Meet Elysse Moore | Creative Entrepreneur

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

Hi Elysse, why did you pursue a creative career?
Growing up, I spent my formative years doing what I felt would make my parents proud: playing sports. It kept me feeling accepted, and safe, but it wasn’t my heart’s calling. I loved to sing, dance, & write. I loved taking pictures, creating with my bare hands. So much of my desires we’re artistic in nature, but it was hard to connect fully with those desires because I was taught that to do what you love rather than what you had to would lead me to no money, no job security and is ultimately selfish.
By the time I graduated high school I’d made the split decision to turn down two basketball scholarships because something in my spirit whispered to me that there was more to me than dribbling a ball and maintaining college grades. I wanted to explore who I truly was, and let God of the persona that placated my parents and sense of security. It took me a while, but it landed me on an adventure thru many artistic mediums. To my core, I am a creative and make a living being who I am. What has really stuck with me all of these years has been photography, writing and brand design. It is thru these mediums I feel most connected & centered in myself. In my time of self exploration, I have self-published two prose narrative books, released music, have a successful photography business, coaching business & recently embraced business design & branding as my bread and butter.

Had I had never made the decision to search deeply within art to find myself, I’d have never discovered that outside of who others wanted me to be, I am a person who would not thrive in this lifetime without using my creativity. I chose a creative career because I chose myself.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
It is still difficult for me to talk about “my art.” I’ve always felt in some way that the art isn’t necessarily mine, but instead God’s love expressed through my unique vessel, hence my alias “emogodry.” I created this word, and it means “elysse moore’s theory of emotion.” I just express the feelings that I feel called to with enthusiasm and curiosity, from whatever inspired it, in whatever medium it feels better translated in. Between writing books, writing & recording music, ux/ui designing, mixed media & portrait photography, coaching/mentorship, making CBD infused bodycare products, content creation and anything else I decide to do…I am never feeling bored! Lol I was not meant to be in a box artistically. I believe I am here to do whatever calls to me, and to contribute wherever I am needed.

How I got here required me to be very fluid and trusting, which in the entrepreneurship world, is not easy and especially when you come from blue collar family & societal values. The process of becoming the artist I am today really broke me open and forced me to embrace my truth which is radically opposite from tradition. Every day I am overcoming, and I am doing that by being intentional with the company I keep, the quality of the energy in the environments I occupy, and by exercising boundaries. People pleasing had to be the first character trait that I let go of while on my chosen path because it was too easy to be taken advantage of by people who wished to work with me. I go very hard for people. Enthusiasm & encouragement are my superpowers & I have had to learn the hard way to protect it from people with very selfish intentions at all costs. In learning to understand myself and explore my values & boundaries, it has helped me not only professionally, but interpersonally most importantly.

I suppose what sets me apart from this beautiful, vast sea of creatives is the fact that I am one of one, though I may share the same mediums of expression as many. I am only deeply inspired by the tenacity & resilience of other creatives but I am integrally respectful of intellectual property and the unique fashion of expression of others. I am so sensitive about my shit! Every single artist is. My aim has always been to be original in thought, execution, expression and delivery out respect for myself, God and other creatives. I prefer my process to be fluid, open ended, bold & well-paced. I do believe in siestas. Without honoring my energy, I feel I would just be this burnt out, resentful mess and I am most proud of this: not compromising who I am and my natural energy for the pursuit of the “almighty dollar” and material wealth. I love me a simple life and simple living. Joy is my drive & pain is the well of my creativity, and that balance really keeps me grounded while navigating the chaos that is creative entrepreneurship. Having values that are quality service oriented is what has gained me notoriety, and ultimately made me as successful as I am. Most days I still feel like I’m a humble beginner still finding her way, and other times when I’m in the middle of doing my thing, I’m reminded of how seasoned I am in my rhythm and I enjoy embracing that feeling. Success is as good as the how the completion of my work feels to me, and how satisfied my customers are when we depart. The ultimate success is them coming back to create more dope work together. All of my clients, consumers and colleagues are really like my family and I treat them with the utmost love & respect. In the end, the greatest expression of my artistry, my brand, my imprint overall will be how my love has translated. After all, love is at the root of Emogodry.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I come from Sacramento, California where the food is farm to fork. We’re all about local shopping, eating, drinking and music. If my friends are coming to town, the first thing we’re doing is grabbing coffee from Mast Coffee. The owners Mike and Steve always have something completely unorthodox on the menu that leaves you talking about it for days. After that, we’d explore the art murals in the city. Everywhere you look, there is a piece of insane art, like, the city is a museum. By then we’d work up an appetite so I’d take them to Swabbies on the River. This is a local hotspot for people to get some fire Mahi Mahi tacos, a strong cocktail and there’s usually a cover band lighting up the spot. It’s pirate themed too, so you just feel like you’re at lands end having the time of your life. We’d then head back towards the city to explore DOCO at night, maybe see if there’s any ArtMix event at the Crocker Art Museum. Those are always a wild experience, all of which is at the heart of downtown. There’s a lot of lounges and local eateries to chill out at, but the best places to find are at the gems (but I can’t disclose those.) Lol

I was raised on the outskirts though, so much of my adventures are enjoyed outdoors. During the week I’d have to take my friends to North Fork in Auburn, Lake Clementine, and further out. We’d stop Pour Choice which is a coffee shop my partner & I enjoy, (clearly I love coffee) then head to Ikedas or slide over to Newcastle Produce for some lunch because you haven’t lived if you haven’t been to these spots. They’re local farmstands that carry goodies from local farms and small businesses in the area.

There’s so much to explore out here in Northern California, we’d have to do a two week stay for certain to scratch the surface but ultimately, beaches, rivers, city life, amazing food and drinks, heartfelt entertainment and fun are what’s in store.

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?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my partner in life, Joshua Blaxon. From the very beginning of my journey, he has reminded me that I can do anything in this life and shows me that anything is possible no matter what circumstances you are in. He truly believes in me as a person & as a creative, and nurtures the qualities that make me great at what I do. He is the person helping me get dressed and undressed for modeling gigs, setup and tear down for pop ups, encouraging my sleep and listening to my brainstorms when I have a new idea. Joshua has been not just my producer, consultant, confidant and assistant; he has been my rock thru this 12 year journey and I wouldn’t be where I am without him.

I’d also like to shoutout my sister’s, LaToyah and Tachiena, and closest friends Hayden & Royce for always fanning my flame and encouraging me to be and take a bet on myself in this life. No matter where I’ve been in my process, they have always reminded me of how capable I am and have inspired me to grow beyond my conditioned self limitations.

Next I’d like to shoutout my mother & father who have inspired me to pursue all things with God, grit, vigor, a good heart and without fear. We may not have always agreed on my career choices, but even when it is hard for them to see the vision, they choose to believe in ME because of how hard they know I work and how much I love what I do. They advertently & inadvertently inspired me to prove to them what is possible, and I love them for it. They have seen me through some hard times, and held me when my process was in the lows, more than anyone in this world.

There are so many people I’d love to shoutout because it has taken a community of people by the largest and for that I feel so incredibly blessed. I will end it with recognizing Marie of RieDesign, all of the amazing women with FemWinIsm, and Brittany Claypool of HerWorld; all amazing people & organizations in Sacramento that have been paramount in the expansion of my artistry and as a woman in entrepreneurship.

Website: www.eunoiawellbar.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/emogodry