The Spiritual Artist Podcast

Singer-Songwriter Robin Hackett Shares the Source of her Creative Inspiration

April 27, 2020 Christopher J. Miller Season 1 Episode 2
The Spiritual Artist Podcast
Singer-Songwriter Robin Hackett Shares the Source of her Creative Inspiration
Show Notes Transcript

Host Christopher Miller interviews Dallas singer/songwriter Robin Hackett about the source of her creative inspiration. Robin introduces her song, "Love is what we're here for," and its message. She cites her recognition and connection with oneness as the driving force behind her lyrics and notes that people use different terms for this energy. Some call it God, Divine Intelligence, Source but they are all one according to Robin. She believes in receiving from this source rather than forcing a manufactured creativity. Episode includes the importance of showing up, original connection and gratitude in the creative process. For more information, visit http://robinhackettmusic.com.
Chris Miller is an artist and producer of the Urban Artist Market. Visit www.cjmillerart.com or www.urbanartistmarket.com for more information.

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the spiritual artists podcast. This is Chris Miller. I invite you to join me as I interview artists from a variety of disciplines. We'll share powerful stories and lessons learned while making their art. This is Chris Miller with the spiritual a rtists podcast. As you know, I love to interview artists that incorporate spiritual practice in their work. They use it when they create, they use it in their writing, they use it in their painting. And I am here today with Robin Hackett. She is a good friend of mine. She is a singer and songwriter. I love her to death. A good morning R obin.

Speaker 2:

Good morning Chris. Thank you for having me. I'm very happy to be able to have this conversation with you.

Speaker 1:

Well I am thrilled to have you as well. I was going to tell you, um, last night I went through and started listening to your music, uh, on Spotify and I was laying in bed like I used to do when I was 15 and just hearing song after song after song. And um, they're just, each one is, is a gym.

Speaker 2:

Oh, thank you.

Speaker 1:

And, and I just, you know how you, you just don't want to turn it off. You're just like, I have to listen for that next song. I have to listen to that song.

Speaker 2:

I wish everyone were like that when they listen to my music.

Speaker 1:

Oh, I'm sure they are. I'm sure they are. It's just about getting that out there. Um, so you had mentioned a new song. Is it a rerelease

Speaker 2:

or, um, which one,

Speaker 1:

uh, love is what we're here for.

Speaker 2:

Uh, it's not a rerelease, but it seems to be an appropriate song for a lot of different, um, things that happen in life. So I've put it out on Valentine's day, um, when people love that, but I've also put it out on the anniversary of nine 11. Um, uh, you know, just various times I put it out where I think that it's appropriate. Um, so I just will flip it up. I have a video actually that I did at mile high church, um, and I don't, it has, I don't know, probably like 15,000 hits on it or something like that.

Speaker 1:

Oh, it's a, it's a wonderful song, especially with this, with Covid 19 and everything we're feeling right now. Um, I wanted to point out a couple of lines that really struck me and, um, I, I, it's, I, I'm tired of all the anger and my own unkind behavior. Who am I to judge anyone at all?

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. I mean when I hear that it just makes me pause.

Speaker 2:

Uh, yeah. And you know, just you saying that it's interesting to have someone, um, read my lyrics back to me because that's just really touched something in me. Um, yeah, because I can't just only point the finger out to other people, um, because don't have all the time. I don't have the best behavior as well. Um, so, and we're, we're truly all in this together. We all experience pretty much the same emotions, um, maybe the same things in life just with different circumstances. So I think that was the whole point, um, of that line that, you know, who am I to judge you? I can't judge you. I have the same stuff going on just with a different situations. Um,

Speaker 1:

which is so refreshing, which, you know, most people don't admit to that kind of weakness in themselves, you know?

Speaker 2:

Well, if we don't, I mean it really, you know, we've heard it's cliche. It really begins with us. It truly does. I mean to the idea of love or the idea of compassion, you have to, um, you have to have that within yourself first. Um, you have to be compassionate towards yourself first. You have to love yourself first in order. This is my opinion. In order to authentically love other people or have compassion for other people. I think if you, if you put that out there, it appears to be love and appears to be compassionate, but may not necessarily be that because you don't, you don't even know what that is for yourself. Um, so that's just my thought on it.

Speaker 1:

It's interesting cause I think it honestly goes both ways. I mean you, um, you have to accept that in yourself and accepted in others and um, there's a certain part where you accept it in yourself, you kind of surrender to it. Uh, what I work with, with, with this podcast is, is how this is incorporated into your process of creating art. Cause you're obviously a song writer, a beautiful lyric writer as well. Um, this theme of oneness that you were talking about and love. How D D is that something that comes into play when you write your music?

