Have you ever experienced the feeling of being alone and not having a community? How can we build an atmosphere of inclusion and greater understanding?

Brooklyn-based artist Elliot Lee fuses dark pop melodies with edgy vocals and innovative electronic-rock soundscapes to create an unpredictable sound, acting as a voice for the voiceless. Elliot Lee holds an awareness of what music that is unhindered by norms can do for the underrepresented. Elliot’s single "Easy To Be You” is dedicated to the LGBTQIA+ community and was released during PRIDE Month. Elliot confides that the release is, "about struggling with self image and identity expression as a queer person. 

THE CREATIVE PROCESS

How far back are the events you're talking, writing, and singing about? The moment in time that you're describing in the song? When one is young, you can think that you're quite alone. And it's nice to have this collective emotional release to see that others are struggling with this and that not everyone has it sorted out even thought they can seem so on the surface.

ELLIOT LEE

I struggle a lot with the feeling of being alone and not having a community. And I did even more as a teenager. That's kind of what my music is about, finding those people who get it so you don't feel like you're alone anymore. And that's why I talk about things that maybe I wouldn't talk about outside of music, because in music it's a safer and easier way to find people who really get it.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS

And how have you dealt with the societal ideals of masculinity and femininity? Because as a non-binary person, you have clearly dealt with both sides of the spectrum. How have you dealt with how society treats both sides?

LEE

I started to feel like a person who wasn't really me, in that world of being super feminine. It's definitely a night and day difference from that and when, for a while, I was super masculine and people were gendering me. Looking at me, they'd say I was a boy. Those two different worlds are very different. And how people treated me was like night and day. I definitely got more respect when I was masculine. I'd find from people, especially men, were more willing to listen to me and willing to hang out with me and all that without making it weird.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS

You're openly non-binary and also advocate for autism awareness. How did you find your voice? It’s hard to be outspoken.

LEE

I've always been outspoken, partially because of my autism, I think, because I just don't really have a filter and I find that in a lot of my relationships, I overshare sometimes. And I talk about things that maybe weren't the right thing to talk about to that person. And I've learned to get better at that. But music has been more of an outlet for me to be okay with saying whatever I want to say. And there aren't really boundaries, so I don't have to worry about that anymore.

So in my image, I'm just kind of me, which is nice. I get to just be me and not worry about fitting into society or fitting into what people want me to be. I can overshare and I can advocate for things that mean a lot to me, and I can be open about who I am. And since I have this community of people supporting me, then I'm safe doing so.

This interview was conducted by Mia Funk and Jamie Lammers with the participation of collaborating universities and students. Associate Interviews Producer on this episode was Jamie Lammers.

Mia Funk is an artist, interviewer and founder of The Creative Process & One Planet Podcast (Conversations about Climate Change & Environmental Solutions).