We were lucky to catch up with Mike Hewlett recently and have shared our conversation below.
Mike , so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Imposter syndrome can feel very real and present and daunting. Many of us struggle with it, and we all can understand it to some degree. I would say that it is something my band and I talk about every now and then, we recently got some exciting news about some upcoming shows that we cannot yet share, but will soon, and though these are goals we’ve had for years, finally being asked to play certain places and finding yourself on those stages can be really good for your confidence but it can also leave you questioning how you got there and if you “deserve” it. But what I’ve learned is that, deserving something means working for it and we have done that and been playing music together in one form or another for ten years now, and so if you work hard for something and you love it and believe in it, you deserve to be there just as much as anyone else. Past that, all you can do is take those moments and opportunities and make the best of them and try and push ahead and keep gaining momentum. Pretty soon, the imposter syndrome doesn’t go away, but it wanes as you find yourself in more and more situations you thought were unattainable or achieving goals you thought were far out there. Keep pushing and working through despite the imposter syndrome and you begin to understand that…you’re in the situation you are in, and have worked and wished for, so turn it up and do the job the best you can and be thankful and that’s all you can do.
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 first passion is and has always been music. My other passion is public service. When I’m not playing music I’m working in public service and community enrichment projects. I played a show years ago for a benefit for a local civil rights organization and it really showed me how I can marry the two passions and speak about things in society that need highlighting with our music and try and raise funds for community projects as well. Ever since I can remember I’ve been fascinated by guitars, since I was a kid before I could play and still to this day, it’s mesmerizing to me. I believe if you find something in your life that you can sit with for hours and work on and craft and get joy out of and communicate with others with, you should keep doing it. And so, simple as that, that is my path and I’ve accepted it for better or worse, money or no money, we speak about issues we feel are important from human relationships to social justice issues and we speak it through the language of music. Growing up in the Mississippi Delta and moving to Memphis a little later on, music has been paramount my whole life and so it is no surprise it’s my solace and passion. Mike Hewlett & The Racket is a rock n roll band that plays several times a month in Memphis and often travels the southeastern and midwestern region sharing our songs and stories and we wouldn’t want it any other way.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I would say that I was fortunate mostly to find something I really loved and gravitated towards when I was fairly young. Some folks find it playing sports, or in academics, or in something else and I played baseball and I enjoyed school but nothing ever felt as right as music. Nothing felt as empowering as having a guitar in my hands and that’s true still. Work ethic and the ability to sit and practice for hours each day when I was learning, and just allowing myself to be enraptured by this thing and being obsessed with it allowed me to get better at it. If you find something you love, stick with it and put in the time.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My family has been hugely supportive and when I was 4-5 years old my mom and I lived with my grandparents because she was a working single mother, and my grandfather bought himself an acoustic guitar and a VHS tape to learn from. He pulled the guitar out of the case in the living room one evening after coming home with it and it began my love of the instrument. He never quite took to it, but it set me on my path and I’m thankful for that. He eventually let me play that guitar for years learning early on and then my mom and grandparents bought me my own electric guitar out of a garage sale, and by putting those things in front of me and the instruments in my hands and telling me that I could do it, they shaped my whole life.
Contact Info:
- Website: MikeHewlett.bandcamp.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/mikehewlettandtheracket?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/MikeHewlettMusic/
- Other: Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/artist/2GfhqVeBqEnH3B98TcUtX3?si=yXMF3SaDSASL4_xxM5PEcw
Image Credits
Memphis Local And Ashley Benham Photography
