Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Lane.
Natalie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am originally from a town called Bakersfield also known as the hottest place on earth, though Los Angeles has always felt more like home for me. I moved out here originally to pursue a singing career and let me just say it was far from an easy transition. I have lived a lot of life in a short period of time. I was a child actress, and then I left my agency and stopped working in the industry entirely. I wasn’t happy anymore, and I felt like I was missing out on regular life. After high school, I moved out and moved into an RV in San Luis Obispo and pursued an internship at a church that ended terribly. Then, I went back to the drawing board and went to bible college in Spokane Washington to pursue a degree in counseling. Long story short my school shutdown and I came to La and pursued what I truly loved and what was me from the very beginning, MUSIC. I’ve worked every odd job you could think of and I have the most crazy stories from meeting Dr. Dre in the studio, to only working as a swim coach for a week and then quitting. I never ended up finishing college because I love being a student of life, and so far it has taken me on a wild ride. Currently, I am songwriting and creating music just for fun. Eventually, I’m planning on releasing an EP, though I am enjoying the process and I am in no rush. As of now, I’ve been working on a podcast show series, which has been my main priority and has been the reason for keeping out of depression. I am excited to be a mental health advocate and I hope that with this dream, I can create a community of authentic, genuineness so that the music industry doesn’t seem so overwhelming. I truly believe we are better with the community than walking a journey alone.
Great, 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?
As I’ve embarked on this journey it’s been quite the adventure, a lot of trial and error. If I had had to give any advice to anyone who wants to create or pursue a strong passion or dream, I would say just write down what exactly your passionate about and what you want to see happen, so you can reflect back and be sure your staying true to the original concept that got you excited in the first place. Because life and unforeseen circumstances will absolutely bring doubt. But I truly believe if you know why something has been planted in your heart, then that dream can never die. And if all things don’t go accordingly, then pivot! Keep going back to the drawing board and don’t be afraid to bring something new to the table.
Please tell us about Encourage The Artist.
Being out here in LA was a struggle, financially and even in the friend department, trying to find a solid community that I felt loved and valued in was difficult, especially in the music industry. One day, as I was driving to my old restaurant job at the time, I remember thinking to myself “I know I can’t be the only one out there feeling defeated as a creative.” And as I wiped my tears before my shift, I realized I needed to do something. I wanted to see encouragement from other established artists who have maybe been in my shoes at one point. That’s when Encourage The Artist became a thing. I started taking time to refine the idea and then eventually it turned into a podcast show. It’s a show where I invite other creatives to come on to the platform and talk about their experience in the industry, from the good, the bad and the weird. But most importantly, not being afraid to be vulnerable and talk about mental health and the uphill battles we face internally as creatives. We have seen so much as a society of how prevalent depression, anxiety, and suicide is nowadays. I wanted to form a community of encouragement and hope for the big dreamers out there. I have been inviting amazing talented artists onto the platform and it’s been an amazing experience as a host to hear a variety of different journeys. The first episode of the podcast will be released on December 1st of this year. My hope for Encourage The Artist is that it would form a sense of community for creatives no matter the size of your platform. There’s so much I have been planning and I am beyond excited to have a solid team (Derek Rasco, Sara Jackson, Stephen Dietrich) behind me supporting the day to day operations of what we are trying to achieve. What set’s us apart from others is actually talking about the real s**t and not being afraid to open conversation and actually creating a community where we can relate, and process altogether.
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that a lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
As a woman, it is probably the most difficult thing to do, which is finding a woman mentor (in the music biz) Although I never let that become a roadblock for me. I learned from anybody that would let me and picked up books to further my growth and knowledge. As for networking in music I absolutely hate it. I will not network. I am a huge believer that no person can close the doors on where you need to be in life. God gave me a dream, a set of skills, and talents, and I don’t need to try to find people who could get me farther along in my career. I think that’s why there’s no real community because everyone is operating out of alternative motives and transactional friendships, instead of genuinely liking you for YOU and not your portfolio or who you know. If you go into a room with the mentality of how can I serve or encourage someone, it’s amazing the relationships that you can create. Instead of going into a room and thinking “whose worth my time, or who have they worked with because then that might help me get one step higher on the ladder.” So, what has worked well and still works for me is being myself and actually caring about every individual that I meet. I never ask what they do, or who they know. I get to know their heart and let our friendship blossom organically.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: encouragetheartist
Image Credit:
Stephen Dietrich, Derek Rasco
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