To forge a path "HER way" in the creative realm signifies a profound departure from societal pressures and an embrace of hyper-personal expression. In observance of International Women’s Day, this article delves into the unique rituals and invaluable advice offered by some of the most compelling female voices emerging from the Nordic music scene. Their insights, shared through reflections on their creative processes, sources of inspiration, and guidance for aspiring artists, offer a powerful testament to the enduring strength of consistency and the profound beauty found in imperfection. This exploration extends beyond the realm of musicians, providing resonant lessons for anyone navigating the landscape of creative endeavor, from bedroom producers to dedicated listeners.
The impetus behind this feature stems from a growing recognition of the significant contributions of women to the global music industry, particularly within the vibrant and innovative Nordic cultural landscape. International Women’s Day, observed annually on March 8th, serves as a critical juncture to highlight these achievements and amplify the voices that are often underrepresented. The Nordic region, renowned for its progressive social policies and strong emphasis on gender equality, has consistently fostered an environment where artistic talent can flourish, irrespective of gender. This year’s focus on "HER way" underscores a movement towards recognizing and celebrating individual authenticity over conformity, a sentiment particularly relevant in an era where digital platforms can both democratize and homogenize artistic output. The artists featured represent a diverse spectrum of genres and approaches, united by their commitment to an honest and individualistic creative ethos. Their collective wisdom provides a comprehensive blueprint for navigating the complexities of the modern music industry, emphasizing self-belief, resilience, and the cultivation of a unique artistic identity.
Inspiring the Next Generation: Words of Wisdom from Nordic Artists
The journey of an emerging artist is often fraught with self-doubt and external pressures to conform to established norms. The Nordic artists interviewed for this feature offer a beacon of encouragement, emphasizing the importance of inner conviction and sustained effort.
Charlotte Dos Santos, a Norwegian-born, São Paulo-raised artist, encapsulates this sentiment with a simple yet profound directive: "Stay curious, spend time on your craft and be your biggest fan. Remember your why and look inwards." Her advice highlights the foundational elements of artistic growth: continuous learning, dedicated practice, and unwavering self-belief. The act of "remembering your why" speaks to the intrinsic motivation that fuels artistic passion, urging artists to connect with the core reasons behind their creative pursuits, especially during challenging times.
Contributing to this discourse, the artist known as garbagepink advocates for embracing sonic distinctiveness. "Don’t be afraid to make music that sounds different. Don’t necessarily make music that you think people might like. Make the music you like. Trust your gut," she advises. This bold assertion challenges the commercial pressures that can often steer artists towards creating palatable, rather than authentic, work. It underscores the power of intuition and the long-term rewards of staying true to one’s artistic vision, even if it deviates from popular trends.
Mags, an artist committed to living and creating authentically, offers a broader perspective on impact. "I would like to inspire other artist to live and create in an environment and way that feels authentic and expansive to them. I believe that one of the most powerful ways to make an impact is to remain authentic to oneself in how we create, love and live. I live and create with that in mind and hope to inspire other artists to do the same," she states. Her philosophy champions the idea that genuine self-expression, extended across all facets of life, is the most potent form of artistic influence. This holistic approach suggests that authenticity in creation is inextricably linked to authenticity in living.
The Finnish rock band Cyan Kicks, represented by their insightful perspective, tackles the pervasive fear of not being "ready." They assert, "I think the biggest thing is not waiting until you feel ready, because most artists never do. You just start and grow into it. Courage is way more important than perfection, and imperfection is much more interesting than perfection. The thing you might think makes you weird or different is usually the thing that makes you interesting as an artist. Talent is great, but consistency is what really builds a career. And through all of that, try to protect the part of you that genuinely loves music, because that’s the thing that will keep you going when everything else gets hard." This powerful message reframes readiness not as a prerequisite but as a consequence of action. It champions courage over flawlessness, highlighting that perceived imperfections are often the wellspring of unique artistic identity. Furthermore, their emphasis on consistency as the bedrock of a sustainable career and the vital importance of safeguarding one’s intrinsic love for music provides a pragmatic yet deeply resonant framework for aspiring musicians.
The Wellsprings of Creativity: Diverse Sources of Inspiration
The creative process is intrinsically linked to the artist’s environment, experiences, and internal world. The Nordic artists featured draw inspiration from a rich tapestry of sources, illustrating the multifaceted nature of artistic genesis.
Charlotte Dos Santos finds resonance in the everyday and the historical. "I draw inspiration from daily life, experiences, dreams, and books. I love history and I love learning about our ancestors and people who came before us," she reveals. This inclination towards the tangible and the historical suggests a desire to connect with broader human narratives, grounding her personal experiences within a larger context. The study of history, in particular, can offer a wealth of thematic material and a deeper understanding of recurring human patterns.
garbagepink’s approach is distinctly sensory and synesthetic. "I love experiencing music together with visuals. In the studio I sometimes play my track over a muted music video on YouTube to see how it comes alive with the footage," she shares. This innovative method highlights the powerful synergy between auditory and visual arts, suggesting that music can be enhanced and informed by its potential to evoke imagery. This practice demonstrates an understanding of how music functions not just as sound but as an experience that can be amplified through other media.
