Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Arielle Howell. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Arielle, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Before I answer… I want to clarify, that for me… purpose isn’t solely my giftings or talents. They are definitely a part of it… because they are a part of me… but if i were to solely attach purpose to what it is I “do” the moment i’m unable to do those things for any given reason… then I would be fooled into thinking that I have lost my purpose. So I’ll repeat myself to drive home this point; Purpose runs deeper than our actions and abilities, yet, our actions and abilities are deeply rooted in our purpose.
K… so now to the question “how did I find my purpose”
Ultimately… my purpose isn’t really something that I have had to go off and find as if apart from me hidden in some place that I hope to stumble across. Its truly something that I have had to be quiet enough and still enough so that it can let itself show.
There are these dormant seeds of giftings and passions within us that we dont come to discover until we end up in the proper environment/soil that germinates it and allows it to take root and eventually blossom into something we have never expected…. This analogy extends even further to the significance of diverse gardens of community…. And even forest fires and what resistance shows us about the raw truth within us.
Over the years, I have slowly been discovering more and more about myself and what i’m capable of and love doing.. and why. As a kid I naturally gravitated towards all things creative and expressive. Musical theater, marching band, painting, drawing, dance… you name it, you made an opportunity, and I was likely in it (God bless my parents and their gas mileage lol… because that excludes soccer and other extracurriculars) and all the same gravitated towards people… getting to know them… asking about how they are doing… talking to strangers (to the dismay of my parents”
Eventually I had to make a choice to “pick something” and “focus” so I can actually cultivate those giftings. This is where “discovery” or “realization” comes into play. When I think through what I want to be doing with my life… for the rest of my life… or whatever this season of life is… I KNOW that i am purposed to be a creative because I honestly cant imagine myself doing anything else; that dissatisfaction being one of the most confirming factors within myself that this is what i am meant to do, even in the face of challenges. Sure… I could drop everything… get a decent job… and get my PHD in Ecology and teach as a professor at a university (this is an alternative dream of mine lol) but…. As good as that sounds… knowing that I chose that over music and this creative urge in me… It sounds… half empty yah know? Looks full in a glass…. But that extra bit to fill me to overflow would be missing. I understand that this is the “path of much resistance” and requires grit. Theres a difference between external forces going against you and telling you no… and internal resistance when you are trying to make yourself something you are not… And i find this journey worth every bit of challenge, in humility, and with grit. Thats how I have “found” my purpose…. Because I know whats worth it.
Some other more simple indications are the ways that me functioning in what im “supposed to do” has actually brought to the world around me. I believe it should contribute to the growth and healing of others. The fruits of my labor that I have seen… in the way people have been impacted by my work… the response because of the way hearts have been touched… or the hearts that ive been able to reach because it has brought me there… That’s an ULTIMATE external confirmation for me. Because its all about the people… that is why I do what I do (purpose).
And then there’s the most basic indicator of the constant affirming words of not only my close community but people I have never met. Some people see things before we even do.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I have said many a time, “There are songs that people are in need of feeling, and stories that they are in need of hearing; visuals that their hearts crave for inspiration and the articulation of things that they don’t even realize they need or feel.
I am a living testimony of a life changed and encouraged by stories told in film, and “heart songs” that attach themselves to me for seasons. Things that inspire me, remind me of who I am, help me feel what I need to feel, renew my hope, and help me articulate some of the ugly stuff.
And I have the ability to do that. The responsibility to do that… to impact someone in the exact way that I have been impacted.”
I truly truly believe that at the heart of what I do is storytelling, and storytelling with a desire to not only bring hope, joy, escape, experience…. But also to offer the world a new perspective to approach their life with.
It would be hard to talk about what i do without explaining the general “essence” of who I am and what makes me me (or whatever people call it nowadays… I can’t keep up with lingo)
This is the stamp.. My thumbprint… what inspires all that I create and pour out… and what traces it back to me… it’s my voice and what you can pick up on no matter what medium I’m using.
I’m an adventure junkie… and have a personal motto “Get lost on purpose, and then art about it.” I (if not all of us) am MEANT to be outside, to be inspired through wonder and exploration, and to grant myself the freedom of allowing creativity to flow from that space in whatever form it chooses to take.
If you were to look on my website or instagram (the social platform I’m honestly the most active) you’ll see me backpacking, cooking, painting, singing, drawing… maybe catch a story or two about some weird experience. Because I’ve chosen to make my “brand” who I am, as opposed to trying to develop and project some image that isn’t myself. So yep… There I am… the earthy artist who surfs, cooks plant based meals, loves to dress up for any occasion, and has some wisdom nuggets to remind you of how valuable you are and how beautiful life is.
To make sense of “what I do” I’m going to use a metaphor of a spear. The spearhead of what I do is songwriting and music production/performance. The shaft that follows are the other things that fall under the umbrella of storytelling; acting, modeling, writing, visual arts, and however my talents manifest in the roles I take in collaborations.
