Meet Chris Ams

We recently connected with Chris Ams and have shared our conversation below.

Chris , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

When I was growing up, I used to think that purpose was something to find—a singular reason for being, a destination to reach that existed outside of myself. I believed it was my life’s mission to get there. I thought that if I could achieve the creative goals I set for myself or reach a specific level of success, then I would be living my purpose. But I don’t think that way anymore. I no longer see life as a quest to find purpose; instead, I believe it’s about living on purpose.

Purpose is something we already are—an authentic state of being. In our culture, we often conflate purpose with ambition, celebrating the end result more than the journey. Yet, the journey is truly everything. The path is the purpose. Both we and our achievements will inevitably fade and transform as time moves forward. As soon as we reach what we thought was our destination, a new desire emerges that captures our focus.

The heart of purpose lies in those in-between moments that make up the majority of our lives. When we step into our own authenticity—our true source of creative power—and remove the restrictions, self-doubt, and fear imposed by societal conditioning, we can truly do the most creative good in this world. The only way to achieve this is to tune out the noise and listen deeply to our own voice. When we listen to that more than to our fear, we are living on purpose.

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?

I am both a visual artist and singer-songwriter. Creativity is a compulsion for me, and I feel most at home when I’m making things, collaborating with others to make things, sharing those things, and inspiring other people to make cool things. I never like to be boxed in, which may have made it more challenging to get my voice out there over the years, given our societal emphasis on specialization, but that has never felt like an authentic path for me. I’m a lifelong creator and learner.

As a visual artist, I love to cross boundaries, styles, and genres. My fine artwork uses traditional materials such as graphite, acrylics, and oils, focusing on our human relationship with the fluidity of time and the underlying symmetry of the natural world. My illustrative work is much more based in fantasy and takes on many forms. I am also the founder of Paper Bread Studio, a creative studio that focuses on YA and kids’ artwork, storyboards, comics, editorial art, and art education.

As a singer-songwriter, my music falls within the Soul/Pop genres. This year, my focus has been on consistently releasing new music as an independent artist and building a following in and around my home in the Hudson Valley. I am currently preparing to release two brand-new singles over the next month, and I’m really excited for people to hear them. You can listen to my newest single, “Good Thing” right now on all streaming services. It’s a fun, upbeat tune with a great horn section.

As the former frontman of the Motown-inspired soul band Chris Ams and the Favorite States, I had the opportunity to record and perform alongside some pretty big names in Soul music, including The Four Tops, The Funk Brothers, Dennis Coffey, and James Jamerson Jr. My first album with that band, Chris Ams and the Favorite States, was released in March 2020 and is available on all streaming services.

You can find out more at: www.chrisamsart.com/homepage

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

For me, also setting aside uninterrupted time for my creative practice is essential. Honestly, I get pretty depressed if I don’t have time to sit down and create something new. Getting into the flow allows me to explore, daydream, and connect the dots in unexpected ways. Of course, it’s not always easy when we are juggling multiple responsibilities in our daily lives, but the benefits extend beyond the time we set aside. When I lived back in Michigan in my early twenties, I was broke, and my car was in terrible shape. Because I couldn’t afford to get it fixed, I eventually had to sell it for scrap. I then got a bike, which was stolen not long after. So, there was a long period where I basically had almost nothing to my name, and no way to get anywhere unless I walked. Now, it’s easy to walk everywhere in New York, but in a Michigan suburb, it was really tough. This was also before Amazon existed, and without a reliable vehicle, I couldn’t pick up any art supplies. However, I was determined to stay true and consistent in my creative practice, so I would walk miles in the Summer heat and the Winter snow down the highway alone to the closest hardware store because they had at least some supplies that I could use to make something – to make anything. Eventually, I moved to NYC, where I didn’t need a car. Making things keeps me centered. You know, creativity touches every facet of our lives, and I believe that by tapping into it regularly and intentionally, we can live from a more empowered state rather than a state of survival. That is something that makes a significant difference across the board.

Also, as an artist in any discipline, we often face rejection daily, sometimes even from people we admire the most. One of the most integral things we can learn to cultivate is genuine self-love and compassion. Not in a narcissistic way, but in a way that is true, deep, and unconditional. At the start of 2020, I led a meditation group and gave weekly homework to accompany each session. One week, the assignment was for each participant to write a love letter to themselves, and it was by far the hardest task for most people to do. Compassion isn’t just something we practice giving to others; we should also give it freely to ourselves. As long as we are alive, we will always be growing, which means we will always be making mistakes—even when we are doing our best (which always varies from day to day). Embracing self-love allows good things to flow more easily into our lives and our creative practice, and it helps us to get back on the horse more easily each time we fall off.

Additionally, I would say that taking risks and showing up for both yourself and your community is crucial – Especially when it feels uncomfortable to do so. Our world is more connected than ever before, yet somehow it seems that we’re in the middle of an epidemic of loneliness. Leaning into discomfort has been a lifelong journey for me, as I know it is with most people. Every time I perform, share a new art piece or song, step into a crowded room of strangers, or a room of people who know a lot more than I do—it’s, of course, a bit uncomfortable. But I make a point to do it over and over, regardless of my feelings. Fear will always be present, but I get to choose who drives the car down the road. Art is so healing, and you never know who really needs to see, hear, or read what you’ve made. So, I believe that being fearless in your sharing, regardless of the outcome is so important. Maybe now more than ever. Don’t ever restrict someone else’s potential to find healing and relief because you’re too afraid to share what you’ve made. Some days it feels easier, and other days it feels like starting over, but we’re always learning something.

I don’t believe in failure. What we perceive as failure is always an opportunity to learn something new about ourselves, our craft, or the world around us, and then, as they say, get back on the horse. Interestingly, we seem to grow much more when we don’t “get the gold.” We are always gaining something and expanding in new, exciting, and beautiful ways as long as we show up and connect with those around us.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

I believe it’s important to challenge ourselves by leaning into the things we may not be great at, especially those that can inform and enhance our perceived strengths. And, it’s important to permit ourselves to just totally suck at something new for as long as it takes. I can’t tell you how many gigs I’ve bombed, or how many new art materials I’ve tried that just ended up ruining the piece, or even how many times I just couldn’t figure out how to exactly execute the idea I had in my head. Approaching challenges with curiosity and a sense of play has always been key.

Singing has always been something I’ve gravitated toward since I was a toddler. Though I’ve practiced and received a lot of training, it has always come somewhat naturally to me. Over the years, I’ve been the frontman of several bands, focusing solely on vocals and performance, always accompanied by someone playing an instrument on stage. After a while, I realized that this reliance limited my ability to fully express myself in a way that felt most true to me. To fully and authentically express my creativity, I needed to be able to play and sing live.

Learning to play guitar while singing was a bit uncomfortable for me at first. But, I persisted despite it and slowly taught myself. Now, I’ve been playing for many years. Honestly, I’m still not exactly where I’d like to be as a guitarist, but we’re all our own worst critics of course, and I know I’m always growing. By picking up the guitar, I’ve been able to write so many songs and create a new path that I would never have been able to explore otherwise.

There’s this really great quote by David Bowie that I’ve always loved: “Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth, and when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.”

Life is a buffet. Try something new.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chrisamsart.com/homepage
• Instagram: @chrisamsofficial
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/chris-ams-official

Image Credits

Frank Theodore
Kevin Bertholf