Daily Inspiration: Meet Lydia Samuel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lydia Samuel.

Hi Lydia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m a singer-songwriter from the East Coast. I moved to LA 4 years ago. My journey as an artist and in life has never felt linear – (well to be fair, I don’t think anyone’s is!). I was born and raised in New Jersey, and from the beginning I had this deep overwhelming love for music that was quite indefinable. I grew up singing in church, writing songs at home and posting covers on Youtube. But, you know, like a lot of kids, I followed the “traditional” path which was school, college, responsibilities. Music was still part of my daily life, something I loved deeply, but it still felt like only a dream at that time.

I was a STEM major in college and ended up in a corporate job during peak COVID, when everything was remote and life felt very closed in. But as they say, music really became a sort of escape. In 2020 I released my first song, kept posting covers, which opened the door for an opportunity to be in LA for a year-long songwriting stint with some incredible producers and writers. I fell in love with LA quickly because community was supportive, collaborative, and genuinely wanted to see you win.

That first year was intense – I was working an East Coast remote job from LA, so I’d wake up at 5 AM for work, all while being in sessions from morning until late night daily.

It was a heck of a year but it was also one of the most formative seasons of my life and I think I really was running on a high of creating music constantly.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think the biggest obstacle for me was after my first year in LA, I didn’t fully grasp how burnt out I felt and how much it affected my creativity of trying to nonstop work My creativity felt drained; I wasn’t inspired, I wasn’t writing, and my days started to look the same. And you can only create from a tiny box of experiences for so long before it dries up.

It almost felt like a wake-up call at that point. I really had to live life in order to make meaningful art. I needed to get outside, talk to people, be curious, breathe, sit in silence, and spend real time with God. Those were the things that filled my cup and gave me something real to sing about.

I think the biggest challenge was letting go of the pressure that artists have to be in the studio 24/7 and work nonstop to prove they “really want it”. For me, it didn’t work like that and still doesn’t. Creativity doesn’t come from an infinite grind but from living a real life. How can you write or sing if you haven’t experienced anything worth talking about?

Now I really encourage myself to enjoy life, to take my time – which helps me create from a place of honesty because I’ve actually lived the things I’m writing about. I think more people can relate to songs where a life lived is visible in the writing.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I just released my most recent single “Intrepid” which is about finding my voice after 3 years of musical silence and creative writer-blocks. I’m so proud of it because it was the first song in awhile that felt like me – from the writing and the organic sound.

This is a redefining song for me mentally. I’m just very excited to continue to dive into this world of deeper writing and experimenting with different sounds and pushing myself as a singer as well.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Well, the biggest lesson learned was creativity doesn’t come from trying to fit the world’s mold, or chasing someone else’s version of success. It comes from being true to yourself as cliche as that may sound; living fully, feeling deeply, and embracing your own path whatever that looks like. My journey as an artist isn’t going to look like anyone else’s, and I hope it doesn’t! I can’t be shamed for the way I move through life or pace at which I create, because we were each made with our own story, purpose and own ways of seeing the world and making art.

Pushing myself isn’t about proving anything to anyone. I’ve learned to really seek what stirs my heart, what stretches my imagination and curiosity. Creativity is so unpredictable at times, I see it more as a gift that is given when you have truly lived life and when you are willing to share that experience with the world. I’ve learned to value the joy in the process, even if that process includes a lot of waiting. The passionate love of music; performing, creating, and connecting with those who listen is what keeps me pushing and I treasure that deeply.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lydiaasamuel/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LYDIASAMUEL
• Other: email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Photographer: Luke Stage
Hair: Jaime Diaz
Stylist: Branden Ruiz