Conversations with Sunshine Scott

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sunshine Scott.

Hi Sunshine, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My name is Sunshine Scott (yes that is my given name!) and I am an Alt Musical Performing artist from Nashville, Tennessee. I am known on TikTok for my DIY artist lifestyle, eccentric fashion, and energetic personality with over 370K followers! I call my genre of music “Fairy Rock.” Fairy Rock is my whimsically performed Pop/rock music encompassing elements of fantasy and storytelling in an ever-changing world of my very own.

I was raised in an extremely musical and creative family so it is no surprise to anyone that I learned to design and sew my own stage costumes, write, direct, star-in, and produce my own music videos as well as design & edit my own photoshoots/graphics and write/produce my music myself. I have been singing since I was two years old and songwriting since I was 10 and have quite literally not stopped for a single day. On average I write about two songs a day and have a catalog so far of over 3,000 songs!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been an easy road, I will admit. I have struggled with bullying my entire life and never really felt accepted anywhere I went. For so long I tried to change myself so I could simply exist in the world without being under constant scrutiny. One day I decided I had been put down for the last time. I decided I was good enough and I was valid in being 100% authentically me and if I unapologetically accepted myself, the right people would find me. Now I live my life spreading love and hope and want to do everything in my power to never ever let anyone else feel the way the world made me feel. My struggles with music have been very similar. I have been coined as being “too much” or “not a fit” so many times in my career. I have struggled to find the resources and money to make my big visions come to life. That is when I decided to make them happen myself.

I thrifted clothes to tear apart and turn into stage costumes, I couldn’t afford producers so I learned Ableton and producing, I learned photoshop, digital drawing programs, and photography, I learned video editing software, directing, screenwriting, screen production, etc., and have not looked back for even a moment. I worked excruciating hours at various service industry jobs just to put food on my table and to still somehow save enough to pay for a videographer to film my first music video. I am overwhelmingly thankful whenever an artist of any kind wants to collaborate with me whether they be in film, music, production, etc. I learned all of these skills so I could make my visions come to life. The only thing I can think of better than getting these visions out of my head and into the world is to collaborate and make something even more incredible come into existence with the help and support of other creatives.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a Music Artist primarily! I specialize in my larger-than-life concepts and fantastical visuals! My whimsical DIY music lifestyle has inspired me to create my biggest entirely DIY music video in my Fantasy and Aesthetic style, Bang Bang (XO) (To debut in February 2023). Bang Bang (XO) was the first song I ever produced and engineered myself and is truly an introduction to my larger-than-life world and to some of the characters I have created for my music. I have over 3,000 songs written but have no albums out yet due to the cost and my lack of resources until this point in my life, however, I do have all my characters and their backstories drew up and ready to go! That is why I learned to DIY everything that I do, well, also because it is so much fun to create and learn!

I am a do-er and if I can’t work on music one day for various reasons, I think hey! “I got some thread in the cabinet” so I am sewing my next costume for an album concept or music video. My lack of released music will change soon though as I am in the process of recording and producing my debut album! I would love to someday write and star in a TV series or series of films based off of the characters I create for my music. For every single song I write, I create characters for and tie them all together in my fantasy worlds. I want to give people a fantastical world to escape into whenever the real world is too much. I want them to be free to feel, dance, love, and live with me so that when they return to reality they can look at it with new passion, hope, and wonder.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I am terrified of what I can not control. As a very neurodivergent person, it is extremely hard for me to take steps out of my comfort zone; yet, the artistic side of me loves chaos and change. I am an absolute expert at failure. I took all the “right” steps my whole life, went to college for music, worked hard, and got jobs to support myself, and yet I still managed to fail at reaching my goals over and over again.

I have spent years training the creative side of my brain to embrace challenges, change, and failure, and enjoy the learning process that comes from taking risks. I took the biggest risk I have ever taken earlier this year by quitting my service industry job and deciding to be a full-time artist. I took a leap of faith and I am so incredibly glad I did.

The moment I decided to devote all my energy to my craft, opportunities I had never even imagined presented themselves.

I am not where I want to be, however, I would rather be living out of the box and able to create than live in a mansion doing something I hate. This process has not been without its challenges. Most of the time I am barely scraping by financially and working 24/7 to meet my goals; but again, I am thankful for every moment I spend doing what I love.

Pricing:

• Clothing Line and Merch designed by me! Starting as low as $6.00-$60.00
• Mini Fairy Wings $40
• Large “Wildflower” fairy wings $500
• Patreon starts at $10 a month

Contact Info:

• Website: Sunshinescott.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omgsunnyd/?igshid=10mzb5m6obid9
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076071368967&mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCh8AunU22Z5zX3beUY60FrQ
• SoundCloud: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6b3fI6WCHdeQkgv649DxDc?si=2otMoD4lSVWgKyt3yo_yEA
• Other: https://www.patreon.com/omgsunnyd?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Image Credits
@Wavykirt – Kirsten Barnett, @photojonin – Tommy Phothisane, @sunlovesthemoon – Sara-Anne, @johnlanemedia – John Lane, @pjordanshell – Jordan Shell, Illustrator- @courteneyr_, and Courteney Rodriguez