We caught up with the brilliant and insightful DEF Davyne a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
DEF, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
I believe we are all born to be creative, but over time we lose that part of us because we become focused on adulting. Personally, I keep my creativity alive by spending time with my children who range in age from 2 to 17. Seeing the world through their eyes allows me to maintain a fresh perspective at all times.
In the realm of music, I think success can actually hinder us in a way, because we often try to recycle winning ideas instead of inventing new ones. That is why many artists create a hit song, but then make a bunch of other worse versions of the same thing. Whereas those who are constantly evolving and adapting are often rewarded with longevity in their career. In my opinion, keeping an open mind and maintaining self-awareness are huge keys that aid in staying creative. The better we know ourselves, the easier it is to tap into our inner voice and share it with others.
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?
I’ve been making Hip Hop music since the late 90s. It was once just an escape for me, from the harsh conditions that poverty inflicted on my family. But over the years it evolved to become a medium for me to help others, and share my personal stories of how I overcame my struggles. I eventually found balance by sharing what I learned, and embracing the survivor inside of me that got me here. When listening to my music you can hear the sound of raw street rap that made me fall in love with the genre as a child, but it is also full of clever rhymes, and laced with knowledge that I’ve gained over the past two decades.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Integrity has always been a huge must for me. Regardless of how talented a person is, if they are not a good person, I won’t work with them. If you want to develop integrity, always keep you word, be as honest as professionally possible, and pretend like someone is always watching you.
Another quality that I admire is flexibility. Rigidity and fixed expectations often led to disappointments, but the more I went with the flow, the greater results I had. Life is not predictable, so being ready for anything is extremely advantageous. In order to be more flexible, you don’t have to abandon structure and planning, but try to always be in the moment so you can see what the reality is in front of you. All the plans in the world don’t mean anything if they don’t apply to the new circumstances.
Lastly, my desire to never stop learning has been one of my biggest assets. As Albert Einstein is credited as saying, “Once you stop learning you start dying.” I take this to heart and I’m always looking for new knowledge not only to acquire, but implement. We are blessed to live in the information era, and no longer have to pursue lofty degrees at prestigious schools to get a proper education. There are endless resources online to learn new things, from deep philosophical ideas that change our life path, to simple life hacks that make every day a little easier.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
As a recovering workaholic, I grew up with the mentality of always working hard. It helped me develop an impeccable work ethic, both dependable and efficient. But when you don’t set aside time to take breaks, life forces you to, usually in the form of sickness and fatigue. I learned this lesson the hard way, which is why I prioritize self-care now.
When I find myself completely overwhelmed, I remove myself from whatever situation I’m in as quickly as possible. I often go on hikes when I need to completely shift moods, or even just turn on music and dance. I try to practice deep breathing, especially when I am on a strict deadline and only have moments to adjust my mindset and take my body out of fight-or-flight mode. Anything I can do to just pause and reset has always helped me in the long run.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/defdavyne
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/defdavyne/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DEFdavyne/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/defdavyne/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/defdavyne
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/defdavyne
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/defdavyne
Image Credits
Edna Ornelas, Keihona Rinker, Javier Zamora