Speaker 2:

You know, that's interesting. I, I, I'd have to think about that. Um, I think in terms of the oneness idea, I do believe, you know, with creativity there is a, there's an energy out there of one energy and one can call it their muse. You can call it God, you can call it the universe, what have you. Um, but I do believe that my creativity comes from that one, from that one energy. Um, and when I sit down to write a song, sometimes I can finish a song in 15 minutes because my whole being, my vessel is open to receive from that one, from that energy, whatever that is, the undescribable. Um, and there are other times when I, uh, I, I try and manufacture a song and it feels horrible to try and create from a, of manufacturing a song. Um, so I guess that the oneness to me is that we can all tap in to that creativity to that one energy, which to me is God, the universe, the divine, the muse. Um, so yeah. So in that sense there, there is that oneness, if that, that makes sense to you.

Speaker 1:

Well, it's interesting because I noticed that myself, when I paint, um, if I'm the, the tighter that I'm tapped in, the quicker the creativity occurs.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

And, and then you're right, there's times I sit there and I try to force it, or I try to think, well, this worked before or this, this, right.

Speaker 2:

I love that this worked before. How come it's not working now

Speaker 1:

it's like you try to use a certain gimmick or, well, this color palette should work. How come it's not working in this arena? And I think it's true. I do that as a practice. Before I paint, I kind of do a little meditation and I sit down and I, I ground myself. Mmm. I, I was, when I was listening to your songs last night and I listened[ inaudibleto them often. Um, it's almost like a list of affirmations. Each song is so, um, w one of you are perfect in your own way. Thankful I am. Uh, the, the lines are just so, um, uplifting.

Speaker 2:

Um, well that's, you know, that's once again, it's, um, I'm the vessel and whatever that muse needs to, um, put like with love is what we're here for. I hadn't written, written a song in quite a while. Um, nor did I show up to write a song. I didn't pick up my guitar. Um, uh, and one day I decided, okay, this has to stop. If you want to create, you have to show up at least. So I showed up and I just said, okay, universe, spirit, God, what message needs to go out into the world? And that song came through really, really fast. Love. It's what we're here for.

Speaker 1:

And so it's almost like you're setting an intention. You know,

Speaker 2:

it's interesting. Yeah, it is. It's like setting an intention. And I don't, I don't know what's going to come through. I mean, I had never, I don't think I've even said that phrase before. Love is what we're here for. But that particular night when I showed up to write and ask the universe, what messages should I send out into the world? That's what came through.

Speaker 1:

Wow. And so, you know, I, I've, I've wrestled with that. Do you have to set an intention before you start creating or do you just sit and receive? Um, I think there's a little bit of both. Maybe there's

Speaker 2:

a little bit of both and it can go, you know, it can go either way. So for me with thankful I am, I was on the phone with a friend of mine and we were actually kind, um, complaining, you know, uh, about our lives and on this doesn't work. And Benda and I happened to be out,

Speaker 1:

yeah.

Speaker 2:

In my backyard. Um, and we'd really, it was a complaining conversation just to get things off our chest. But then when I got off the phone, I literally looked around and saw how beautiful, um, you know, my backyard was, uh, there were were Rosemary bushes. It was a really sunny day. It was a very, very blue sky. The wind was blowing gently. And then the next thing I know, here comes this song. Thankful I am. Um, and so I know that I did not plan. I didn't even plan for right that day. It just happened to come out of circumstance.

Speaker 1:

Oh, that's interesting. That is one of my favorite songs of yours. And I even wrote down, uh, the dance is my spirit. The song is my life. Um, there's, there's a real wonderful truth in, in your wording.

Speaker 2:

Hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Um, I feel like I, and I'm sure that you feel this way too, and people should know that are listening that Chris was amazing artists as well. If you haven't seen this stuff, go, go see him on his, what? What's your website?

Speaker 1:

Oh, you're wicked. So the C J Miller art CJ. Lord, thank you for the plug. You're welcome

Speaker 2:

because it is beautiful. Um, what will we, what did you ask me?

Speaker 1:

Well, you see that you had talked about the thankfulness and, and, and, and gratefulness. I think, um, for me when I tap into that energy, but whatever we call it, whatever we choose to call it in whatever religious dogma or spirituality we have, um, it's through it through, by being grateful.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. Well, being grateful, uh, as you probably well know, puts you, uh huh. It puts you, for me, it puts me in a receptive mode and it clears out anything, at least at that, that moment it clears out anything that's negative that could go against that could cause me to go, Oh, I'm not going to try and write because it's not going to be good enough. You know, I'm not going to have the right melody come through or blah, blah, blah. No, just be in gratitude in your life in general and walk in the, in the place of gratitude and gratitude to me just puts you in a receptive mode and it puts you a force in the present moment as well too.

