Meet Anastasia Elliot | Recording Artist & Filmmaker

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

Hi Anastasia, how do you think about risk?
My name is Anastasia Elliot. I am an operatically trained pop rock artist and I build audio visual worlds and create art that engages your senses and imagination. Before I dive into my story, I want to talk about taking risks because I believe that our uniqueness and creative spirits thrive or die in our ability to take risks. Whether you identify as a “creative” or not, this applies to you. Your life is like a painting. Every day you have the opportunity to fill the canvas with whatever colors and pictures you choose. Are you going to be the bland art hanging on the walls of a chain hotel or are you going to be a Rembrant or a Magritte? The most interesting people you encounter during your daily lives have taken risks. I can almost guarantee it. Risk in its simplest definition is “a situation involving exposing someone or something of value to danger.” We as humans are hardwired to avoid danger. That’s why most people create lives of safety, searching for survival in routines and things they have always known. Living life or creating art without risk can look like taking a walk down a perfectly paved flat road. Dependable concrete steps under your feet, life at a safe distance of a few feet in the grass and the trees. Looking out at nature and enjoying it all from a comfortable distance. This may sound nice and you may always get where you want to go, but over time it feels boring and stale and expected. The autopilot takes control as your soul leaves the driver’s seat. You were not born to work 40 hours a week doing something you dislike, endlessly scroll, numb out your thoughts and feelings and emotions, all to wake up one day and wonder how life became so unfulfilling. This is where risk comes in. This is where the sweet sting of emotional stake and danger are found. When you take risks in life and art, it feels like wandering adventure, zip lining, skydiving, riding your bicycle with no hands. A dash of fear and an abundance of joy nourish your soul as you expand and grow and evolve. Trust me, the thrill is worth it. The cuts and bruises and falls are the flipside to the wind in your hair and the smile on your face. Risk is the vehicle to freedom, to authenticity, to self expression, to life. I have never met an artist that I admired that didn’t understand this.
There is not one singular risk that I have taken that has shaped my life personally or creatively, but a chain linked together of daily risks, their rewards, their dangers, failures, and successes. I moved away from home at 16 by myself to pursue my dream of becoming a rockstar. I lived alone and had no friends. Many successful writers and producers tried to tell me how I should sound and look, that my voice was too strong, my lyrical topics too deep for pop. I said no, pushed into the risk, and found the people who would create what I wanted with me. I survived a plane crash, Southwest flight 345, on the way to finish recording my song “Crash Landing.” I transformed that danger into the masterpiece of my upcoming visual album, La Petite Mort. I got myself a record deal by conjuring up the courage to talk to some high level executives at a conference, made my dream album, and lost my deal two weeks before we were to begin releasing my art. I injured and lost my voice, didn’t know if I would ever sing again, wrestled with the loss of my identity, had surgery, ptsd, fear, and now love every second of risk I get to take with my lips to my microphone. I ended an engagement, lost a child, went to New York for a few months, fell in love, found myself again, and said thank you to the heartbreak. I am now on the journey of releasing an album I have spent 10 years of my life on. The fear tries to choke me every day and my resilience for risk says “harder.” I can say this is the biggest risk I have attempted. Like I said earlier, risk happens when we expose something or someone of value to danger. Releasing this album most days can feel like escorting my children to the guillotine. The dance with fear has me wondering: “Will everyone like it?” “Will people find it?” “Will it be successful?” “What if I fail?” “What if I wasted a decade of my life on nothing?” I feel these questions fully, and I move forward anyways. When the fear overwhelms me, I spend time connecting with myself, letting my energy reserves fill, licking my wounds, and journeying on. Taking the risk to be seen. Deeper inside of the danger, learning along the way and armoring up where I can, searching for my allies, the others that also crave exposure to life. Even though I can’t tell you the outcome yet in this essay, I can promise I won’t stop taking the daily risk and that every day will be a success because of it. I challenge you readers to look at your lives, your art, your creations and ask yourself if you feel dangerous. Does your life make you feel the wind in your hair or are you strolling on a concrete street? Build your resilience, share your heart, be vulnerable, fail, try again. The universe rewards the daring. Take the risk. You’ll never regret it.

My name is Anastasia Elliot. I am a classically trained opera singer and pianist, songwriter, producer, and visual media creator. I make pop/rock music with classical touches that explores the deepest parts of our humanity and the personal deaths and rebirths that we experience throughout our lives. I have played music my entire life and have always felt called to do this work. I was in a plane crash in 2013 and that set the thematic blueprint for my upcoming debut album, La Petite Mort. Dealing with the traumatic aftermath of the crash showed me how healing and freeing art can be. This is the day the Purple found me. My mission is to spread that feeling to others; to show people how they can find freedom through creativity and how they can transform their darkness into what makes them unique and special. By making music and art that transports people into their emotions, products that add a little magic to their day, or special live show experiences they can escape into, I like to create worlds that help people connect to the bright parts of themselves they may have dimmed. I believe that without creativity, there is no life. Too many people are stuck on autopilot, going through their daily routines and feeling unfulfilled. Creative freedom is our natural human state and where the spark of life lives inside of us. The Purple Cult is my fan community and together we are working to turn the mundane parts of life into extraordinary things that inspire and heal. Everyone deserves a creative life. You are the architect of your dreams. I invite you to join my community where we support and lift up each other’s endeavors.

Resilience is one of my all time favorite things to talk about because it is SO important. Living a creative life is hard as hell. It is by far a more difficult path than sinking into the more “normal” ways of society. Building up your resilience is one of the main keys for authentic creativity. And the universe will give you MANY chances to build your tolerance whether you like it or not. When people think of the life of an artist, especially an independent one, I think they mainly see what happens on social media and the good parts that we choose to share and think we have so much freedom and nothing but fun. Behind the scenes though, they miss the countless days writing songs the world will never hear and perfecting our crafts, the gigs we play where we lose so much money, the stress of wanting to stand out and also having to fit in in some way into the current way of promotion, and the weight of having to learn and become experts in so many fields to support our releases. Most of the time this job is thankless, and it’s hard to even call it a job when income is so elusive. Life has thrown me so many curve balls that have grown my resilience, but I will choose just one story to elaborate on. In 2018, I had an allergic reaction that caused a blood vessel in my vocal chords to swell and affect my singing. Since childhood, my personal identity was “singer.” That’s the first thing I would always tell anyone about myself and my whole life revolved around my abilities to perform. I also should mention that this happened right after I finished recording my dream debut album when I was on my dream record label. After a month of my voice not feeling right I finally went to a doctor who put me on tons of antibiotics and steroids to try and get the inflammation to go down. He told me that if we did the surgery, I might come out better or worse. Needless to say, I did not let him touch my vocal chords. I spent months traveling the country to all of the best vocal doctors around looking for a better answer. During this time, my record label had no idea I was dealing with this and I was trying to keep it that way, and I wrestled with the potential loss of my identity. I ended up in Boston to do my surgery and spent a total of 75 days in complete and total silence. This is one of the darkest periods I have ever experienced in my life. Without my voice, I had no clue who I would be. I didn’t even want to live if I couldn’t sing. The surgery went great and after a long stint of rehab, I built my voice back up to full strength, but the fear of losing it again will always remain with me. Taking away the thing that I most identified with forced me to find myself even more outside of just the restriction of the label “singer.” Now when people ask me what I am, I say I am a creator. I am more than just a singer. Even with the positive changes this experience brought me, every time I go to step on a stage or into a recording booth, I still have protective responses that try and hold me back, and each time they try and talk to me, I have to quiet them. From surviving the plane crash, losing my voice, leaving a toxic relationship, and more, these hard experiences are what has built my tolerance for not only the big hardships but also the small ones that occur every day. I believe that all of these moments have prepared me for the job of being an artist. Being an artist is full of rejection. Full of trying things over and over again until they work and not giving up. Never giving up. Whatever life throws in your path, grip your steering wheel and keep going because emotional strength is on the other side.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a multi-talented rock artist, director and visual creator with over 13 years of experience crafting high-end music videos and operatic rock music. What sets me apart is my “whole world or nothing” approach – I view each project as a complete immersive universe for audiences. I blend symphonic rock with power pop musically, then harmonize those sounds with mind-bending visuals where everything is meticulously planned.
My proudest achievement has been building a reputation for delivering stunning DIY productions that look premium despite modest budgets. My videos have garnered over 2.5 million views on YouTube, and my debut album “La Petite Mort” (2023) has accumulated over 1 million digital streams.
My professional journey began with an ambitious project to create the first visual album in pop music. When my label relationship ended (I was formerly with Warner Brothers), I took matters into my own hands. Rather than seeing this as a setback, I viewed it as an opportunity to master every aspect of production—directing, editing, set design, costume creation, and VFX. This hands-on approach enabled me to build a small, dedicated team capable of executing bold, maximalist visions on any scale.
It certainly wasn’t easy. The music and film industries present significant barriers to entry, especially for someone determined to maintain creative control. I overcame these challenges by becoming entirely self-sufficient. Instead of waiting for opportunities or large budgets, I learned to do everything myself. When I couldn’t afford a costume, I designed and created it. When I couldn’t hire a VFX team, I taught myself visual effects. This DIY ethos became my greatest strength.
In 2023, I expanded my focus to include directing music videos for other artists and branching into commercial and film work. I’ve also recently moved into concert photography, shooting notable artists like Chappell Roan, Idles, Dope Lemon, and The Black Angels.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that limitations breed creativity. Working with constraints forced me to think differently and develop unique solutions. I’ve also learned the power of community – my fans, whom I affectionately call The Purple Cult, aren’t just supporters but a movement through which I hope to inspire a creative revolution.
What I want the world to know about my brand is that I’m not just creating art – I’m creating complete experiences. I believe in helping people find their artistry and turn their mundane into something extraordinary. Whether through my music, videos, photography, or speaking engagements on healing trauma through creativity, my goal is to show that with dedication and vision, you can create worlds from nothing.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I was going to make an itinerary for a day in Nashville, this is where we would go!

Morning
9 AM – Breakfast at Elegy
I love the vegan breakfast burrito so much!!!

10 AM – Vintage Hunting in East Nashville
– **High Class Hillbilly** – A carefully curated vintage shop owned by musician Nikki Lane featuring Western wear, leather goods, and unique accessories.
– **Lucky Stars** – My new favorite vintage shop! It has so many treasures
-**Phoenix** – Antique hunting at Phoenix. There are so many cool finds here!

Midday
**12:30 PM – Lunch at Folk**
Their sourdough pizzas and small plates are exceptional, and the interior design is photo-worthy with its clean lines and modern aesthetic.

2:00 PM – More Vintage Shopping in 12 South
– **Savant Vintage** – A high-end vintage boutique specializing in designer and luxury pieces from across the decades.
– **Serendipity** – Browse their collection of vintage home goods, clothing, and accessories in a charming setting.
– **UAL (United Apparel Liquidators)** – While not strictly vintage, this designer discount store is worth a stop for incredible deals on high-end brands.

Afternoon
**3:30 PM – Hike at Percy Warner Park**
After shopping if the weather was nice, I would ride out traffic time with a hike at Percy Warner Park.

Evening
**6:30 PM – Dinner at Blue Sushi**
My favorite sushi spot in town! They also have a full vegan menu that I love!

**9:00 PM – Nightcap at Green Hour**
This tempered chocolate and absinthe bar is one of my absolute favorite spots.

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?
My success and artistry have been made possible by the most incredible team of people. First and foremost, I want to shout out my mom and dad, who have supported and encouraged my wildest artistic pursuits from day one. My mom not only makes my costumes but also absolutely crushes the art direction for our music videos. My friends are an essential part of my journey—they not only show up to help me build sets but also provide unwavering emotional support through the ups and downs of this industry.

My band is my family, and I especially want to highlight my drummer, Brandon Salewsky, who has been my ride-or-die for six years—I can’t imagine doing this without him. Lacey Wootten, my go-to for costuming and hair, has been a part of my visual world for 13 years! I am beyond grateful for the many brilliant and generous humans who help bring my vision to life.

Website: https://www.anastasiaelliot.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anastasiaelliot

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-elliot-a966981ab/?trk=public_profile_browsemap

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnastasiaElliot?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialanastasiaelliot/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AnastasiaElliot

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0WLfdgPRJVEkHT8CLMKB3Q?si=lhVA0e59RkiIbi8n9eTL_Q

Image Credits
Photographer: Derek Jones