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

Hi Laura, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
I don’t think it’s as black and white as that. The creative process is a cycle, and it’s important to know which stage you are in. Whether it’s developing and refining your craft, resource gathering, creating, sharing or maintaining, the process is always moving. I don’t think that these things should be framed as giving up, but more as moving on to the next project or idea. We learn from each project, from each attempt whether or not it worked out the way we intended, we take something from it. I am awful and completely uncomfortable when I start new things, but I keep at it, until I suck less and less, and eventually I find my new form of expression. That’s the secret I think, work through the uncomfortable parts to force yourself to grow. I always am reminding myself to not let perfection get in the way of progress, and it’s very freeing. It is giving yourself permission to take chances, try new things, and not keep everything so precious and finite. Finding joy and satisfaction in the process of doing instead of needing external validation.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I make loud and fast original era Rock ’n Roll. I slap the hell out of an upright bass, sing and shout at the top of my lungs, prowl around the stage with a guitar, or hole myself up in my apartment editing music videos, writing, recording, practicing, taking classes/lessons, designing, or making visual art. I’ve had to learn how to do it all out of necessity, but it all comes from the same place and is towards the same goal, it’s just different ways of expressing it. It wasn’t easy to learn how to do all of these things, but the alternative was to just not do anything or give up, and that just was not a part of me. I’ve learned that you need to love the process of what you are doing, and to define success on your own terms, not what anyone else thinks. You need to put in the work. Every day. I get easily distracted, I love to do a million different new things, and sometimes it’s hard to finish up a project. I get ambitious multi-year plans, or 6 month plans, and I have to put myself on a timeline. Recently I have developed a creative mission statement, where I can just ask myself, does this thing that I want to do work towards my creative statement, or is it something that will take me further from it? It’s really helped me to focus and laser in on what I want to do. Create, trust and love (even when you hate it) your process.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Hiking at Griffith Park Trails Vintage & Record Shopping at SpaceCity Vintage
Vegan Tacos at El Cocinero in Van Nuys!

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 would love to shout out The Ameripolitans, which was created to benefit and acknowledge roots artists that don’t conform to current popular music standards. It’s given a home and audience to many of my contemporaries, and I was lucky enough to take the title of 2020 Ameripolitan Rockabilly Female in Feb 2020.

Website: www.screaminrebelangels.com

Instagram: @laurarebelangel

Twitter: @laurarebelangel

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/screaminrebelangels

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

Image Credits
Cor Jabaaij Jolie Clifford Johan Moeys Roy Varga Ian Mac

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.