Speaker 1:

[inaudible] that's interesting that you say that because it's something that I hope to put in my book is when you're in a place of unappreciation or as you said, standing around with your friends and bickering or complaining about things. Yeah, we all do it. Uh, I stand in front of, I'll stand in front of the easel and I just go blank and uh, for me to practice like you just said, is to just sit there and almost do a list of thankful gratitudes. Um, and that's why I say a week ago when we first talked about doing this podcast, I went out into the yard to weed because the, the at 19, you know, we're trapped in the house, it stresses you out and I just played your music and it was just all these lines of gratefulness and, and uh, pre self appreciation, appreciation for our, our place in the universe. It just really put me in a great state.

Speaker 2:

Oh, I'm glad to hear that. You know, it's so funny. It's interesting Chris, to hear you say that because, um, I sometimes need to go back and read my own lyrics. I mean you're making me aware of,

Speaker 1:

that's funny, right?

Speaker 2:

It's like, you know, there are some actors that I've heard of like, um, I think it's Robert DeNiro and uh, Johnny Depp, they never, they finish a movie, they don't go back and watch it. And usually it's so funny that, and maybe this is a good comparison, but sometimes I'm not really aware of what I've written. Um, and it's good for me. It probably in my life go back and read my own lyrics and go, Oh wow. That's pretty amazing. That's pretty cool. What was just written there? Um, and even though I do sing them, yes, I'm aware at that moment, but there are times when I get off my own path. It'd be great to go back and, and, and read them as affirmation and go, Oh, that's interesting because actually look at them, the written word on the page, I don't do that that often. I think of them. But to actually read them might be a very cool experience.

Speaker 1:

I w I will give you a shameless plug and say, ah, I recommend that to any of our listeners to look up Robin Hackett on Spotify and just do her whole play, listen to all the songs she's ever written. Um, it, it is such an uplifting experience and, um, there is definitely a presence in, in your music, but it's a, it's a great practice. So if you're standing in front of your, whatever your work table, your creative project, and you're at a standstill, go listen to Robin Hackett.

Speaker 2:

Ah, I'm going to take your advice.

Speaker 1:

Oh, of course. You know, we talk about getting connected and just almost being the vessel and just receiving those words came from somewhere greater than us, you know, in our, in our physical limitations. And uh,

Speaker 2:

isn't that true? I mean, that's why, um, you know, that's why sometimes it's hard to take credit. Uh, you know, sometimes, uh, medic times I'll write a song and I'll go, Whoa, that's really good, what just came through. But I haven't learned that lesson yet. I have to catch up to the meaning of some of my songs spiritually myself. If that makes sense.

Speaker 1:

Oh yeah.

Speaker 2:

So love is what we're here for. All that's a constant practice and a constant mantra for me. Love is what we're here for. How loving can I be in every situation that I'm in?

Speaker 1:

Right. And I, I love the line. I am an instrument of my peace. It's not looking outside for your piece. It's not saying someone has to come and give this to me. You are the instrument of your peace.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely. And you know, it's so funny because I went back and forth with that line because the real thing is I am an instrument of by, um, and I was like, well, should I do the Irish? I do mind, but no one's ever heard mine. What are you going to do? My four

Speaker 1:

Oh, interesting. That's very interesting.

Speaker 2:

Then it made sense to me that it should be my, it should be mine. I am an instrument of my peace. Then you're taking ownership of it.

Speaker 1:

Wow. Ownership of it. Well, I think that was a wonderful choice. It makes the whole difference. Yeah, absolutely. Because when we recognize that we are in control of that experience for ourselves, we are the vessel, we are the opportunity. And, and we have to, we have to welcome it in as opposed to just being something happening to us. We let it happen or may, you know, make it happen.

