Fanny Lumsden

Episode 3: Claim Your Right To Be Here

How do you forge your own path and how do you find your community?

Fanny Lumsden is arrogant. She said it! Not me! And you know what, arrogance is not at all a bad thing. I’m actually practicing being a little more arrogant myself. 

Dictionary definition of arrogance: Having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities.

Let’s just step sideways for a minute and talk about how we (especially women) are specifically told NOT to tell people about our importance or abilities.

Forget about exaggerating….we don’t even make it to the start line, because we’re so busy playing our skills and talents down, handing off praise to others and deflecting compliments like they’re terrifyingly poisonous word missiles.

So, you know what, I don’t think most of us run the risk of having an exaggerated sense of our importance or abilities. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably just trying to find a base line of not being afraid of celebrating who you are, and expecting basic respect and dignity.

Now that that’s out of the way. 

I’ve know Fanny for a while now, and it’s always been clear that she knows and accepts who she is. She’s building her life and career her way, and is an advocate for other people doing the same. 

In this chat we go deeper into how Fanny has cultivated her sense of self and how she sees her success as the work of communities and teams all around the country. 

We talk about how she cried on the bathroom floor, in the middle of a highway, when she found out she was pregnant - then got on stage to perform just a few hours later. I ask what she views as her responsibility as an artist in the public eye, and we talk about being real - sharing the highs, lows and hard work that surround working as a touring musician. 

If you don’t already know and love Fanny Lumsden, get ready - she’s about to be your biggest new girl crush.