We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elan Levy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elan below.
Elan, so good to have you with us today.
My pleasure.
We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Sure thing! One of my earliest memories is being asked what I want to be when I grow up. I was only four or five years old at the time, but I still remember my answer: an inventor.
Over the years, I got my hands dirty trying to define that broad term. Did being an inventor mean being a musician, a filmmaker, a fashion designer, an engineer? At one point or another, these were all pursuits of mine.
For many, it does mean these things. For me, it means being a writer.
At sixteen, I wrote my first novella. It wasn’t any good, but it allowed me to invent without limitations. Now, the fifty different lives I would like to live can be lived through my fiction. Writing is the closest I will ever come to satisfying my lust for life.
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?
Of course. I was born in San Diego, California. I’ve also lived in New York, Oregon, San Fransisco, and Paris, all the while pursuing the arts. There has never been a time in my teenage or adult life where I was not writing.
In December of 2021, I released an album titled “Bad Killer” under the artist name The Coyote. Every aspect of that album — from the title, to the artwork, to the style, to the lyrics — is borrowed from my latest novel: a work of historical fiction to be released later this year.
For me, writing is a daily practice. And when one has been working on a project every day for the past several years, there is no thrill like releasing it to the world. But a thrill-seeker is what I am. So as this novel goes out, a new story takes its place on my writing desk.
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
Well, I’d say that talent, joy, and confidence are essential for any creator. But throughout my journey, there has been one important quality that encompasses all three: interest.
I often hear others say, “I’d love to do this or that, but don’t know how to start.” To those people, I say, “Just start.” To do something well, I really believe one only needs interest. And along the way, before you know it, talent, joy, and confidence will come along for the ride.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
Yes. I may be the writer of the family, but my wife is the real reader. She is the first person to read or hear my work, but also the first to tell me where it soars and where it falls short. She can be a knife at times, as sharp as the blade, as blunt as the handle.
Stephen King calls his wife, Tabitha, his Ideal Reader: the person for whom he writes and aims to please. The same goes for me and my wife; I’d be lost without her.
Contact Info:
Website: https://www.thecoyote.me
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecoyoteofficial/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thecoyoteprowls
Other: https://spoti.fi/2YNQPea
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-coyote/1574119045