Speaker 2:

That's right. Absolutely. And the other thing I thought of that comes up for me now, Chris, with the whole cobot thing is that, you know, it sounds corny. It's from high school musical. We're all in this together. We are absolutely all in this together. Um, and it's, so it's a level playing field right now because people are all across the globe experiencing the same fears. Right now I'm experiencing the COBIT virus and what's going to happen next? It's all uncertain for everyone. So that line about, you know, um, I'm tired of all this anger and my own unconscious behavior. It's a weird juxtaposition. But if, if we're, it makes me just believe more and more that we're all one, we're all one and this coven virus is just starting to show people we're all one. We're all experiencing this. The same thing, the same fear, the same uncertainty. Um, so I always find, and, and there's a sadness in this. I was in New York when the towers came down and for the first couple of weeks after that, people were so lovely and so kind and so beautiful. And then, you know, because we all, I had experienced that one thing, but then as time went on, people went back to, you know, their, their old ways and forgot about that. We all experienced that thing. Um, but right now with the COBIT gone on for such a long period of time, um, I find people are being very, very loving and very kind, not in every situation, but on the whole, people in my neighborhood are walking by. If I'm on the porch and everyone's making a point to say hello, good morning, how are you? Um, and I, it's a reminder that that's, that's how we should be all the time. Wouldn't that be great? Not be great. So really, realistically our connective, our connectedness.

Speaker 1:

Well, I agree with you. Um, we, we are one planet and, uh, I think this reminds us that you can't build walls or isolate. We are connected and stuff. Stuff like this, a virus, things connect us. And even though it's, it's a negative thing, it shows us that, that we are connected and what we do affects people on the other side of the planet and vice versa.

Speaker 2:

Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.

Speaker 1:

And so, um, knowing that love is what we're here for, you know, maintaining that, that is key. That is, um, how we set our intention and through gratitude and love. And that's how we put ourselves in that place of connection with, with everything around us.

Speaker 2:

Um, I believe that,

Speaker 1:

I think it comes across, you know, I have to mention this, um, to our listeners. I had a Robin actually play music at my wedding and yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I did because that picture just came up. When was your anniversary? Because it has to have been recently.

Speaker 1:

Oh, I'm gonna get in trouble. Yes. It was about three years and a month ago.[inaudible]

Speaker 2:

yeah. Okay. Yeah. Because a picture of me came, came up, uh, playing at the wedding. Oh,

Speaker 1:

well, one of the song that I had you sing, which is one of my ultimate favorites as well. So I encourage listeners to tap in on, it's called where the light is and it's such a, for me it was such a statement, uh, for, for my marriage, for, um, with the same sex partner to actually step out and claim it's the song is about for me. It just sounds like stepping out and claiming the light, claiming the lights.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. And you know, what was interesting about that, uh, Chris is that, um, that's a song that I was afraid to play in, in new thought environments. And I know that this show isn't about new fodder or whatever, but, um, because many times I feel like people don't want to hear, like that song came out of it, a deep grief out of a depression, somewhat of boxing myself in and not, not fully expressing myself fully coming out. Um, and so, uh, I want to go where the light is. I want to live where the light is. I want don't want to live in this box. Um, that, you know, kind of, um, that kind of developed from things that happened in my childhood. I want to break out of that box and be where the light is, be, where my full creativity is. The word my full love is be where everything is. Um, so that, that song, uh, did come from a very deep, uh, grieving space.

Speaker 1:

Well, it's interesting because a grieving is a universal feeling and, and when you talk about oneness, um, it's relatable to everybody. We, I think we all feel to some extent that we've put ourselves in a box. You know, it reminds me of that song, you know, this little light of mine. And, uh, and so I think we all do that. We feel this, this depression that we've boxed ourselves in. Um, and perhaps this lesson with the coven 19 is, is to, to show us that the boxes we can't really box ourselves in. We think we are

Speaker 2:

[inaudible]. I mean, this is showing us that we're all just one human race. I mean, this whole thing of, of color, of, you know, gender of, you know, any of that. It's just, it's just, I mean, I don't know what to say, but, um, we're right now, we're all just human. We're just keeping being,

Speaker 1:

Oh, it's, it is interesting. It is the great equalizer. It doesn't matter if you're a high, high up politician, a rich and famous rock star or someone living in the street, it's, we're all susceptible to it. It's, it's, it creates a commonality, you know. Um, and hopefully you're right. Hopefully it, we won't just let that fade away.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. I mean, that's gonna that's gonna be the interesting thing. Um, and like I said, you know, with mine, you know, the world trade centers coming down, it was an interesting experience. It was beautiful. But then, you know, few weeks later, you know, taxis were honking horns that, you know,

Speaker 1:

death Valley, not the window,

Speaker 2:

you know. Um, so I hope it's a great lesson, um, for all of us. I really do.

