Beyond Fame: Authenticity, Creativity & Finding Wholeness with Ezra Vancil

I really get that.

And obviously you talk about being a sustainable artist and continue to make meaningful work without industry validation.

What does sustainability actually mean to you as an artist and how you can, you know, stay in the industry and also pay your bills?

Yes.

Well, you know, a big part of it is it's a very holistic look at your life, you know, because at some point Like in my 20s and 30s, I could sleep on someone's couch and, you know, but I've got a family now.

And also I want to live a good life.

I want to feel good.

And so sustainability to me in music is that my whole life is being accounted for, that I'm living a good life.

And also it's not completely looking for music to always pay all the bills because then I have to sacrifice what I want to do with music.

It makes me make music I don't want to make.

And so I bring in, I try to bring in my creativity into other places that I make a living.

And I've always been able to find places where I can make a living there.

And then when music is doing well, then great,

you

know, but I, yeah, but I'm not going to force my music to make my living for me.

And I tried that and I've done it a few times in my life.

And I feel like the music suffered to make it do that for me.

I really get that.

And you also talk about, you know, creative blocks and spirituality.

How important has that been for you in your career and obviously sustaining that longevity?

Oh, so it's so important to me.

And that's part of that kind of holistic view is my, I have to be okay in my skin.

Yeah.

You know, the older I get, I really don't want to live a life of suffering and being unhappy all the time.

So that's where spirituality comes in is I have to know that I'm a part of something much bigger.