No matter your age, you’ve probably faced “What am I doing?” moments. Those periods when you feel out of sync with your timeline and start to question yourself. Have I achieved enough? Am I at the right stage in life? These questions are haunting, and when they are paired with other people’s expectations, they can feel like a mountain of unattainable goals.
This can feel especially true for artists like Alyssa Joseph. Anyone who knows the thrill of performing is also probably familiar with that itch to compare and compete. This can be motivating, but it can also make it feel like your goals have an expiration date. Alyssa pushes back against this in her latest single, “I Wanna Feel Good,” a song that focuses on enjoying the process.
We caught up with Alyssa, a confident supporter of “fake it till you make it,” despite her perfectionism, to get her opinions and advice on chasing creative dreams with less expectations for what that path should look like.
Showstopper Magazine Online: There’s pressure in our society to achieve at a young age. What are your thoughts on this “timeline” for success?
Alyssa Joseph: Our society puts so much pressure on us to have it all figured out by 18. You’re supposed to decide what you want your career for the rest of your life to be, which is wild. When you’re young, you should be trying a bunch of different things, seeing what feels right to you. You don’t have to commit and become incredible at that one thing. Try new things, make mistakes, fail, learn what you love, what you hate. You can pivot and change your course at any age.
SMO: What are your tips for knowing when to take advice and when to ignore it?
Alyssa: Everyone loves to give advice, but you need to question if it’s a valid source. I try to only really consider advice from someone who has actually done what I’m trying to do and succeeded at it. For example, I wouldn’t take music advice from a chef. But I’d totally take their recipe tips. Take what resonates and applies to you, and leave the rest.
SMO: What does potential mean to you?
Alyssa: Ah, yes. [“I Wanna Feel Good”] definitely reveals the fact that I am an overly ambitious perfectionist. And I love that about myself. I see the ideal, I see where I’m currently at, and I want to close that gap. I’m always working on becoming a better version of myself. And it can be a great thing, if you understand that you will never reach that ideal. I’ll always be working towards being a better version of myself, and I enjoy that journey that has no “end.” It’s what drives me. Sometimes it can lead me to some unhealthy tendencies, like being really hard on myself. It’s something I’m always working on: celebrating the wins, looking back on how far I’ve come, being proud of my accomplishments and growth. To put it in cliché terms, it’s a blessing and a curse.
SMO: You sing about potential in your new song “I Wanna Feel Good.” Can you talk about what inspired those lines?
Alyssa: That part of the song came from realizing how often I’m in go-mode, chasing goals, trying to hit this idea of “success.” And then suddenly I pause and think, wait… shouldn’t I be having fun and relishing in the moment right now? Why am I not? Because I’m being too hard on myself. Because I’m pushing and pushing towards “the ideal,” towards my goals, to where I think society expects me to be, towards “success.” The tension between my ambition and living in the moment is what inspired the song.
SMO: How do you define your own potential?
Alyssa: This is such a big question. In the context of this song, I’m talking about wanting a breakthrough in my music career, building a real community, making a sustainable living from it. It’s a really tough industry, though. It’s not just how hard you work. It’s who you know. It’s how much money can you put into this? The song for me is just identifying, yes, I have these goals, but stop waiting to “arrive.” Find the joy in the pursuit.
SMO: How can we redirect our ideas about other people’s “potential” into something more constructive?
Alyssa: When we care about someone, we want the best for them. We want them to chase their passions and make healthy choices and reach their goals. But all of that change really needs to come from them. I struggle with this often. The best thing you can do is be there for them. You can ask them what kind of support they need, if they want your opinion or help. You cannot do it for them. Everyone is on their own journey, and you don’t know what they are meant to accomplish in this lifetime. You can just love and support people in the way they ask/need. And put that energy into bettering yourself and helping others who DO want your help.
SMO: Is there anything else you’d like people to know about you, “I Wanna Feel Good,” or your work in general?
Alyssa: I guess I just want people to know I’m figuring it out in real time, and that’s what this song is. It’s me being honest about how hard it is to chase big dreams while also trying to live your life. More than anything, I want my music to be a space where people can be honest about the hard stuff and feel less alone. If “I Wanna Feel Good” can be part of someone’s healing or clarity or just a song they get ready to and hype themselves up for a night out, that’s everything to me.
