We were lucky to catch up with Shauna Moon recently and have shared our conversation below.
Shauna , thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.
I tend to be in “go” mode, and as a result, I get told that I need to slow down all the time. To avoid burnout, I have three calendars, one for general, one for tasks, and one for content. But mainly, I schedule rest days. When I introduced the idea of scheduled rest days to others, they thought I was weird. My therapist, however, loved it. I’m always planning, creating, or doing one of my many jobs that including days for scheduled rest in between the chaos was needed. When I did a large set design project that also required me to build the set on-site and be the subject of the photo shoot, I took two days off afterward. In these two days, I did not even attempt to clean and organize the wrap-up from the photo shoot. I also have days that are free from meetings or commuting. This allows me to decompress between my busier days. As for overcoming burnout, since I have anxiety, I rarely experience it. However, I think scheduled rest or scheduled fun can help, or even no technology days for a Ralph Waldo Emerson-type experience are extremely beneficial.
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 am a musical artist and rapper from Trenton, New Jersey. I enjoy playing with theatrics and different sounds, spanning from pop rap, alternative hip-hop, conscious, and trap. Heavily inspired by anime and pop culture, my work is a direct reflection of my influences. I have performed in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Trenton, and other places. My other interests include creative direction, fashion, and acting. I am excited to release my collaboration singles this year, share visuals from my mixtape, “Pressure,” and show the expansion of my brand and merch store.
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?
Making music is not straightforward. It can even feel somewhat impossible to learn all the terminology and skills to feel like a musical artist. Oftentimes, musical artists forget that to be branded as artists, artist development and management must go hand-in-hand with the art. As for the three specifics that were most impactful, I would include learning what good production sounds like, understanding what my artist identity is, and leaving the room and making the time for artistic growth and seeing it through. For others in the early start of their career, I always say that perfection is not required. You’re just getting your toes wet, so it’s understandable that what you would like to achieve may seem difficult. This is because your skill level has not caught up to your taste. As you grow, experiment, and even analyze, your skill level may reach closer to your taste. But you wouldn’t know that unless you allowed yourself to fail or even prove the concept of what you’re trying to build. Success doesn’t occur unless moves are made. How can you win the game if you’re afraid of losing some pawns?
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
We rarely create music alone. Musical artists work with producers, engineers, photographers, makeup artists, set designers, stylists, videographers, graphic designers, event organizers, and so on. Most of my day-to-day is correspondence and communication. And to grow as an artist, it requires team building and collaboration. I’m always willing to collaborate with others as long as I’m not overwhelmed with other ongoing projects. As for the type of people I’m looking to collaborate with, I tend to enjoy working with those with high energy, timely work ethic, and experimental creativity. I love punctuality and timely communication. I also love people who are willing to do something that is out-of-box. I like to experiment and play around with the unknown or foreign territory. I am explorative and love to work with others who also enjoy exploring. At the end of the day, I think making music should be fun. It’s work but also fun work. I love a good vision. I am a sucker for an awesome creative never-done-before idea. I love to plan and execute something that makes others go “Wow, I can’t believe they did that!”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shaunamoon.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaunamoonbby
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@shaunamoon
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/shaunamoonbby
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@shaunamoonbby
Image Credits
JoLeaha Larke Tookie Da Rose Tommy Lee
