Episode 32 - How to turn your raw pain into your best work with Carla Patullo

Sometimes, the darkest and most discomfiting moments of our lives can result in our best art, our finest work, or our most powerful stories. 

Carla Patullo is living proof; and the Grammy she won this year backs it up.

Carla Patullo is a renowned film composer and multi-instrumentalist, who secured her first GRAMMY® win at the 66th Annual GRAMMY® Awards this year for "SO SHE HOWLS," in the category of Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album. 

“SO SHE HOWLS,” was conceived during Carla’s battle with breast cancer, and it blends howling vocals, orchestral swells, and electronic pulses to create a mesmerizing journey from grief and fear to inspiration and healing.

In addition to composing and performing, Carla is a prolific songwriter and has written over 100 songs with placements on film and TV shows, and she has written scores for over 30 films. 

In this episode of Storytelling with Heart, Carla explores her process for telling stories through music and sound, and she shares how she turned her most heart wrenching moments into a Grammy-winning — yet very raw and real — record. 

Themes we explore:

– How creating art can be a powerful outlet when dealing with difficult things, and why sharing your personal stories can be deeply healing

– The importance of just “letting it out” and not judging the work/art too much in the early stages of the process

– The value of keeping things raw, real, and human – and why it might even be a good idea to leave in some mistakes and imperfections

– How to think like a documentarian when going through a difficult time in your life, and why it might be worth capturing your thoughts and feelings along the way

– How to maintain your own artistic voice even when working for or with other people, clients, etc.

– The value of making time for your own creative practice (even if creative work is part of your job.)

– Why you should go ahead and make the thing you want to make rather than waiting for the perfect time. But also: the danger of false urgency and why it’s also a good idea to let things take the time they need to unfold.

Check out SO SHE HOWLS at https://www.carlapatullo.com/howls-preview