We recently connected with LittleDove Rey and have shared our conversation below.
LittleDove, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
Creativity is something that I have to nurture and grow or it can quickly fade into the background in the chaos and struggle of being human. I actively make time for creativity by putting myself into creative spaces and allowing myself to dive into creative bursts when they come. Creativity is something that is so important to me and a large part of what makes life fun.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I wear a lot of different hats in my daily life. I am a Clinical Psychologist by training and have worked in the field of mental health treatment for the past 7 years. Part of my approach to mental health treatment is helping people to be their most authentic self by increasing their own ability to believe in themselves and make progress towards their life goals. I would not be my own authentic self if I was not able to engage in my own personal passions, which is something I try to actively balance with my clinical work and research. Outside of my professional world, I actively engage in the arts. In January, I released my first single titled Monster in Paradise which is available on all major streaming platforms. Learning to write and record music has been such a fulfilling experience and I am very excited to be performing my song live for the first time at the Haven in Pomona on March 3rd with my music producer Max Van Mus. This song is really special to me because it incorporates my traditional Native language (Nisenan) in the ending poetry, which is something I am very passionate about and honors the preservation work that I do with my Tribal Nation. California Indians are so underrepresented in creative spaces and I would love to be part of shifting the narrative by showing people that we are still here and still thriving.
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?
Resilience, community, and openness have been the things that have helped me get to where I am today. I have faced many uphill battles throughout my life and despite these, I am so proud that I still fought to earn my doctorate degree, break into modeling, and now to release my first musical single in 2024. I believe that being resilient is something that you can learn, to keep getting back up, to never lose track of your goals and values and to keep fighting for what you want and believe in. Part of resilience is leaning into community and knowing it is okay to ask for help. Having a community around me to help support me has been crucial in my success and community-building is something that we can all engage in. Being open has also been vital along my own journey. Open to new ideas, open to new experiences, open to being a life-long learner, without openness I think I would have probably gotten really stuck along the way. For creatives early in the journey, I think practicing belief in yourself, envisioning the future you want and surrounding yourself with supportive people and communities are key to your success.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Breaking into the field of music has been such an amazing experience. I am so excited to continue to collaborate with more creatives in 2024 and beyond, particularly artists from underrepresented groups and individuals who are passionate about mental health. I hope to do more of all my creative ventures in the coming years including music, modeling, acting, creative writing, and content creation. I am always open to working with new people, learning from others’ stories and trying to make the world a better place. If you are interested in collaborating, please feel free to reach out to me on instagram @littledovedoll or by email at littledoverey@gmail.com. Meeting new people is one of the most exciting parts of being in creative spaces and I am excited to meet you!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3IOKYrG11pSjg8o0GlXLVf?si=IAfYiJx-StSpRM_gKTBu0g
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littledovedoll/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littledovefaith
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/littledoverey/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/littledoverey
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrxRMjccG97KkdgIcee8CAA
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/littledoverunningbear
- Other: https://littledoverunningbear.com
littledoverey@gmail.com
