We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Trey Everett. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Trey below.
Trey, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
A number of years ago, I read “Big Magic,” by Elizabeth Gilbert, and it really reshaped how I view creativity and inspiration. I think now, particularly as I get older, I believe that inspiration is something that comes to us, not from us. Our job as artists, is to take that inspiration, and allow it to bring forth our creativity. How many times have artists been extremely excited about a project, and simply let it fade away? When something is meant for us to pursue, we pursue. When something isn’t ours, we let it go.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a playwright, author and musician. I have written several plays, and books to musicals, in addition to have two fiction novels (“Beneath the Surface,” and “For It Will Be Yours”) published through indie publishing house Black Rose Writing, based in my home state, and I have written and released music under the moniker “ladyortiger” as well as through my band, “Moonlight Graham.”
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?
First, I think the ability to have and / or form an opinion is vital to the life of an artist. I had an instructor once tell me this, and when I responded, “but I don’t know enough about this topic to form an appropriate opinion,” he responded, “then do the fucking work, and learn.” That has always really stuck with me– know where you stand, yes, but more importantly, now why you stand there. Compassion is another vitally important trait for an artist to have. The desire to reach out to everyone and learn about them, despite prejudice, implicit bias, political ideologies, etc. At the end of the day, we don’t need to like each other, or support each other, but I want to be someone that will let you speak. Lastly, I think tenacity is a tremendously important trait for an artist. As artists, we hear “no” more than we actually do our art. The ability to allow rejection to roll away and continue moving forward is tremendously important.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
I think one of the most impactful things my parents did for me was simply to allow me to be me. I was a goofy, strange, weird, funny kid. My parents never tried to mold me into anything– they let me figure out who I was. I’ll be forever grateful for that.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.treyeverett.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/treyeverett
Image Credits
@Rad Pine Creatie, Katie McGhie
