Meet Mikey Flores

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mikey Flores. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Mikey , we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

For better or worse my confidence was brute forced. I had an upbringing that was less than encouraging when it comes to pursuing my passion. My advice for those who have similar histories as I: feed your brain positive thoughts! When figures of authority talk down to you, it subconsciously teaches you to talk down to yourself. This is where the brute force comes in – affirm yourself, tell yourself nice things; that you’re beautiful and worthy to live a life in which you follow your passion. You will absolutely have to break down (likely both physically and mentally) those ideological walls that keep you boxed in and attracts a less than ideal situation. I have a pretty constant, near daily practice of either reading positive affirmations to myself or listening to them. At first it was really tough, since my conditioned thoughts would actively clash with more positive self-talk. It was very much a “fake-it-till-you-make-it” situation that takes time but is ultimately very worth it. Know that there are people that are much less skilled than you but have more confidence, which leads to the “failing upward” phenomenon we see so often in this country. Know that you can do it!

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’d like to consider myself a curator of art. Even though I’m most prolific as a musician at the moment, I am more than that. I adore the human ability to make art, to express oneself in any medium. I try to specialize and surround myself with genuine art – art that you can tell comes from the heart rather than the mind. I’ve had too much experience with art as a product to sell. Too often does the brain get in the way of the heart in the pursuit of profit. You can tell when it comes from a less genuine place. It feels manipulative and hollow.
I surround myself with artists who do what they want to before the profit motive comes into question. I truly believe that this is how you get the “best” art. Work with people who love what they do, those who are motivated by passion.
I’m currently in the middle of a move to Seattle, but when that is over with I have singles, music videos, and a larger project on the way and I cannot ask for any better collaborators at the moment. Shout out to Noah Williams, who lent bass to my upcoming track Ichor and Josh Stovall for lending his studio space and tracking skills to the project and Sophie Halsam, who helped assemble the music video.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

While it may seem like it limits initial opportunities- I’ve worked to stay true to myself, always. This has closed some doors for me, but it’s alright. Those aren’t the ones that lead you to the best outcome.
Early in my career, I really struggled with covers for this reason. I was frequently pushed to do covers, especially larger hits. For better or worse I’m not able to cover a song unless I really love it, and I’ve always gravitated to more “alternative” tracks. Do not force yourself to cover a song if its not your style! Cover what you love, and if those two things happen to be the same, great!

I was a swimmer in my earlier years and it instilled a work ethic in me like nothing else has. Admittedly it sometimes can go overboard, and I frequently find myself working closer to 24/7 than 9-5 which can get dangerously close to burn out.
Fortunately, I love what I do and the long hours barely feel like work when I’m focused on the right things.

Along with these long hours of work, long periods of rest are required too! I forget this at times but a good rest may very well be more productive than the Sisyphean task of making my burnt out brain work. I meditate and nap daily, sometimes multiple times a day – a benefit of my flexible yet long hours. I am a creature of the night, and I find myself going to bed after 2:00 am many nights of the week. Once again, I balance this out with naps and meditation!

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I’m practically always looking for instrumentalists who are up for live performance! Primarily I’m looking for drummers, keys players, and guitarists. Though if you play another instrument don’t hesitate to reach out, the weirder the instrument the better!

On the recording side of things, I’m looking for people who are willing to lend a hand with the recording process! Generally I’m able to play/compose for all the necessary instruments necessary in a song I’m working on but someone to press that Record button would be so helpful!

You can reach out to me through Instagram @mikeyflors or through email [email protected]!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Mikeyflors.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikeyflors/

Image Credits

Bailey Pyritz, Austin Villegas, Jaren Hemphill