I’m just an inquisitive soul absorbing experiences and blending them into creativity. Experiences influence your story and whatever happens next is hardly if at all in your control. ..After all this rambling and thinking back to the question asked, I don’t know what I do. I’m just doing. I guess I have a knack for summarizing an experience/emotion and turning it into something digestible. That’s why I love to teach when making how-to fishing content. That’s why I love to write melodies and lyrics while performing on stage or in studio. Why I love to capture on film. Why I love to play with language and words.. It’s all the sensation of bringing thoughts, ideas, and feelings into fruition. (Hearing a melody in your head VS hearing it with your ears)

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?

A few notable motivators would be, 1) Remain curious. Ask why and allow yourself to learn through problem-solving and observation. 2) Fall in love. The best advice I can give anyone is that if you love something, it will naturally grow and guide you. 3) Focus. Jack of all trades, master of none. Pick a manageable amount of passions and give yourself to them. I picked fishing and music. Two different activities that scratch different itches. For you, it might be one or more things but don’t overwhelm yourself with too much to focus on. Of course, I’d also encourage people to try new things.

My advice is to be patient with yourself. You’ll never reach perfection, but after a while, you’ll look back and realize you’ve come a long way. Be inspired by everything, but don’t let anyone influence you. You are a unique person. So embrace it. Realness over rules.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

Mmmmoney. The age-old “what is my art worth?” kind of thing and when you want to live a fulfilling life on your own terms how do you have the free time and income to fund those adventures? So far I’m researching outlets for artists and writers to share their work in exchange for monetization while having income coming from multiple sources. *Write an article, chop some wood while having two “real” jobs.

Yet, always know your worth and don’t be shy with what you have to offer. I’m not settling for opportunities where I’m under appreciated so the bar is high and the filter is tight. All the while subliminally hoping something comes along that offers the right opportunity to make some money doing what I love and offering the free time to find the new what next.

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McKeon Roberts

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