Speaker 1:

Well, I, I, I think one other song I have to point out, I can't, I can't help it really. Honestly, I, Oh, that's the interesting thing about your music is I can't really pinpoint it into it. A genre. Uh, some of it sounds soulful, some of it sounds folk folkish some of it sounds country. How would you, how would you describe

Speaker 2:

I sound done? Describe it. I mean, you know, you know, as a, as a young person, when I first started doing music, that was my dream to be a big, you know, star and dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah. But, um, I, because I grew up in a household where my dad, you know, loved music and he played all, all styles, all genres, you know, from miles Davis to the fifth dimension to Woodstock, to Jimmy Hendrix to, you know, just everything, just everything. So therefore I'm a product of that household. Um, and I didn't know that the music business didn't want to hear everything. They wanted you to be in one, one John MRE and say what you are. Um, and so, you know, that has been, I don't define it. I love all kinds of music. Um, I'm eclectic and um, you know, that's, that's just what it is.

Speaker 1:

Well, speaking of putting, putting things in boxes, right, we so want to put someone in a category and, and, and yet every, every John that you do, every, every song is wonderful. And, um, I think I hear that in each one, that conscious connection, that, that truth telling, and it can have a little country Hill hit to it or soulful. Um, what was the most[inaudible] released a song very recently, 2020.

Speaker 2:

I did, I released a song called more, which, you know, I don't know what genre that is, that that's in, I'm done trying to figure it out. I mean, you know, it's just good music. It's just good music. Um, and so I actually asked a, I was like, where was I playing? I can't remember the place. And I, um, there was this new person that I met and I was just curious what his reaction was to my music. It was his first time hearing it and I said, what? You know, what John or do you think that is? Where do you think I fit in? He goes, that John was just good, you know, expletive music. That's what that genre is.

Speaker 1:

That's interesting. I told you that I was in the car and that came up on my son's playlist. My son, isn't it? Wow. It's a great song. It's a great song. So wonderful. Uh, talking with you and going over this and, and hearing about your, Oh, if that last song I have to mention is, um, quiet Marie.

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah.

Speaker 1:

And so some of these actually have a storyline behind them. Uh,

Speaker 2:

well that really, I mean, you know, odd that doesn't have some great storyline except for a friend of mine. And I decided we were gonna, you know, right. A song. That's it. We decided we're going to write a song that is what came out. That song is really about, um, I mean, you can take it across the board. It's about, um, you know, uh, I'll say it's true. It's about domestic abuse of sexual abuse. Okay. Um, but more important than that, it's about claiming your power and speaking up and out about, you know, something that's been done to you, inappropriate, um, that, you know,

Speaker 1:

well, it's the kind of, you hear it and then you start listening again and you're like, what, what, what? And, and you, and it's not obvious. It's not, it's not an obvious, and then you hear it in the lyrics. And, um, it is what kept me up last night. I had to hear it again. And then here again, you know, um, which is what you want. You want people to just have to hear the song over and over and over again. And it's so beautiful. And yet there's that message behind it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. And it's a rather haunting and you know, it's the, with the whole me too movement. And that song was very old, but it still lives across, you know, decade, which is what I love about what, you know, the music that I've written. Um, but with the whole, the meat to move and I forgot where I was going with it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. Well, it's relevant today. I mean, the irony is, even though that's what these messages are, your, your songs are so universal and, and when you talk about oneness and in this, they're, they're, they're eternal messages.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. Well, with that in mind, you know, I had talked to my mom about something that had happened to me when I was younger. Um, and I, I played it off as something that was really not a big deal. And, you know, there are other women in the me too movement that I've had horrible things happen to me, happened to them. And I had this one little incident and, and I realized I'd never spoke on it until my forties with my mom. And, um, and her response to me was, and she's from a different generation, she said, well, most every woman has had something like that happen to them. Yeah. And I was like, wow. Wow. Isn't that sad? Yeah, it is. It is kind of sad. Um, but they're, once again, there's that oneness thing, you know, we're one on so many different levels.

Speaker 1:

We're all connected and we're all, well, I definitely to the listeners, I recommend listening to that song as well. But like I said, I would just go through the whole list. So anyway, somewhere. Yes, yes. It's, it's wonderful on Spotify that they have a whole collection of songs. You could just one after the other, including the more recent release, you know.

Speaker 2:

Wonderful. Yeah. Robin Hackett, music.com.

Speaker 1:

Okay. Robin Hackett, music.com. That is great. Well, I appreciate chatting with you. It's always fun and um, and there's so much here. It's ha, it's hard to get your hand around, but um, wonderful to have me on again then. I definitely will. I definitely will. Um, it's getting a lot of response, so I appreciate your time and I look forward to seeing you again and I will, like I said, I'm going to remember the dance is my spirit. The song is my life. I will go forth from there. So thank you. Thank you so much for having me. And hopefully we can have lunch one day. Hopefully we will be physically close instead of socially distant. Wrong in that there. Oh, all right. Take care.

Speaker 3:

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