I have found in this past year that my road is leading me towards the creative field of film. (to clarify, I have been singing and writing music for years, but this past year I finally took that leap of faith into doing this as my main pursuit full time). So as a little plug “call to whoever,” hit me up if you have any projects in need of music, an actress, illustrations, you name it 😉
What I find so special about what I do is that I get to create something out of nothing. I get to reach into my mind to take this formless thing without substance and make it into something tangible, sensible. Something that can be held and touched (like a painting) or something that holds and touches you (a story or melody). Better yet, my favorite thing as a producer and in collaboration with others is the skill set to help other’s ideas come to life.
Thats pretty amazing.
In addition to some modeling shoots that i’ve done and a short student film I starred in that’s on the horizon, my “newest thing” is a single that I just released with a young artist named Wyatt Tietz. He and I met about 2 years ago. He came to me with a raw and beautiful song (guitar and some unfinished lyrics and melodies) and I had the honor of partnering with him to make that vision come to life. This new single is called “Wildflowers” and you can access it through my website ariellehowell.com or search it on your go to streaming platform
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
3 Areas of knowledge that have been (and will continue to be) the most impactful to my journey.
1. Knowing and loving who I am
2. Community
3. Defining success
Okay so first and foremost is knowing and loving who I am. This is the only way to actually stay the path. There’s a well known statement that “The world will ask who you are, and if you do not know, the world will tell you” ~Carl Jung.
Furthermore…. If you don’t know who you are, you will attach your value to fleeting things. If you don’t know who you are… you will base your state of life on fickle feelings. If you don’t know who you are, you won’t know how to deal with a “NO” and turn it into fuel to continue on. If you don’t know who you are…. You will never know what you are capable of and forever stay where you are…
I think you get the picture.
Every individual has some idea of what it looks like to “find out who you are.” For me, it comes back to my faith. I believe that I have been created for a purpose, and that purpose is sewn into me by Love. A love that shows mercy, gives grace, and empowers me beyond my own capabilities to get where I need to be because He (Christ) has called me there. My foundation in faith is what I always come back to to reorient myself. To truly be unwavering in who you are you need to base your identity upon something that never changes. I’ll just leave it at this. Without a firm foundation… anything you build will collapse.
Now the next thing; community.
This truly ties into the first point on identity. Surrounding yourself with people who know and love you, and who you can trust is ESSENTIAL to success. We aren’t meant to be 24.7 lone wolves, living in isolation and doing things all by ourselves. There is beauty to solitude to recharge and to have time alone, but all the same we need to return to community. Ill specifically identify 3 kinds.
Firstly, there is an intimate community. This is one that changes less often than the others (if at all) These are those who are near and dear to you and can keep you in check e.g. remind you where you came from so you don’t give into arrogance and become a jerk.) These are the people that challenge you in ways that kind of suck, but you trust them and they love you enough to deal with your crap when you are having an identity crisis and remind you of the foundation that I mentioned in point number one. This can be a spouse… family… friends… whatever. It’s those close committed friendships.
Secondly, There is your creative community a.k.a. A community that is like minded in your field and or moving in the direction you are going. This tends to stay consistent but is constantly shifting. This is where encouragement, collaboration, and relatability come into play. This could easily include someone from your intimate community, but family, close friends, and other loved ones won’t necessarily understand all the stressors, frustrations, and other factors that are involved in your field. These are those people that GET IT. Because they’ve either DONE IT or they are DOING IT. People you can pour knowledge into, receive wisdom from, collaborate with, create with…. It keeps your passion alive in a different manner.
Finally there is your general “fun” community. These are the people that are just your general familiar group. This also has a lot of people that come and go but can be pretty consistent at times and you may not see them as often as the others (idk that’s up to you). It’s good that this group is like minded (because like the proverb says “how can two walk unless they agree ”). Most likely these are people who share your values so you’re not in some stupid situation where you are peer pressured to go against your morals…. But all the same it doesn’t have to go all that deep. These are those you’d do a beach bonfire to hang out and play games with or something. They may not be in your field of work but it’s refreshing to get out of your everyday kind of stuff. Where you find this is up to you. You can have more than one (some may beg to differ). For me, my most consistent is through church community. Maybe you’ll meet them on a rec. soccer team or your favorite salsa dancing or line dancing joint.
Okay so now my last point/area of knowledge that has been most impactful; defining success. You MUST understand that success looks different for everyone. If you don’t know what success looks like for you, you will likely NEVER feel successful or that you’ve gotten anywhere (*cough* me prior to January 2023). And there’s also a likelihood that you haven’t progressed because you don’t know what progress is to get to where you want to go.
