Meet Rian Moneypenny

We were lucky to catch up with Rian Moneypenny recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rian, 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.

Reading! I think above all else, when I find myself in a creative slump, reading has helped me to find inspiration again. Be it fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose—whatever—finding a new book, a fresh story, and a unique voice does wonders for boosting creativity. It serves as a constant reminder that there is always so much more out there to learn, to experience, to broaden the mind.

When I was younger, I went through a period where I read little. But then I discovered “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck and it turned my world upside down in the best way. It was the moment I realized how stories like this can change worlds, both interior and exterior. It made me want to write and devour every book I could find.

A good book pushes us to be better, to look inward and outward, to develop empathy for every walk of life, to travel and appreciate the vastness of the universe. Good books equal growth. As George R. R. Martin once said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”

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 playing guitar and trying to write since I was around twelve. When I was a kid, I I had these movies playing in my head and I needed a way to get them out, to see them in some physical form. My imagination was always wild, and I am grateful to say that I came from a family that never tried to limit or dissuade said mess in my mind. My mom, my godfather, and my dad always told me stories, and in turn, I came up with my own and would act them out. Again, it was a way for me to explore the films rattling around in my skull a bit more. I owe so much of my love of writing and composing songs to my parents. They listened, and that made all the difference. I wouldn’t be doing any of this if it hadn’t been for their incredible support.

When I’m not teaching, I play gigs around the Upstate of South Carolina and Western North Carolina and try to scribble down stories. Typically, it’s just me, a guitar, and songs about losers, getting lost, and aimless wandering. They say write what you know, and those three things have always been constants. My favorite artists were, and still are, Townes Van Zandt, Blaze Foley, and Emmylou Harris.

You can find my music on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube—all the things. I have a new EP coming out later this year entitled, “The Southern Sewing Kit.”

Some of my poems were recently published in Ode to Dionysus, Livina Press, and Persephone Literary Magazine.

Hope to see y’all out on the road; thanks for listening and reading this rambling!

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?

1. Learn to appreciate the weird: We’ve all got quirks and things we’re working through on a daily basis, be it mentally or physically or both. I think making friends with your faults, your idiosyncrasies , and your variety of strange is crucial to happiness, artistic approach, and everything else. Be kind and patient with yourself, remember you’re not defined by your thoughts, and make the best of rough edges each day.

2. Support people: Not just friends and family, but the kid down the block who shared his single with you and wanted your thoughts. Support your musical community, show up for people. Go see live music, purchase a copy of your friend’s book, hit up your local open mics. We’re always better together, and just letting folks know you care about what they make and what they do is so important.

3. Getting out of the house: You don’t have to travel to the other side of the world to have eye-opening experiences. But engage with your town, go for a walk or a run on a trail you’ve never tried, just drive without any set destination. It can teach you the pleasure of discovering hidden wonders and wells of inspiration in your own backyard.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

Family, traveling, and creating. I’d want to spend as much time with family as possible. I’d want to experience as many places and moments across the globe as I could every day. I’d seek to live on the run with the people I love, and make new friends each afternoon. I’d attempt to write it all down, feel it all, and be thankful for the time I got. I’d focus on the present—unafraid, hopeful, and constantly ready for what adventures are left to me.

I’d try to live life how it’s meant to be lived.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Photography Credits: Laura Jones, Gary Moneypenny, Devon Hunt, Glenn Cockrell, Noel Eastin.

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