We recently connected with Liselotte Östblom and have shared our conversation below.
Liselotte, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I believe that humans are creative in their nature and has immense capability to create new things, so it’s not for a selected few who call themselves “creatives”… Imagination is essential to creating, and my generation’s malady is disengaging the mind to social media consumption and overstimulating entertainment which removes the imaginary task of your brain to “dream” beyond the box. We might have lost creativity from childhood, when we all believed we could do and be anything. To keep creativity alive we need to expose ourselves to creative things, and luckily I have that exposure built into my habits and system. I rarely feel uninspired, because I’m constantly engaging with imagination. For me to really feel a creative flush of inspiration and be tapped into the infinite possibilities of the mind, I find a deep well in reading and studying new things. I get super charged when diving deep into a well articulated topic on something of my interest like theology, sociology, justice, music history! Then as an artist and composer, experiencing music and live music is essential, as well as going to art exhibition and putting my eyes to beautiful things. All that has been natural for me since I was a kid; I loved to paint and draw, I was dancing, playing instruments, singing in choir, being part of theatre groups, designing news papers and taking photographs, and going to museums. It’s cliché thing to say but I’m happy I didn’t grow up with social media and the internet in my early years! The fact is that comparing yourself to others, jealousy and too much consumption of social media not only kills creativity but it might kill your soul. So if you want to keep the creativity alive; stay away from the things which kills it and nourish the ones which brings new fuel.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m an artist originally from Stockholm, Sweden, but I’ve called London home for the past 8 years. My work revolves around music, and I’m fortunate to be able to pursue it full-time as a performer, singer, vocal arranger, and producer. I also coach other artists in vocal techniques and performance, which allows me to share the knowledge and experience I’ve gained throughout my own career.
I’m particularly excited about my new project, “BOREAL SUN,” a UK-based jazz and groove collective I co-founded with Matt Roberts. Our first EP, released in May 2024, blends jazz, groove, and experimental sounds, and it’s something I’m incredibly proud of. It’s a reflection of the unique musical landscape I’ve cultivated here in London, and we have very interesting shows coming up for 2025.
2024 was a great year where I’ve been working with Gregory Hutchinson, Robert “Sput” Searight, Robert Mitchell “TRUE THINK”, and recording with Doobie Powell among many other things. I will always be collaborating on projects that challenge my creative boundaries- whether in jazz, hip hop and gospel or interdisciplinary with other art forms such as designers and poets. The opportunity to explore different genres and collaborate with musicians from various backgrounds keeps me inspired and pushes me to constantly evolve as an artist.
I believe in the power of music to inspire change and bring people together, and that will become more important in our current day of new technologies and large shifts.
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?
This is a beautiful thing to think about, because we tend to just emphasize the results or effects of our work rather than reflecting on the skills that produce them. The three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey: efficiency, discipline, and a deep commitment to learning. I like to do things thoroughly and in the “right” way from the beginning. Being efficient in my work allows me to balance multiple projects while maintaining high standards. I believe that being able to organize time and resources effectively is crucial for a self-directed artist, especially in a creative industry where ideas need to flow, but deadlines and logistics must also be respected. You can’t be efficient when you don’t know what you should accomplish, so if I don’t have the knowledge for a task- I make sure I do research before I start “acting” and wasting time. The second one is is discipline. Creativity often requires long hours and hard work behind the scenes. Practice makes perfect and I was blessed to complete a lot of practice early in my life, which has set the path forward to continue developing and refine those skills. Discipline has been key in helping me stay focused even when inspiration is low or when the work feels monotonous- let’s face it, the fun part now is the performance and collaborating with people who you love to work with. FLOW. For anyone starting out and might struggle with discipline, I recommend establishing a routine that allows space for both creative exploration and public output (like a concert, or recording). Consistency and persistence are the foundation of developing any skill, including music. My final point is Commitment to learning: Whether it’s studying new techniques, diving into new genres, or exploring other fields like musicology, theology, or sociology, the desire to always keep learning has been central to my development! Even unrelated to music, I love to learn and understand how the world works and new techniques and innovations (I am a nerd…) Early in your journey, my advice would be to stay curious and never stop learning. Surround yourself with knowledge, seek out people outside your circle, and be open to exploring different perspectives—both inside and outside your immediate field. This will fuel your growth as an artist and a person.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
Overwhelming emotions is essential to the human experience, but if we don’t learn to categorize or name the vague feeling of “too much” we need courage to put words to what has happened, and be radically honest with ourselves with our fears, rejections, disappointments or sadness. Prayer is a core discipline I practice daily and I can’t say how much I depend upon my relationship to God. It always helps me to journal and pray through what my mind is too overwhelmed to process, write down what is in the conscious thought, but even the unconscious can be uncovered when there is a prayerful non-judging space. But that prayer space could be named as a space of conscious reflection. All you need is to set aside time, have a note book and be ready to pick your mind. I try to incorporate this model for anyone I am mentoring or artist that I coach. Self-awareness is really the key to a lot of things in life. Negative days do come for us all, and for me they tend to come when I’m tired, overworked, and have been very active with my output and social engagements. Silence and solitude is my saving strategy; if I can have some fresh air and sunshine in my face that adds to making me come back on my feet.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.liselotteostblom.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liselotteostblom
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/liselotteostblommusic
- Youtube: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCha6HfzPV6YCCyZhuvOs5Gw
Image Credits
Photo: Feruza Afewerki
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