Mags articulates a profound commitment to radical honesty, drawing from her personal narrative. "When it comes to my songwriting I usually draw the most inspiration from my own lived experiences. The good, the ugly and the bad. Usually trying to capture the universal by being hyper personal and radically honest. Hoping that it makes someone feel less alone in their experience and/or feelings," she explains. Her aim to find the universal within the hyper-personal speaks to the core of empathetic artistic creation. By bravely sharing her own vulnerabilities, she seeks to foster connection and alleviate isolation for her listeners, demonstrating the therapeutic power of art.
Cyan Kicks delves into the internal landscape, extracting inspiration from emotional intensity. "I draw inspiration from my own mental landscape, I take stories for my songs from what’s shouting the loudest inside me at the moment. It’s usually something heavy or intense, my songs rarely come from happy places. That said, even difficult emotions or experiences can be approached in a positive way and I often try to do that too. When I turn frustration or pain into a song and listen to the first version on repeat it actually helps heal the wound the song originally came from. I hope it can do the same for others too," they describe. This introspective process reveals a remarkable capacity for transforming personal struggles into cathartic and healing art. Their approach underscores the notion that confronting difficult emotions through creative expression can be a powerful tool for personal growth and can resonate deeply with others facing similar challenges.
The Creative Process: From Spontaneous Ideas to Meticulous Crafting
The methodologies employed by these artists reveal a dynamic interplay between intuitive impulses and disciplined execution. Their creative processes are as varied as their musical outputs, showcasing a spectrum of approaches to bringing ideas to fruition.
Charlotte Dos Santos views creativity as a continuous, almost subconscious, daily activity. "I think my creative process is every day – I think its like this for most humans really, we’re always thinking and downloading information in the back of our minds, subconsciously. And having designated days in the studio is important too, to get the music down," she explains. This perspective suggests that creativity is not confined to specific times or places but is an ongoing state of being, augmented by dedicated periods of focused work in the studio.
garbagepink’s process is characterized by speed and immediacy, influenced by her art school background. "I usually get my ideas in everyday life, writing down notes or recording voice memos when something comes to me. In the studio I work very quickly with the production. When I went to art school we did croquis, drawing fast sketches without overworking them. I approach music in a similar way. I try to capture the foundation of a song quickly before thinking too much, then build from there with vocals and layers of guitars," she elaborates. This "croquis" method, akin to rapid sketching, emphasizes capturing the essence of an idea before it dissipates, allowing for refinement and expansion in subsequent stages.
Mags has undergone a significant evolution in her creative approach, moving towards a more expansive and collaborative model. "I have seen a shift in my creative process in the past year. I have always written autobiographically with myself and (unusually) one other subject being the main characters. Recently I have had an urge to broaden and challenge that way of writing. As a part of that journey I have been dipping my toes into other forms of art through my creative studio CPC studio (cross pollination creatives). The idea of tapping into multiple creative mediums at once to create the most fulfilling creative experience is really driving my creative process at the moment. A recent example of that is my latest headliner concert at Vega, where I hired an actress, a light artist and one musician to be on stage with me instead of a full band. It was a concert, a light installation and a theater performance all at once. I love the different ways artistic mediums can cross pollinate one another and I cannot wait to see how that will play out through my next project," she shares. Her innovative approach to cross-pollination of artistic disciplines signifies a forward-thinking artistic vision, pushing the boundaries of traditional performance and creation.
Cyan Kicks details a collaborative and iterative process, highlighting the importance of environment and openness. "We write songs both as a band and with external songwriters. It usually starts with a conversation about what we want to write about and what kind of vibe we’re going for. Most of the time we keep it really simple in the beginning, just an acoustic guitar or piano to find the direction instead of spending time building a full production right away. The nice thing about that approach is that the song doesn’t get locked into any specific style too early, so we can take it in any direction later on. For some reason, recording vocals for a new song for the first time is always really intense and emotionally draining for me. I also need a lot of peace and focus during the writing process – if it gets too loud or chaotic, I kind of shut down. We’ve had a couple of co-write sessions where people were bouncing off the walls and those sessions just left me frustrated and didn’t really lead to anything good. We’ve done a lot of writing on trips abroad, and then we finish everything at our own studio in Helsinki. Co-writing has actually developed me a lot as a songwriter. It used to make me really nervous but now it feels much more natural," they explain. Their preference for focused, calm environments and the development of co-writing skills underscores the importance of adapting one’s process to suit individual needs and foster productive collaboration. The emphasis on starting with stripped-down arrangements allows for greater stylistic flexibility and ensures the song’s core message remains intact.
The Enduring Power of Authenticity and Imperfection
The collective insights from these Nordic artists underscore a powerful message for creatives worldwide: the journey is as significant as the destination, and authenticity, even in its imperfect form, is the most potent currency. The act of creating "HER way" is not merely a stylistic choice but a philosophical stance—one that values introspection, courage, and the unwavering pursuit of a personal artistic truth. As these artists continue to evolve and innovate, their dedication to these principles serves as an enduring inspiration, reminding us that the most compelling creations often emerge from the courage to be uniquely oneself, embracing the beautiful imperfections that define our individual journeys. The lessons gleaned from their experiences offer a timeless guide for anyone seeking to navigate the creative landscape with integrity and passion, proving that the most impactful art is often the art that is most truthfully rendered.
