Meet Claire George: Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Claire George and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Claire, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
When it comes to knowing whether to keep going or give up the answer is simple, though we may complicate it endlessly: trust your instincts. This sounds easy, but the issue is the trust part. There is almost always an instinct, an inner voice that knows our true path, though often times we ignore or distort it by prioritizing other people’s expectations and judgments. It is those external opinions that get in the way of our ability to listen to and trust our instincts. That isn’t to say that other people’s opinions are invalid, it’s just important to hear out your inner voice first and work from there.

When it comes to making art and music, for me, there is no “giving up.” To “give up” making music would be a denial of my very being, so there is no question there for me to consider. In fact, I almost find it insulting when someone tells me to “keep going, don’t give up,” though I know they mean no harm, because it indicates that they think I am not yet where I want to be. If I get to make art that feels like an expression of myself, then I am right where I want to be.

It has never been a question to me whether I would ever stop being an artist, but I do find it concerning that there is a glorification of the starving artist narrative. There is this belief in the binary that you are either a full time artist or not at all, and I think this is a very toxic and unrealistic. Just because you have balance in your life and multiple income streams does not mean you have given up or have any less value as an artist, and if you are a full time artist then that’s great too! The most important thing to me is clearing out space to really listen to your inner world and what works for you and to excavate the reasons why something does or doesn’t feel right to you.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I write and produce music under my own name. Most of my songs are about the relationships in my life that mean the most to me, and are a reflect the most important experiences of my life. I am proud to be able to express myself emotionally and to create a little time capsule of different phases in my life. To me, there is no greater joy than connecting with fans with whom my stories resonate. I am so grateful that people around the world have listened to my songs and felt something. That is always my ultimate goal: to help people feel. Music is so powerful in that way., and while it is not an easy experience to explore my deepest emotions and revisit the difficult parts of my journey, it is worth it to me to share these stories and hopefully help people feel less alone in their own struggles.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Assuming no pandemic…

Sunday: Rose Bowl flea market followed by bike ride along the LA river.

Monday: Morning round of tennis at the courts in Griffith Park followed by a hike up to the observatory. Afterwards we’d grab lunch at All Time and hit Skylight Books and hopefully get some fun vintage items at Squaresville.

Tuesday: Beach day. Chicken sandwiches from The Win=Dow. A long beach run to Marina Del Rey pier from Santa Monica followed by a dinner at Gjusta.

Wednesday: Lassens for picnic supplies, then hang in Elysium Park all day! Catch a show at Junior High in Glendale.

Thursday: Brunch at Botanica followed by a walk around Silverlake Reservoir. Dinner at Sogo Roll Bar.

Friday: Breakfast tacos at HomeState followed by a day at Huntington Gardens. Friday night drinks at El Condor and El Cid.

Saturday: Visit to LACMA – perhaps during one of their live outdoor music evenings – followed by dinner at Pizzeria Mozza. Hollywood Forever Cemetery Movie Night!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My friend Kelly Taylor really pushed me to follow the path of my inner child.

Website: https://www.claire-george.com/

Instagram: @clairegeorgeofficial

Twitter: @clairegeorge

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clairegeorgeofficial

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ClaireGeorge

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@clairegeorgeofficial?

Image Credits
Photos with pink hair: Kailah Armand @kkanvas Photo with cape and red pants: Eric Thornburg @NO.LENS.CAP All other photos: Kristina Bakrevski @kristinabakrevski