Christa Wells – Somewhere In Between

CCM: We understand mentoring young artists is really important to you. What’s a piece of advice you’d give to someone who wants to pursue songwriting?
CW: It’s not profound. The one thing I would say is start doing it and start sharing it. It’s how you learn. Keep yourself vulnerable and accountable. And then find people who will give you honest feedback—that’s not your mom!

I would also say on a more philosophical level—because we all tend to be intimidated and think “I can’t do it as well as so-and-so, so why bother?”—remember that we all have a very unique voice. Not just singing or writing style, but your whole life history, your particular knowledge of language. You’re going to intersect with a specific group of people and have a sphere of influence that nobody else has.

So, I push back vehemently against the “go big or go home” mentality where there’s one definition of success and a higher value placed on people with a bigger platform. That’s my soapbox for young artists: write what you write, say what you say, and don’t worry about what other people are doing. You just keep making the work and hope it matters to somebody, and find some joy in it along the way.

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