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An Inspired Chat with Zack King of Torrance

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Zack King shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Zack, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me starts with waking up and taking my dog Ramona for a walk… Or does she walk me? Probably a little bit of both. Having a dog is great for all the usual reasons, but it’s also great because it forces me to take breaks, get outside, and move a little. If it’s during the week, I’ll head to work, come home, make dinner, work on a little bit of music, and relax. If it’s the weekend, I’ll either pick up my guitar, start writing lyrics, or work on content or a component on my music business. Occasionally, I’ll take a break from life and go on an adventure or lay in bed binging a new favorite tv show.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi guys, my name is Zack King. I’m a singer-songwriter, content creator, mental health advocate, marketer, dog dad, and Pokémon enthusiast (that last part is only partly a joke). I’ve struggled with mental health my whole life, dealing with crippling anxiety, depression, suicide ideations and anything else in between I’ve probably repressed. I used to treat it like a scarlet letter, but now I treat it as a badge of honor. Being human isn’t easy, and that’s okay. I slowly (and painfully) learned that my life’s purpose is not only music, but to be a shining light for others who are struggling with mental health as well. Throughout my life, I’ve dealt with so much, and have learned how to live with it, it only makes sense to help others through these tough experiences we call life. My brand is about being yourself, wearing your heart on your sleeve, and accepting yourself and others for who they are. Through my music, I talk about these experiences, relationships, not wanting to live anymore (and figuring out we have so much to live for), and looking forward to the days where everything will be alright.

Currently, I just released my first pop-punk album, “Songs I Wrote Instead of Texting You.” This album is about all of the above. It’s a labor of love that I created over the last four years discovering who I am, and what I learned along the way. My goal as an artist is to not only make great music, it’s to be an advocate for learning it’s okay to NOT be okay, and build community with people who are not only a fan of music, but want to join a community of others who feel the same way. If that’s you, feel free to join our private mental health and music community, The Rebellion.

Join here: https://discord.com/invite/X22cbekf

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of me that served its purpose and now needs to be shared with the world, is my story, and what I learned from it. I learned so much throughout my mental health journey and how to cope, it would be a disservice to not share what I’ve learned along the way with others. That’s why I’m searching for others who are struggling, so I can relate and share not only my story, but ways to navigate mental health and this world.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Pshhh yeah! Almost everyday! I’ve wanted to give up so many times. The thing with music is, it’s keep on calling you back. It’s a brutal, yet rewarding calling. Don’t get me wrong, being an artist is extremely fulfilling and gives me a purpose, but it’s also an unforgiving mistress. It keeps on pulling me in with it’s flirtatious, sexy, aura, and once it get’s ahold of me, it will chew me up and spit me right back out. That’s the beauty in it. Who said chasing your dream and purpose is going to be easy? It’s something to fight for. Something to continually work at and strive to get better at.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
100%. Without authenticity, honesty, and being yourself, you’re just like the joe schmo next to you. Like everyone says (and way too many people used as an Instagram caption back in 2015), “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” I bet Oscar Wilde didn’t expect to write a basic girls most used instagram caption did he?

It’s so important to be yourself. Not to only be unique in everyone else’s eyes, but for yourself as well.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What are you doing today that won’t pay off for 7–10 years?
Overthinking, being too hard on myself, self loathing, blaming myself, wishing I had someone else’s success.

Our minds love to think of ways to torture ourselves and pretend that our lives aren’t already great as they are. That’s why It’s important to practice self love and gratitude. Let’s all take a deep breath, look at how far we’ve come, and count our blessings. The more we do this, the more that little voice in your head stops talking, and the more time we’ll have to work towards our goals and purpose (and happiness).

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Image Credits
Bryan Greenburg
Cameron Baldon
Lauren Carsley
Peter Pawluk

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