This year I had had to unlearn what success is… and redefine it for myself; and this has been the most liberating thing that has taken a weight off of my shoulders. I used to be subtly tormented by the statement “jack of all trades master of none” because of my multiple interests and abilities. Dance, poetry, music, singing, writing, painting, sketching, crafting, building, acting, modeling…. The desire to direct… the desire to perform… the desire to have a family… the desire to travel… the desire to have a home… all of it. The thought of having to choose froze me and “make a choice” sounded like letting go of the possibility of everything else. As I mentioned in another interview not too long ago “choosing to pursue a specific gifting/passion of mine doesn’t mean the rejection of the other parts of me. To clarify, this is NOT the same as jumping around and never committing to anything. To be “gone with the wind” riding the waves of fickle feelings as a creative lost soul. It’s different. It’s being willing to commit and to commit in freedom knowing that there will be a time and place where maybe I won’t be producing in a studio but I will be traveling the world inspired by the stories of peoples that I’ll then return and be able to tell in film… Its fully committing to my music here and now and getting to do so in the joy of fulfillment knowing that I have not lost those other parts of me.”
What are your passions and skill sets? What is the purpose behind doing them? Have a heart to heart with yourself and be real… What does a fulfilling life actually look like for you? And what are some simple starting steps to get there?
I am someone who has a history of feeling overwhelmed if I keep all that I have to do in my head. Even down to having to schedule an appointment to get an oil change or my car waxed because it means it would take time lol I’ve learned that writing down my little to dos and checking them off gives me a chance to feel accomplished and even to feel “justified” in taking a moment to breath guilt free. This can also be done with my larger goals and the steps to get there.
You just need to figure out what it looks like FOR YOU so you’re not comparing your progress to someone else and subtly veering off course because you took your eyes off of the road and went into someone else’s lane. As Teddy saide “comparison is the thief of joy.”
Anyways, ask individuals who are where you want to be what it looked like to get there… hear their story… glean from their wisdom… and then tailor that wisdom to fit your own life.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
How could I ever talk about my journey without talking about my parents? To be honest… it’s a gift that I am typing out these responses because there is no way I could speak this without crying (don’t mind me tearing up in a coffee shop while writing this).
The most impactful thing that my parents have done for me is LOVE ME. That’s the simple/short answer.
To take it a bit further.
This isn’t the idea of “love” that is tolerant and accommodating to toxic behaviors but accepting who I truly am at the core and calling out those thoughts, beliefs, behaviors, that aren’t alignment with that. This is a love that finds me worth the fight, worth the investment, worth the pain and frustration, and just WORTH IT in general.
I know parenting isn’t an easy thing. To put it in a nutshell it is a kind of case of trial and error which can be completely horrifying… but i truly believe that if done in love and humility things will work out… even if that requires a few mentors and counseling sessions lol.
What has this love and “worth-it-ness” looked like in my life? Well, obviously I have 27 years worth of stories, but I’ll do my best to keep it simple.
My parents, to their best ability, have been fully present with my siblings and I growing up (big bro, me, little sis). They noticed things about my person at a young age, one of which is my creativity and desire to present what I’ve created. They never pushed or forced me into anything. Even my dad being a musician. He didn’t strong arm me to be some kind of child star. Instead, they allowed me to grow (the wild, curious, adventurous little bleeding heart kid) and gave me the resources to discover what it is that is in my heart… obviously with direction and correction. As I began to grab hold of these things… they began to push.
I must say, their patience has been a life changer. I for a FACT know that I would have been chewed up and spit out as a child star… me and my little tender hearted self. Children in the entertainment industry in and of itself is a big topic, but from my own personal experience and knowing myself and how I was… I truly wasn’t ready until this past year. My parents have been there when I have broken down They’ve come to my shoes and gigs (not all but the ones that I really care about). They have poured out wisdom (some welcomed and some…. Not so much… because… I mean, im human and dont always wanna hear as i walk further into independence and whatever it looks like to be my own person)
They’ve fought through my tears of discouragement… and reminded me that I am able and that I can do all things through the power within my spirit. They’re here to listen and do their best to understand in humility when I communicate what’s actually helpful and what’s not. Best of all… they also pick and choose when they actually don’t care how I feel, but to light a pretty toasty fire under my stubborn toosh.
In a nutshell… they just raised me as as imperfect individuals with pure hearts to love perfectly. That’s what gives me security in so many ways. I’ve never had to earn and try to keep their love… this path is not meant to please anyone. No after what, even when I do wrong or disappoint, they love me and that gives me a sense of invincibility. Furthermore, it also gives me a glimpse and makes it a bit easier to grasp the love of the one who created me and called me to this crazy journey adventuring through the wilderness of valleys and mountaintops.
Again… perfect? Not even close… but pure of heart? Yes.
Contact Info:
- Website: ariellehowell.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/ariellehowellmusic
- Facebook: facebook.com/ariellehowellmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqy0273GwPhUyBSVMddLoiQ
Image Credits
Arielle Howell, Wesley Scott, Natalie Robert, Art by Arielle Howell, Micah A. O’Brien, Amanda Gallace
