Meet Daniel Scherl | Writer, Photographer, Musician, Podcast Host

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

Hi Daniel, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Since I can remember, I’ve just loved to create things and be inspired by other people’s creativity. Whether it’s writing, music, photography, or many other artistic hobbies, I don’t remember a time when I haven’t felt driven to create. It really fulfills me in a way that nothing else does.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My main career focus is two-fold. First, I’m the host of the “Memories of a Moonbird” podcast (which is accompanied by a website of the same name). Second, through my production company (Scherl Creative), I’m a writer, world traveler, professional photographer, and musician.

The short version of my story is that I moved to Los Angeles a little over 20 years ago to score music for film and television. That hasn’t happened as of yet, but… along the way, I’ve done a ton of other wonderfully creative things! I worked as a music producer for several years, had a job with EMI Music in their technology division, had a few nice successes as an actor and voiceover artist, and as a professional photographer, have traveled all around the world and worked with amazing people.

After losing my father in 2018, and thanks to my girlfriend’s suggestion, I decided to unite most of my passions under one roof called “Memories of a Moonbird.” The original intention was to teach people how to travel better and share stories from my many adventures around the globe, but it quickly evolved into a human interest show where, as the tag line says, we “explore life… one story at a time.”

Today, we interview interesting and inspiring people from all around the world. From actors to activists and scientists to scholars, we talk about their hopes, their struggles, what they’ve learned from their life’s journey, and what they think it means to be human.

I’m very proud of what Moonbird has become and the message of the show. It’s entertainment, yes, but at its core, it’s about positivity and hope for the future. And the podcast is now in the top 10%, which is amazing!

I do think it’s important to say, that the road to getting here has not only been challenging, but a few times it was so difficult that I thought about packing it all in and giving up, and I think it’s so important for other people to hear that.  Artists get a lot of flack for living outside the bell curve of society, and I understand why, but it’s not easy to do what we do. For most artists, you have to sacrifice a fair amount to follow your dreams, and I think sticking with it takes a combination of determination, wit, stubbornness, courage and a teensy amount of insanity. If you’re lucky, you get to add a great support system into that. When it works out, it’s the most amazing life you could ever imagine. When it doesn’t, it’s incredibly painful and you only get through those times by having all those things I just mentioned, as well as the wherewithal to pull yourself up by your proverbial bootstraps and get back to it.

To me, it’s a balance of being focused on the goal and knowing that “life” is actually what you experience along the way. If you don’t make time for that, you’ll miss the point altogether.

I’ll be fifty this year, and the things I’ve learned that have stuck with me the most are that kindness is of paramount importance, that faith in yourself is of paramount importance, and that life really is too short. I thought my Dad would be here to see my success and he died unexpectedly. My parents are / were my best friends, and the loss was devastating. Thankfully, I still have my mom and she’s one of my favorite human beings. We talk every few days and she’s the biggest supporter I have. I guess that’s another thing I learned. You can win all the awards and accolades, but nothing feels better than hearing your parent and loved ones say, “I’m so proud of you.”

Beyond that, I think the most powerful thing I’ve learned is that I’m not immune from making mistakes. There was a time in my past where I thought I wouldn’t ever make any big mistakes or hurt anyone’s feelings, etc., etc. and then I messed up a bunch of stuff, lost some friends over some of it, etc. It was a very humbling set of experiences. Shortly thereafter, a very dear friend sent me a quote by John Steinbeck, and it said: “And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.”

It really resonates with me to this day because it’s 100% true. As human beings, let alone artists, if we want to be happy, successful, etc., we have to let go of the idea of perfection so that we can make room for who we really are and prosper. I hope that the idea of that, and the message of hope, forgiveness, and love, comes across in all of my creative endeavors today and going forward.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I don’t think you could fit all of this in during one week, but you could try! Things about L.A. that are great are: The Getty Center, Mt. Wilson, Descanso Gardens, a sunset walk on El Matador Beach, a night at the Edison, a boat cruise with “California Dream Tours,” lunch at Burritos El Chavo, dinner at Granville or The Great Greek, and Venice Beach for a fun afternoon.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to give my shoutout to my parents and my girlfriend Jolene. My parents introduced me to the arts, encouraged me, and nurtured my artistic passions with the kind of love and support you hope all kids get. My girlfriend has been there for fifteen years, providing an honest critique, pushing me to be the best I can be, and not afraid to let me know when things don’t work, which is what you really need in an artistic colleague. Without them, I don’t think my creativity would have flourished how it has.

Website: https://www.memoriesofamoonbird.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/memoriesofamoonbird/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/memoriesofamoonbird/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/moonbirdpodcast

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbmgZoxjSTt_feSfuvK9ChA

Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/memoriesofamoonbird/