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

Hi Ian, what matters most to you?
Spend your life serving others with what you love to do. People at the ends of their lives tell me this is one of the things that matter most.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Along my journey as a songwriter and artist, I was always searching for something meaningful to say. I’d heard it said so many times that there is plenty of talent out there, but a shortage of truth. Working as a registered nurse over my twenties gave me a window into a secret world that the artist part of me saw through an unexpected lens. Through it, I was able to witness humanity in it’s rawest and most vulnerable states, a place where many times, precious words go unspoken, unwitnessed, and eventually, forgotten.
Over those early years, it wasn’t easy to pioneer this combination, and still isn’t, as it involves some of the most emotionally brutal and challenging subject matters one can deal with. But over the years of accompanying people down the final road, I’ve been blessed with tools to identify joy within sorrow, strength within pain, and wisdom within loss.
People at the end looking back seem to have the perspective we’re all looking for as we go through our lives. They see what matters, what doesn’t, what lies beyond that blur of complex noise that hides the simple gems of good living.
On the other side of it, there is also the honor of working with people who have since lost the ones they love. Creating songs and visual art from what is left behind is a way to explore the lessons within their legacies, identifying beacons leading to light beyond the struggles of grief.
This road of incredible discovery and deep satisfaction is what keeps me going through the years. The act of witnessing someone’s truth, honoring their experiences, creating something and then sharing it, is such a simple thing, yet so incredibly healing for all involved.
Serving with music and art in this way gives a unique voice to those who don’t have the luxury of expressive talent, and allows me as an artist to be a vessel, serving with what I love to do the most.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to honor all the people with terminal illness, as well as all the people that have suffered great loss, that were so loving and courageous to tell their stories, share their wisdom, and give their love to me and the music. They are my greatest teachers, and continue to inspire me and all I come in contact with.

Website: ianmccartor.com

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

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ianmccartor

Other: patreon.com/ianmccartor

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