CREATOR SPOTLIGHT: Molly Moore
MOLLY MOORE
(She/Her)
Artist, Songwriter
Molly Moore is a NY-born & LA-based songstress whose music speaks to a 5G generation. With straight-shooting lyrics, soulful timbre, & a psychedelically spun style, Molly effortlessly transcends eras. Through her raw thoughts & genuine anthems, Molly has embraced the changes in her life. Molly has amassed over 50 million streams. Her music has been used as a guiding voice in campaigns with mega-brands such as; Zales, Meta, Visa, Tim Hortons, Toyota, Jack in the Box, Real Canadian Superstore. Moore is currently exploring a sonic shift back towards the alt rock sound that inspired her to make music from the start. First single "Jameson" was supported by Sirius XM, Vevo’s Incoming Alternative Playlist, Spotify’s All New Rock & Fierce Femmes playlists & publications like Notion, Office & Ladygunn. Supported by New in Alternative playlist on Apple, Vevo’s Incoming Alternative and DSCVR Alternative playlists, KROQ, Ted Stryker’s Out of Order show ALT 98.7, and many more.
1. Introduce yourself. Tell us who you are and what you do. Give us an overview of your career so far. (If possible, include some career highs and lows.) Give us a brief description of what daily life looks like for you.
I'm Molly, I am an artist, songwriter, hustler, and serial optimist. My daily life generally consists of working out, writing a song for myself or another project, eating great food, seeing my friends, and talking to my mom on the phone. Some of my most proud moments in my career happened pretty early on, I signed my first publishing deal when I was 23 and started releasing music that allowed me to support myself fully off of music at age 24. I played my first festival in 2021 that I booked myself through an instagram DM. Career lows include having to Uber drive for a summer when I wasn't making enough money to pay rent. I don't see any shame in working another job, and that experience motivated me to work harder and find creative ways to change my situation.
2. Tell us about your creative process. What works best for you? Have you experienced writer’s block, imposter syndrome, procrastination, perfectionism, self-doubt, or self-limiting beliefs? How did you overcome them?
My creative process can be extremely strategic or very free form depending on what I'm working on and how I'm feeling. Leaving that process a bit open and flexible can be helpful for me, and having tools to explore my creativity in different ways allows me to discover new ways of writing. I used to get writer's block a lot, but lately I only experience that when I'm burnt out, and I know that means I need to take a break. I absolutely have dealt with imposter syndrome, and I think that comes with the territory of being creative for a living and working towards larger goals. It can be difficult to appreciate the little wins when you see a bigger picture that you want to achieve, but I really try to be mindful of how far I've come. That being said, I definitely struggle with this often and work on accepting that it is a piece of living my dream. Procrastination and perfectionist go hand in hand, and I think when I let go of the idea that anything will be as it seems it allows me to just do and create with less pressure. Sometimes the most beautiful thing about something is that it isn't what you thought it would be. On that note, releasing the need for control over the outcome of my creative pursuits is a big way that I have overcome self-doubt. Usually when I'm fixated on the "destination", or where I "think I should be", that is when I feel the most limited by my mindset. Reminding myself why I started making music in the first place is usually my go-to for overcoming these feelings. It's also a delicate balance of finding ways to survive while still being passionate about what I'm doing on a daily basis. It's definitely a journey, but I try to never lose sight of how grateful I am to do what I love, and what I've dreamed of doing since I was a little kid. I know younger Molly would be so proud of who I've become and that gives me peace of mind and confidence to keep going.
3. If comfortable sharing, tell us how you’ve previously struggled with your mental health. (Have you experienced anxiety, depression, a learning disability, ADHD, bipolar disorder? Or have you experienced adversity with your gender, sexuality, race?) What other challenges have you faced as a creative?
I've definitely struggled with mental health throughout my life. I experienced anxiety and depression as a teenager, and again when my father passed away unexpectedly at 25. That was a huge turning point in my life, because I started repressing a lot of grief that in turn made me physically ill. It was only when my childhood friend found me a therapist that was really able to help me that I started to be able to work through the root of a lot of these issues. I think having a safe space to open up and really go deeper within yourself is so crucial to self development. I found myself able to address a lot of negative thought patterns, and rewire my brain to support myself through everything I'm going through. I still have to remind myself often to be kind myself, but I have a much easier time redirecting my perspective now that I've been taught more helpful ways of navigating those moments.
As a creative I've experienced so many challenges, especially being independent and the driving force for my career. I've had some amazing people in my journey that have believed in me, and in turn helped me to believe in myself, but the one consistent person in my career has always been me. It can be a blessing and a curse, truly, to be on your own in this industry. But I've become stronger, better educated, and honestly way more resilient just from having to figure things out. Being a woman in any industry is always going to come with a unique set of roadblocks, but I try not to look at it as a disadvantage. When I'm representing myself and negotiating contracts, I have to be mindful of being the "emotional artist", or the "aggressive woman", or whatever other perspective people can have towards female creatives. That's okay with me, because I know what I am capable of and what I bring to the table, and I think I've become a much better communicator as I've learned how to advocate for myself in a way that allows me to respect myself and others, and to succeed.
