Psilo Sage shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Psilo, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
Whats Up! Thanks For Having Me Again. Something That I Am Most Proud Of Building That Nobody Sees, Would Have To Be The Development Of My Self. By That I Mean My Inner Spirit, My Integrity As An Artist, Or Even Just As A Human Being. That In Turn, Builds My Confidence, My Values, And All My Expressions As A Person. All Of My Artwork Is Really Just A Snapshot Of Some Part Of Me At The Time Of Creation, Whether It’s Some Emotion Or Feeling Usually Captured Via Sound Or Paint. At One Point In Life, I Struggled With “Agnosthesia” (The State Of Not Knowing How You Truly Feel About Something.) Creating Art Is A Powerful Way To See Into Your Self From The Outside, As Well As Over Long Periods Of Time. It Seems That My Catalogue Of Art Has Grown In Proportion To My Own Growth And Through Facing Various Life Challenges. I Still Believe That Art Is The Common Language Of Humans, And Not Just A Profession To Be Pursued In The Attempt Of Only Selling Some Product. I Recommend That Everyone Try Painting Or Recording A Song, Even If You’ve Convinced Yourself That You’re Not Artistic. You Don’t Have To Share It Publicly, But Just The Act Of Creation Itself Is Like A Personal Journal; And The Ability To See Into Yourself Is Priceless. Also The Act Of Finishing A Project Is Great For Mental Health.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Yes, Once Again I Am PsiloSage, An Independent Artist From California Who Combines Multiple Mediums Of Expression Into One Multifaceted Lifestyle. Since We Last Spoke, I Have Released Quite A Few New Music Videos As Well As My First Self-Produced Ambient / Spoken Word Album Titled “Beyul Wapijanga.” This Is The First Official Album I Have Ever Released And Every Instrumental On This Album Was Completely Improvised In Real Time And Not Written Ahead Of Time. Every Lyric Spoken On Is A Freestyle And Every Sample Whether Of Nature Or The People of Cityscapes, Was Recorded Via
I-Phone Voice Memo Before Being Compiled And Orchestrated Into One Cohesive Audio Story. No Matter What Environment I Find Myself In, I Will Always Make Art A Priority. And Whatever Limited Tools I May Have I’ll StillFind A Way To Create. This Album Is Available On My Website In CD Form Right Now For Those That Want To Support. My First Mixtapes Were Recorded On I-Phone Voice Memo In My Car In 2013, And I Never Really Stopped. Some New Mediums I Have Been Trying Out This Year Include Ceramics And Digital Collage, I Have Also Been Working On Some New Oil Paintings.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My Earliest Memory Of Feeling Powerful Was Probably Performing As A Magician At Around 9-10 Years Old At Family Parties Full Of Adults Drinking And Yelling To Their Friends That “This Kid Sold His Soul To The Devil” Haha! I Studied Not Only Magic As A Kid, But Also Mentalism And I Got Pretty Good At Predicting What Number Or Card People Were Picturing In Their Mind’s Eye. I Was Also Known As The Kid Who Could Bend Spoons With My Mind, And Was Often Asked To Do So At Restaurants By My Cousins. (Sorry To All The Restaurants Left With Hidden Bent Spoons All Over The Table, Under Napkins Or In The Fries Bowl… Maybe That’s Why They Started Using Stainless Steel Spoons Many Places Haha! I Was Also Known For Money Magic & Card Tricks Like Moving The Treasury Seal On A Dollar Bill, And Throwing Cards Through Glass Windows. I Appreciate Everyone Who Gave Me The Attention Back Then As My Audience, Maybe We Need To Bring It Back One Day With Some Rare “PsiloStreetMagic”
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I Think That This Is A Lifelong Process That I Am Still Learning How To Do More And More Each Day. One Thing Art Has Taught Me Is To Be More Open, Especially About The Topics Or Ideas That You Tend To Want To Hide The Most. Everything That Makes You Think That You Are The Only Person On Earth Going Through It Are The Very Same Experiences That End Up Having The Most Relatability Somehow. Don’t Be Afraid To Speak Up & Speak Your Mind! It Not Only Helps Others Currently In The Same Situation, But It Helps All Future People Who May Be Going Through Something Similar In The Future. If You Don’t Share When The Pain Is Most Clear, You May Forget Exactly What It’s Like To Experience That. And Therefore May Not Be Able To Help In The Same Way That You Would Have When You Were Actually Feeling It. Be Yourself Freely, And Use Your Wounds To Help You Relate To Others Struggles.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
Great Question! We Definitely Live In A Time Where Art Moves Swiftly, The Genres, The Fashion, The Culture, Completely Shifts So Often That It Can Be Easy To Get Swept Away In It All; And Can Easily Be Left Constantly Chasing The Latest Wave That Really Has Already Passed. Being So Focused On That Passed Wave, You May End Up Missing The Next One As Well. This Can Become A Rough Cycle If You Aren’t Careful. How Does One Balance This? I Would Say The Best Bet Is To Just Follow Your Own Unique Passions. All The Styles & Aesthetics That Draw You In Tend To Have A Natural Pull Toward Your Own Inner Style. Every Trend Comes Back Around Eventually, In Some New Way As The Generational Lens Shifts; So If You Stay Creating What You Love You Will Be Stocked Up & Ready To Go When The Next Similar Wave Comes Back Around. Don’t Be Afraid To Focus On A Style That Has Gone Out Of Being “Cool” & Don’t Be Afraid To Try Out What Is Considered Popular As Well If You Do Genuinely Enjoy It. Not All Art Needs To Be Released Right Away, If Everyone Is Riding On The Same Wave At The Same Time It’s Easy To Be Overlooked Doing It. Maybe Save That Art, That Energy, In The Vault As A Sort Of Time Capsule. Then Bring It Back When Nobody Has That Swag Anymore! As Life Changes, So Does The Natural Energy And It’s Very Difficult To Tap Into A Past Energy Once That Cultural Pulse is Lost Or Shifts. Shout Out The Youth Bringing In Whole New Energy To The Music!
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Yes, I Feel As Though This Is One Of The Most Important Habits To Develop; Intrinsic Verses Extrinsic Motivation. Do You Advance Your Self For The Sake Of Advancement Itself? Or Do You Move Simply For The Motivation Of The Outside Praise That Tends To Accompany It? If The Boss Isn’t Watching, Do You Still Carry Out Every Step Of The Job With Integrity? This Is Why Being Your Own Boss Is So Important, Or At Least It’s A Spiritual Practice That Enforces An Inner Honor System. This Inner System Tends To Make You Want To Build Your Life With Integrity. When It Comes To Creating Art, Nobody Will Ever See The Hours Of Research That Goes Into Every Project, The Years Of Experiences It Takes To Develop The Unique Perspective That Informs The Artist, As Well As Being A Creator Who Is Focused On Building Worlds While Also Developing A Vast Catalogue Of Projects Over Time; Most People Will Never Take The Time To See The OverArching Story Of It All & That’s Okay. Looking Back On My Art From 2013 Onward, Every Piece Is Unique And Can Never Be Recreated. Nobody Can Time Travel Back To That Year And Hone In On The Energy + Experiences It Took To Make Those Audio Paintings. Once The History Is Written, It’s There Forever. That’s Why It’s Important To Keep Creating. Keep Putting Everything Into The Present Moment. Keep Making History Every Day & Continue To Live Life to It’s Fullest. The Praises Should Come From Within Before Anywhere Else. I Love Y’all So Much!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://psilostreetwear.bigcartel.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psilosage/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BasedLazerynth
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PsiloStranger/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PsiloSage
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@psilosage
Image Credits
Riley Lane, Jake John
