We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Victoria Camp a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Victoria, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.
As a songwriter, I know that creativity blocks and “writers block” can happen to the best of us… I think all creatives alike can agree that some days we feel super inspired, some days we do not. In a forever changing industry, you have to develop your abilities to overcome these roadblocks that you can sometimes hit in the midst of everything… sometimes you hit the creative wall out of the blue, sometimes you are exhausted from the road if you are a touring musician like myself… plenty of factors can play into this, sometimes random, lull in imagination. One thing I have found to be true, is this: if you are ever feeling uninspired, go outside. Nature is one of the most healing, beautiful remedies for breaking down the creative wall we hit on our off days. I have a creek right across from my house. In the mornings if I have time and I’m feeling a little stuck on a song or not feeling super creative in general I’ll try to go dip in the creek and take a walk to start my day with some solid, uninterrupted inspiration. Sometimes during co-writes I’ll try to take a break outside. On the road I be sure to get fresh air and go visit cool places in the towns I am playing and ask people about their stories… research the history of where I’m at… in general, just stay curious. You can pull so much inspiration from everything and everyone around you and letting yourself breathe can open up room for inspiration when you are feeling a little un-inspired. Give yourself grace!
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?
My name is Victoria Camp and I am a singer/songwriter from Tuscaloosa, AL. I grew up as a southern girl with a dream and a love for music and the song… I started writing music when I was 13 and started to tour when I was 17. I toured in an all female group for 10 years as a harmony singer and acoustic guitar player and have had the distinct privilege of playing my songs all across the world to all sorts of people. I’m very grateful for the gift of songwriting – I don’t know where I would be without it…. I’d describe my style to be somewhere between Lucinda Williams and Stevie Nicks. My main goal in life is to make my listener feel something – I take pride on touching hearts with my words and melodies. I try to capture the love, pain, joy, sadness and everything in between of the human experience with a song while bringing my dark, emotive, southern gothic vibes to the table to give something unique to my listener. I always hope others feel my music like I do, but my main driving force is the joy that sharing my songs brings to myself and other people who love music like I do.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Through the years of my musical journey, I have experienced a grand array of situations and challenges, victories and failures… I have had so many wonderful people lift me up throughout my musical journey and give me the best advice in the world that has saved me a lot of grief but have also learned the hard way more times than I can count. If there’s one thing I hope I can accomplish in my lifetime, it’s to help others in this same journey I am on. Three of the most valuable pieces of knowledge I have ever been gifted are the following… 1) Being yourself is your biggest weapon, 2) Stick to your guns but don’t be foolish and 3) connections and kindness will take you so far.
As artists, we quite literally make a living off of being ourselves. The best weapon AND asset you could ever have, is being fully yourself. Beware – your truest, most authentic self can rock the boat…. But it can also be wildly accepted and loved. No one is you… use that to your advantage and live your dreams. The more yourself you are, the more risks you are willing to take for yourself because it’s your best foot forward.
When it comes to sticking to your guns, don’t let others run you over and be strategic about opportunities… say yes to a lot, but not everything and don’t let others tell you how to make your art. As a woman in the music industry for 10+ years now, I have had plenty of experiences where people have waved flashy things in my face for opportunity or have taken the wrong ones out of fear of missing out or anxiety or pressure from others. Only do what feels right and protect your vulnerable, precious art best you can. Think to yourself – how will this opportunity serve me long term? Does this feel right? Will this decision be in alignment with my brand and will it help me more than hurt me? Lastly, kindness and connections through genuine friendship will carry you through your career. When you have the right folks around you, lifting you up and cheering you on and vice versa, you create an inspiring environment that encourages you and all your talented friends to create the most genuine art possible. Bad things happen in life – you need that support. Networking based on transactional interactions is soul sucking and will burn you out if you aren’t careful. It’s always frustrating feeling like someone is just your friend so they can get something from you. Just focus on being yourself, doing what’s right for YOU for the sake of your art and always ALWAYS be kind.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
As someone with ADHD and sensory issues, I often feel overwhelmed physically and mentally in certain situations. The best thing I know to do is pause. Fully pause. I don’t mean take a 10 minute break. I mean STOP what you are doing, find somewhere you can get by yourself if you are in public. If you are home, sit down and get a sip of water and try to do something to reset your nervous system. Whatever that looks like for you. Set boundaries for yourself and the people in your life that may take a little too much energy from you. As a very empathic person, I know that setting boundaries will help you feel less overwhelmed in general. I know I tend to overfill my plate constantly and that familiar feeling of overwhelm will just wash over my body if I have too much going on at once. Take care of yourself, be kind to yourself and be patient. As long as we are learning and growing, we are doing good. Take any feeling of overwhelm as a chance to love on yourself. You deserve it!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @vv_camp
- Facebook: Victoria Camp Music
- Twitter: @vv_camp
- Youtube: Victoria Camp Music
- Other: Listen to my debut single “GOD FORBID”, out now on all streaming platforms! ⭐️
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/victoriacamp/god-forbid
Image Credits
Kate Lamendola
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
