We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Elyn Kazarian a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Elyn, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Over time, I’ve built my confidence and self-esteem by challenging myself to act on or express thoughts that I initially considered too daunting or intimidating. As I’ve continued to place myself in these challenging situations, my confidence has increased, facilitating my personal growth. We frequently create scenarios in our minds about how situations will unfold or how they will feel, and more often than not, these imagined scenarios are far more exaggerated than the reality.
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 have been working as a creative director and designer in the music industry for over 10 years now. My job entails bringing a musician’s visual world to life by listening, engaging, and ultimately executing on those ideas we’ve discussed. I feel like my role in working with artists is so much more about understanding them on a one-on-one level to be able to then empower them to take creative risks in the visual space.
Once I have those initial conversations with the artists, I’m able to then put together a multi-page artist manifesto that outlines everything about the artist in that point in time, and what the overall creative is going to be for the campaign. I break it down into categories, like photography, music videos, styling, etc, so that anyone who is involved with that artist campaign is on the same page about the overall creative and aesthetic, and there is consistency and cohesion across the board, no matter the medium.
What makes my role exciting is that it is always changing depending on the type of artist I’m working with. I am always challenged creatively, mentally, and sometimes even emotionally. I love that I’m able to sometimes not only jump in to help with packaging or merch design, but then I’m also able to write a music video treatment and work as a director on that same campaign. Sometimes my role even merges with a producers in how I approach the project, especially if there is a limited budget. You never want to get an artists hopes up with a crazy idea, and then not be able to execute on it, so moving forward practically amidst any and all challenges to be able to make ideas come to life, while also being pushed to evolve and grow is ultimately what makes my job exciting and fulfilling.
Outside of working as a creative director and designer, I have also been a radio host and producer for the past 6 years. I started my own monthly radio show with the organization shesaid.so back in 2018 with a group of women in the music industry, and I now host and produce the show solo. It is fulfilling in ways that I didn’t think was possible, but I’m so glad I took that leap all those years ago without any prior knowledge or experience in radio broadcasting. Thank you to dublab for being a supporter from the very beginning, and for being home to the show for all these years!
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?
Looking back on my career, the three qualities that were most impactful in my journey were:
1. Patience
2. Perseverance
3. Adaptability
I believe it’s the qualities you have which can help you approach anything in life with confidence and grace, and which ultimately helps set you apart. Skills and knowledge are easily gained, especially nowadays. But for me, patience, perseverance, and adaptability, especially in times of hardship and uncertainty, are the qualities that have kept me grounded, going, and growing.
My advice to those of you who are early in your career journey’s is to never give up on yourself no matter how many times you may think you’re not good enough or strong enough. You will face challenges and difficulties, but when you overcome those times, you will be stronger both mentally and emotionally because of it, and ultimately, fulfilled.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most impactful thing that my parents did for me was to believe in me wholeheartedly, and to support me with my passions by putting me in art and music classes from an early age. They saw what I was expressing interest in as a child, and they did something about it. That is something I’ll always be grateful for and that I’ll never take for granted.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://elynkazarian.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elynkazarian/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elynkazarian/
- Other: https://www.dublab.com/shows/shesaid-so-la
Image Credits
Brianna Alysse, Oswaldo Cepeda, Duong Nguyen, Jennifer James Wright, Jessica Kao.
