We were lucky to catch up with Lovey The Don recently and have shared our conversation below.
Lovey The Don, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I overcame imposter syndrome by learning how to give myself more grace, acceptance, and praise. For a long time, I spent my life not celebrating myself or thinking my accomplishments did not matter because I had no confidence in myself or my abilities. It took one day when my best friend Virginia said to me “Lovey, you’ve accomplished more things on your own as an independent artist without a viral moment (yet) than most artists ever have with one.” It made me realize that I don’t give myself enough credit for things that I have achieved. It was one of the many reasons I can be so hard on myself. But coming to that realization allowed me to praise myself and my efforts more, leaving the imposter syndrome behind.
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 an independent music artist and creative director. I do all things creative including journalism, fashion styling, set design, and a ton of other things lol. My music falls under a subgenre of rap music called “Alternative Rap” and my lyrical style ranges widely. I think what’s most exciting about what I do is that I get to freely express myself and have complete strangers, sometimes even living across the world relate to and enjoy my music. My brand and mission is to represent women’s empowerment and freedom. I am a firm believer in standing for what you believe in and not conforming to societal standards. I have an exciting project coming soon and a few singles I plan to release before I take a small break during the holiday season. Everyone can be on the lookout for a fresh new sound from me very very soon.
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?
I think my best qualities are definitely having a genuine heart, self-awareness, and a huge imagination. I think these qualities have been impactful for my personal journey because these are essential things to have especially in an industry like the entertainment industry. Being a kind person with good intentions will always take you far on the right path. Self-awareness is essential because knowing who you are in this world is so powerful. My imagination has allowed me to express and create things in a way I never would have expected as a young girl, it allows me to be the artist that I am now. My advice would to be make knowing yourself, what you like or don’t like, and what you need out of life your priority.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
I think the most impactful thing my parents did for me was to let me try new things. Anytime I told them that I wanted to learn an instrument, do gymnastics, acting, dance, whatever it was, they allowed me the space and opportunity to do so and I believe that’s why I’m so creative and free-flowing today as an adult and artist.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://withkoji.com/@loveythedon
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveythedon/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loveythedon
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LOVEYTHEDON
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LoveyTheDon
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/loveythedon