4. Tell us what you did (or continue to do) to cope with these challenges. Tell us some of the best strategies that have helped you overcome these struggles.
One of my favorite things I learned with my therapist is the "leaves on the stream" exercise. It's about detaching from your thoughts so that you aren't personifying every feeling or thought that you experience. You essentially picture the voices in your head as leaves on a stream, and allow them to pass by, choosing when you want to engage. It's very similar to meditating, and if you can integrate it into your daily practice of being, I've found it to be extremely helpful. It goes hand in hand with another one of my favorite things I've learned which is radical acceptance. There are some things that I cannot change in my life, and rather than fixating on the pain of that, I can choose to accept whatever that thing is, and that I can't change it. It genuinely has allowed me so much space for growth and to build a positive mindset around the things I do have control over. I think so much pain comes from getting stuck in a thought cycle around something we genuinely have no control over. Leaning into the unknown can be terrifying but also incredibly beautiful, and most importantly liberating. This goes for personal life, career, romance, family, really every aspect of life.
5. Are there any other art forms, hobbies, or interests you engage in to help restore your creative energy? What nurtures your soul? Any creative activities that recharge you?
I really like having new experiences, and trying new things. It might sound cliche, but finding a new perspective of the same thing is really nurturing to me. Whether that's going outside for a walk and exploring a new neighborhood, or going on an adventure and traveling to a foreign place. I love the excitement and adrenaline of feeling like a kid, like I'm seeing a piece of the world for the first time. I like comedy, drawing, cooking, live music, swimming, finding ways to make my space feel inspiring, and learning about random things like the ocean or space. The universe is so much bigger than what we can see, feel, touch, and anything that reminds me of that is something I am trying to integrate into my life regularly. There is so much beauty in nature and getting back in touch with that simplicity and complexity is something that genuinely makes my soul feel whole.
6. What do you do for your self-care? Share any specific strategies, habits, or techniques that you find effective in improving your mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual self-care.
Hot yoga and pilates have been incredible for my self care. I avoided working out regularly for the majority of my life and I've gotta say, everyone else was right. Movement really does make you feel better inside and out. I love taking baths, they help me calm my nervous system and give me peace. I really try to stay in tune with my (I hate this phrase but have to use it) "social battery". I love being around people and am very social by nature, but that can cause me to get drained really quickly without realizing it. So I try and check in with myself, and if I need to be alone for the night and not engage with anyone, I will give myself that. On the flip side, having meaningful one on one conversations and quality time with the people I love is extremely fulfilling for me. I also think finding healthy ways of self soothing has been a big help in my emotional and spiritual self-care. Tapping, meditation and breath work are some that I find really useful in stabilizing when I feel out of balance or triggered. Also, just allowing yourself to do nothing sometimes... and feeling no shame for that.
7. What’s one piece of self-care advice you would give to a person just starting out in a creative career?
Go easy on yourself. I think I had this idea that if I was hard on myself, it would make me better. Now, I'm not saying don't be realistic or honest with yourself, and it's a very delicate balance. But being mean to myself never got me anywhere, and when you're at the beginning of starting to climb a seemingly impossible mountain, that inner voice is crucial. There will be a million other people telling you that what you're pursuing is crazy difficult or delusional. But that's the thing, you need to be delusional to create something that hasn't existed before. There's a really beautiful dichotomy within that. Be kind to yourself, be supportive to yourself. You will face many, many rejections if you have any success in music. It's literally barrier to entry. So do whatever you can do to be your own cheerleader and tap into the thing that made you believe in yourself in the first place. Also, find your people! It took me years to find mine, but it is worth it. Align with people that genuinely want the best for you, and vice versus. Think of your friends when you have an opportunity that comes up, and find friends that think of you in the same scenario.
8. Anything else you would love your audience to know or to know about you?
How you perceive people on the internet, or from afar, is not reality. Everyone has battles, and everyone is on a different part of their journey. Don't be afraid to share something that might make people see you in a new light. Being a human being is about connection, creating any kind of art is about connection, and being vulnerable is so incredibly crucial to feeling like we are not alone on this planet. Love people regardless of what you get in return, because you will receive that back, even if just from the sole act of shifting your vibration higher.
9. Do you consider yourself an empath or highly sensitive person?
Absolutely. I am a 100% locally sourced, proud empath and highly sensitive person :)
Website: mollymooreofficial.com
Instagram: @mollymoore
