Stop me if you’ve heard this before:
“You have to do the work.”
The message comes back over and over and over, from screenwriters and bloggers and actors and musicians and writers. It comes to us again from Lynne Hanson – singer/songwriter, poet, and the latest podcast guest to remind us that work is the key.
I knew about Lynne before I did this episode. We’re both in the music world and I’ve played with people who have played with her. I’ve heard some of her “porch music with a little red dirt” and liked it. I also knew her reputation as a funny and engaging live performer.
Now seemed like a good time to talk to her. She’s about to release her new album, Just Words, which will be accompanied by a book of poems. What I love about this interview is that she talked about the hard graft of writing the record. The difference I’ve found between pros and amateurs in all disciplines is their commitment to doing the work. As Lynne says in our conversation, she locked herself away for six weeks to write this record, muse or no muse.
We’ve talked about this so many times on the show. It’s the Steven Pressfield War of Art thing again.
Do the work, do the work, do the work.
Doing the work has helped Lynne produce six full-length solo albums, plus the infamous “murder ballads" EP 7 Deadly Spins and a record with The LYNNeS called Heartbreak Song For the Radio. She has also toured extensively in Canada and Europe. She is carving out a living as a full-time artist.
Lynne also talked a lot about credibility as an artist. You have to create from a pure place, which is where the separation between art and business comes into play. It was interesting to hear her talk about being open to new ideas – to stepping out of her genre comfort zone should the opportunity arise – but not in a calculated kind of way. She has a genuine reverence for art and the creative process that I find instructive and inspiring.
So I want to thank Lynne (and our mutual friend Alexandra Liebert) again for her appearance on my show. It was a terrific conversation about what’s possible when you follow your own path with sincerity, courage, and commitment.
Enjoy!
Follow Lynne at:
Here's her new single, Just Words: