We had the good fortune of connecting with Mylo Kidd (Pederson) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mylo, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think that risks exist on a spectrum and are a necessary part of life and growth. Without them, things would remain on a straight and narrow path that goes nowhere but where it has already been. There are tiny risks and there are major risks, and if you are willing enough to alter course, these experiences can be sprinkled in throughout the mundanity of our everyday lives. Growing up I believe that we were taught that risks are dangerous and that it is best to stay in line and follow the path that was handed down and that you are being directed to by those around you; going against the societal grain is seen as useless and often it is frowned upon. We are taught to fear the outside path, because that is where the unknown exists. We are told that there is danger lurking in the shadows and that things could (and will) go horribly wrong. This fear becomes ingrained and enmeshed into our everyday lives and before we even have a chance to realize, we have trapped ourselves inside a seemingly invisible and unmovable box; this fear stops us from growing and moving forwards. Risks can be as simple as striking up a conversation with a stranger or as major as moving across the country; risks are anything that force us to grow outside of our set norms. From my own experience, risks are a form of creation, doing something new or outside of the box. It can feel uncomfortable and a bit strange, but the results are often interesting and enlightening, and whatever the case may be you will always learn something that you did not previously know.

When it comes to music/art and risk taking, the terms are very similar. We are taught a specific set way of doing things and it keeps us from experimenting with new ideas. Often times I find myself having an idea, but I won’t even go through with it out of a fear of failure or of it not sounding or looking the way that I hoped it would. At that point I have not even given it a chance and there is no way to ever know what that idea could have brought forth. Fear of failure is a major hinderance in the creative process. I am my biggest judge. But if I can learn to set these fears aside, I have found that I can experiment within a brand new set of parameters that allows something brand new to be born and often times, something that I didn’t even know that I was capable of creating will come to life, and the feeling is spectacular.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
This year has definitely been a mental health year for me, and truth be told I have had to take a bit of a break from focusing solely on my work, while at the same time, this mental health year has given me a few tuneful bangers that I am currently working on putting back out into the world. My hopes are to share the most vulnerable and authentic parts of myself with those who care to listen, relate, and dance along. Right now I am working on getting something together with a few other goobers and beginning my journey onwards and away. Music and art in general help me to learn more about myself and the world around me, and my inner being cannot rest soundly until the deepest parts of me have been released out into the wild to run amuck. It’s not easy, but it is as fully necessary as eating food or sleeping. Creating is like a spiritual fuel that must be tended to on the daily. If anything, for now, you can always catch me adding some wordy gumbo and other no non sense onto my social medias and blogs around the interwebs. Stay tuned, there is plenty more to be revealed in time.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I haven’t been in Memphis for too long now, but I have a fantastical group of goobers and looney’s that would give a magnificent show of the place. There is the good ole Beale Street, and there are just about millions of home grown grubbery to delve into. One of my favorite parts of Memphis are the tons of eclectic characters that you will find just about everywhere around the town, so be sure to bring your go face. You’ll have to take a stroll down into the Cooper Young area. Burke’s Books, Café Eclectic, Midsouth Outlet, Summer Outlet, and Overton Park are just a few of the homegrown places you’ll HAVE to visit. Not to mention the downtown trolley which can give you a whimsical old timey ride through the city. There is usually always something happening around the town, so you’ll have to check your Facebook events for local happenings, maybe catch the drive in theater or hit up the local library (there are plenty of them). Take your time and keep an open mind!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The people in my life and the artists that have inspired me throughout the years are definitely the ones I gotta give the most credit to. I have never had so much support around me from people who just want to see me be the most me that I can be, and in that, follow the passions that I care about the most. I am not judged; I am encouraged. And I would not believe in myself the way that I do today if those around me didn’t first show me the love that I didn’t know how to show to myself. When it comes to the artists/musicians that have inspired me throughout my life, the ones who were the most authentically themselves and shared the rawest and realest depths of themselves showed me that I am allowed to do the same. It’s all so similar and relative, and I am forever grateful for the humans that are brave enough to break out of the box that society has tried to lock us in. Without all of you, I am lost.

Website: https://mylothebigkidd.wordpress.com/

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

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFC4F9e9vBW6DJQCDnisVGw

Other: store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/bigkiddcollections?ref=seller-platform-mcnav blog: https://itstherethenitsgone.wordpress.com/

Image Credits
Mylo (me!)

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