We recently had the chance to connect with Lindsay Goss and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lindsay, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
On a good day, I start my day off by putting the kettle on for tea and sitting down at my desk. I tend to wake rather early most days. I’ve always been a bit of an early bird. I enjoy the quiet, especially before the hum of the traffic begins on the street. I write at my desk in paper notebooks, blank pages without the lines. Sometimes it spills out of me, other days I feel as if I am forcing myself to get anyhing down on the pages. It is a practice I started about three years ago, based on Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way. It helps me to start the day off right. I can see before me what my state of mind is in and I find this very therapeutic and of great help to me in several ways.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a multidisciplinary artist, mostly by way of painting, and textile work. I am also a songwriter and I enjoy dancing in my studio. I am a filmmaker under the business name, Velvet Landing Co., of which I recently launched this August.
Velvet Landing Co. is rooted in a deep love for the arts, humanity, culture, and creative expression. Our mission is working with artists, galleries, arts non-profits, and small businesses to build and support community through the preservation of authentic visual storytelling. We aim to amplify diverse voices through film, documenting their process, elevating their presence, and sharing the purpose behind their work. You can view the first artist short on Velvet Landing’s website or Youtube channel, featuring Bri McGrew of The Universe Conspires.
This summer, I completed my final coursework for my Masters Degree in Communication. As the final year of my degree approached, I began to panic. When I started the degree, I was searching for a connection between the arts and communication, two things I am most passionate about. I didn’t realize how personal it would become for me, but it was how Velvet Landing came to fruition.
While in the program, business ideas first came to me as exciting side film projects, but not necessarily as a main objective. It wasn’t until the final semesters of my degree that I began to see it come together. I believe a huge contribution of my journey towards filmmaking were the several trips I took to Ireland. Meeting fascinating, warm people and experiencing the culture, grew both my curiosity and courage to pursue VL. Later, I finished my independent study coursework this summer while spending two weeks in The Hamptons. All of this time traveling, I spent moments behind my camera, learning and observing. I was like I was sewing the final threads together. The dynamic between the arts and communication showed itself to me in such a simple way. I was reminded that the answers will show themselves to us if we stay open and curious and ultimately trust ourselves.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I think this is such an interesting question for all of us to ask ourselves. So much of what I have been reaching for the last few years is more about who I am returning to.
In a lot of ways I would consider myself a late bloomer, but more so now, I am celebrating this version of myself that I am meeting once again. I have always been an artist, with a love of reading, painting, dancing, playing music, singing, and picking up my parents RCA recorder every chance I could.
It takes a lot of consistent fear to stifle these things out of us at a young age and I recognized several years ago how much shame kept me from pursuing the things I love the most. I didn’t believe I was worthy of it. It’s taken me a lot of time and hardship to see her, and get back to her.
Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
This isn’t an obscure thought to those closest to me, but I very much miss media in physical forms. Plopping that VCR into the slot, choosing which cassette to listen to in the car, or carefully placing cds back in their pouches or holders. Blockbuster! It’s so nostalgic for me when I get to listen or read in these forms. I recently went to an estate sale and the home was full of books, cds, vinyl, and cassette tapes. Old radios and speakers. It just reminded me how simple it was in a lot of ways that I worry we will never be able to fully return to.
I suppose physical media became such an inconvenience to our society, but the alternatives have taken away so much from us and artists. We want it all right now. I admire those who continue to make media in physical forms. I admire those who still listen and read this way. Our phones have become a huge problem. And yes, I say this even as someone with a company who now replies on social platforms and online media to promote. In the very least, the heart of Velvet Landing Co. is to create opportunities for connection, curiosity, and building community.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
Something that I think a lot about is the scarcity mindset. Before I was familiar with the term, I was unaware of the ways it was affecting my life. I would cling to it all, fearful of loss. Having less did not necessarily mean I didn’t have enough. I began to see that reframing this mindset gave me the courage to make room for more fulfilling things, welcoming in new, healthy energy.
I realized I was accepting so much that I was unhappy with. When I left the job, the relationship, or the situation, I didn’t have less, I had peace and ultimately, more self-respect. I think the universe works in our favor when we meet our true needs and take the small leaps.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What will you regret not doing?
I will regret not traveling often, but that is something I am working into my life. The last few years have been generous to me in travel. Most recently, Paris, Ireland, Santa Fe, and New York.
I have had some of the most memorable interactions while traveling overseas. Each trip opens me and develops my practice further as an artist.
My vision as a filmmaker is to find opportunities across the U.S. and overseas. This challenges me out of my comfort zone and ultimately fulfills the desire I have to meet incredible people and to document their stories.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.velvetlanding.com and www.lindsaylgoss.com
- Instagram: @velvetlandingco and @hey.itslindsay
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@VelvetLandingCo
- Other: email:lindsaylgoss@gmail.com
velvetlanding@gmail.com
