Meet Chrissy Harding

We were lucky to catch up with Chrissy Harding recently and have shared our conversation below.

Chrissy, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

I didn’t even know what imposter syndrome was until a friend told me about it over dinner several years ago. I was confiding my feelings of inadequacy and self doubt about my knowledge and work experience, and she said plainly, “Oh! You have imposter syndrome. That’s all.” I didn’t realize that it was a common feeling that others also experience.

I don’t think that I have overcome imposter syndrome; I don’t know that I ever will. I’m continually amazed when I have the pleasure and privilege of working in the artistic community with so many brilliant creators. I’ve noticed that the more I focus on the creative process, the collaborative experience, the investment in stakes and stories we want to tell – the quieter the inner critic becomes because that voice gets drowned out amidst the sound of the creative machine running.

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 grew up in a multi cultural household. My father is Indonesian and my mother is German. Mom is an artist and dad was an engineer (and bit of an artist, too). My father came to the United States in the early 1950’s, and eventually his whole family came and mostly settled in the southwest and Southern California, and our father’s parents lived with us. My sister and I were given much freedom in terms of play.

Dad was an incredible storyteller. He traveled a great deal for work, and he often took us all with him. We had a map of the world up on the wall of our living room. He would call out a place and we would have to find it on the map. When we found it, he would tell us about it. It was a great game of discovery; not only about the world but about him and his life.

My parents exposed us to so much art and literature as children that was a little outside the fray. Mom taught us all kinds of arts and crafts like pottery, basket weaving, jewelry making, glass cutting, painting, sewing – the list goes on and on. And we had a very eclectic library. Mom’s idea of a good bedtime story was Charlotte Perkins Gillman, O Henry, Saki – which I completely ate up. I love a good ghost story! I was also born in the TV generation, and was fascinated by commercials. I would memorize all the jingles and copy, and perform them in front of the television when they came on during the commercial breaks. My parents never told me that I was blocking the tv. I think I’ve always gravitated to the performing arts the most, and I love short form. I think it’s because of all the cool short stories that mom would read us when we were kids.

We lived right down the street from a dance studio and my parents enrolled us in classes when I was six. That’s where I met my dance mentor, Dean Barlow. He’s an incredible dancer and performer, with a million crazy credits and stories to match. I was particularly fond of tap dancing and it’s sort of become my concentration. I love the idea that tap dancing is both music and dance combined into one form.

I love all kinds of storytelling. And choreography is a really interesting type of narrative tool. You are shaping characters, revealing emotions, and pushing the story forward with movement. The idea that movement has to be supportive of these things or it doesn’t belong is very important to me. And I love the collaborative and ephemeral aspects of live theater.

As a writer, I think that I’m very interested in character driven stories. My musical writing partners – Dan Redfeld and John Koladziej – are also my oldest and dearest friends. Our project – Jo The Little Women Musical was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in January and released in May. I’m really excited about it! Dan is the composer, and we are the lyricists and book writers. We have been together a long time, so we have developed a process and also a hive mind at this point. Dan writes the music first and John and I write the lyrics second for the most part. I feel this writing order prioritizes the importance of the musical themes that define the characters, and I think it also helps John and I to discover and shape how the characters speak, and what their emotional center sounds like. Every note or short motif will often choose its companion word, consonant, vowel sound. You just have to be listening for it.

I also released my own album of songs this year. It’s called Pulau Papa’s Presents Marta. It’s an album of traditional Boleros inspired by my father’s love of music and guitar. As a child, my father dreamt of becoming a guitarist. Growing up in Indonesia as the youngest of five during World War II however, he faced hardships and circumstances that overshadowed his artistic aspirations and pushed him in other directions.

As a young girl, I recall him taking us to see Andres Segovia play guitar; it was my very first concert and I was so little, but I remember how the music made me feel. It was this kind of virtuosic playing and the beautiful melodies that had captivated my father as a child. Our home was filled with different kinds of music, including the music of Los Indios Tabajaras, Los Panchos and Los Indios Paraguayos. My sister and I came to associate these sounds with tranquility, comfort, and family.

Despite the obstacles life placed in his path, my father built a beautiful life for himself and his family. He continued taking guitar lessons throughout his lifetime. I think his biggest dream of all was that his family could follow their passions without hesitation. I made this record as a tribute to him and the music he loved, and also a reminder of how dreams can echo through generations.

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?

Curiosity, resilience, and cross training. Curiosity is an expansive quality. We grow our worldview and our ability to think critically when we ask questions, and we make meaningful relationships when we seek out answers from other people about their experiences and areas of expertise. Resilience is a must in every field. We will get knocked down many times in life, and sometimes a hard fall means we are reaching for a higher goal. That’s a good thing. We learn to forgive ourselves, assess the path forward, and get back on it. Cross training! I think my imposter syndrome initially came from feeling like a jack of all trades and master of none. I had so many creative interests growing up that I felt I wasn’t able to excel in any one area. So, when I started working, this feeling was overwhelming and I thought of it as a detriment. I quickly discovered that because I had a little bit of knowledge in many areas, I was able to problem solve more creatively and to draw on seemingly unrelated fields in my work. Now, I view this as an asset. It has helped me to think and act “outside of the box” in both personal and professional areas of my life.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

One of the most important things my parents did for me is give me permission – to choose my own path, to think critically and creatively, to be my unique self even if it wasn’t easy. They were frankly a couple of characters, and they modeled “be yourself” for us everyday. I always knew I was deeply loved. When we choose our ride or die people throughout life, we thrive when we surround ourselves with people who truly love us for our true and unique selves; as deeply as we deserve to be loved. And love them back the same way. It makes all the difference in the world to have and spread love.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chrissytaps.com
• Instagram: @jothemusical @chrissyhardingmusic

Image Credits

Aidan Hall

Carl Petersen

JJ Hickey

Robert McMakenzie