Meet Skye Peterson

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Skye Peterson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Skye, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

Ah, imposter syndrome, the most annoying and understandable syndrome of all. I live in Nashville, a city of songwriters. Songwriters who essentially trust their songs enough to stake their livelihood on it; songwriters who are confident enough in their talent to really GO FOR IT; songwriters who’s streams and likes and amount of attention directly correlate with their income. No WONDER anyone has imposter syndrome! Sometimes I doubt if my songs fit into the standard mold of Christian music. My voice isn’t anything special. I could walk down Broadway (I don’t) and listen to two dozen singers that are teeming with talent, and whose voices are objectively better than mine. The truth is, they have something to offer that I just, well, don’t. That’s the root of imposter syndrome. But here’s what I’ve discovered: I can’t offer what they offer … and they can’t offer what I offer. My personality, my passions, my talents, my context, my brokeness, my beauty, it’s all so particular and precious that to “fit in” would be to dishonor the gift I’ve been given. We’re all imposters.

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 a singer/songwriter for four years now! It’s exactly what it sounds like: I sing and I write songs. I grew up as a little girl with big emotions who needed a place to put them. Songwriting became a journal where I’d dump my prayers, my boy problems, my thoughts on life; and the more I did it, the more I loved the craft of it all, the poetry, the storytelling. There were emotions I could articulate musically that I couldn’t quite find the words for in real time.

I have a new record coming out in May called ‘Through Line’ that feels like the best summary of what I create. I didn’t write it as a concept record, which I was worried about until my husband said, “Your voice and your heart are the common denominators that connect the songs.” There’s a song about:

– being seen and loved by God in the small, mundane moments (Track 1: The God of Seeing)
– a bird nest in my front yard and a Mary Oliver poem (Track 2: Made For)
– the internal ache I feel when I see something beautiful (Track 3: Mysterious Something)
– my friends believing for me when I don’t have faith for myself (Track 4: For Now)
– the sovereignty of God (Track 5: If I Had My Way)
– tax season and how anxious I get in April (Track 6: Never Not Been Okay)
– self compassion (Track 7: I Love That Girl)
– learning how to believe I’m truly loved (Track 8: Hey Doubter)
– the boundless grace of God (His Love)
– a quote from Bonhoeffer and the way pain is a good teacher (Track 10: Holy Angel)

My friend Ellie, who is also a singer/songwriter, told me about her revelation that being a songwriter is just being broken in front of people. I hope the honesty in the songs I write point in beauty’s direction.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

There are a million answers to this! I’m sure my answers will change with age, but in the snapshot of my life right now, I’d say:

1) Humility. As a believer, surrendering my will has been an important part of my wellbeing and my career. It’s usually when I give my expectations to God that I feel like I flourish the most. And as a prideful person, this has been a hard one for me to learn. I’ve always had a DIY mentality, but over the years I think I’ve slowly developed a DIWPYL mentality (Do It With People You Love). This means asking mentors for wisdom/prayer, having the courage to ask for help, and inviting the Creator into my creative process.

2) Determination. If you wanna write songs, write songs. If you wanna book shows, book shows. If you wanna release music, mark down some recording days, find the money, and release music. I know it’s not always this easy. But sometimes it is. My parents wouldn’t let us say the “b” word, bored, because they believed there was always something to do. There are times when my determination gets ahead of me, but for the most part, it’s been really impactful in my day-to-day.

3) Love. Cheesy answer, but it goes SUCH a long way. I’m not sure about you, but I know that I love people the best when I feel the most loved. Love is symbiotic. I try as much as I can to pour out love to my team (meaning my management, my booking agent, and also my husband and my best friends). They quickly pour the love right back in and it keeps me going.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

The Secret Garden is my favorite book. You might laugh and say “it’s just a children’s book!” but it’s been the most meaningful book in my adulthood. It’s about a little girl named Mary who moved into a mansion in the winter with her distant relatives. She was pale and bitter and cold to the world. But then she discovered a secret garden (shocker), and things started to grow. Daffodil shoots split the earth, tiny blossoms broke through the brown branches. And by the end of the spring, her cheeks were blushed with life and she was flushed with joy and color.

I’m not sure how else to say it other than that this story feels TRUE. When I entered into the Garden of God’s love, I started to come alive; my cold hard heart began to thaw and my soul unfolded like the lilies did. This book gave language to the Life that I’ve been born into, the Life that God gives and the Life that I sing about.

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