The Artist Journey
The Artist Journey is a podcast for creators, visionaries, and soul-led artists who are ready to walk their own path and awaken their higher purpose. Rooted in self-realization and self-idealization, this space is where art meets personal transformation. Through guided insights, thought-provoking conversations, and powerful quotes from visionary thinkers, we explore what it means to create not just art — but a life of intention, authenticity, and light.
The Artist Journey
Come Sit and Chat With Local ATL Guitarist Christopher Harden
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In this episode, we sit down with Christopher Harden, a talented Atlanta-based guitarist and singer who is relentlessly pursuing his dreams. Christopher shares his musical journey, the challenges he's faced, and the passion that continues to drive him forward. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about perseverance, creativity, and staying committed to your vision.
Hello, hello, hello. Welcome in to another episode of The Artist Journey. Today we have the pleasure and the honor of speaking with Christopher Harden. He is a guitarist and a singer in Alanta, and I'm so excited to have you on our show. And yes, so like how we like to start off every episode is we love to read the message and the yogi tea. So you got um, I think you got cinnamon. Yeah, you got cinnamon. Okay, so alright, so let's see.
SPEAKER_00This is it is the light in the lantern which uh shows you the path, not the lantern.
SPEAKER_01I like that one. That's a good one. What is that you said make you think?
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01What are your thoughts on it?
SPEAKER_00I guess like I guess what it's in the inside.
SPEAKER_01Like your inner light.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01It makes you think of your inner light.
SPEAKER_00Mm-hmm. So yeah, it's kind of a little deep. Yeah, kinda like a little message in there. So like that is deep. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Because you're not just the vessel. You're not in uh you're not an empty vase.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yes. You'd be given a light or something special, like a gift or something. Yeah. And that would um just guide you or whatever you're doing. So yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. That was deep. Wasn't expecting that one.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so that's what I thought, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so tell us about yourself. Where are you from?
SPEAKER_00Um, I was born and raised um in Stonecrest, um, Georgia, which is um just outside of Valenta. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Okay, nice. I think uh I'm getting so I moved here four years ago and I know I know Stone Crest, but I'm also thinking of Stone Mountain. So are they are they near each other? They're not here.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01They are? Yeah. Okay. So it's kind of a okay.
SPEAKER_00Like in the same area. Um Okay. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's nice. I like that area. So when did you start making music? What and what introduced you to music? Like what's what got you started?
SPEAKER_00Um, when I was um I guess 11, um I my father taught me um bass guitar. Um, and I started playing that in church.
SPEAKER_01Oh, okay. So you started the bass guitar. Yes. Okay, nice.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's really nice. So your your father played um he he played the bass or he played um he played multiple instruments, or was that his main So he played bass and he played piano. He played bass and piano for the church or for himself.
SPEAKER_00Um for the church. For the church? Yes.
SPEAKER_01That's that's that's great. I feel I feel like a lot of great singers and musicians started at church. Because church is like home. You know, church is the place where you can like you know develop your skills and have coaches that are serious because they're serious about the Lord and about Jesus and about you gotta get those notes right.
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_01You're the one that's for that's how that's how church is, and like with dance, so with all the arts, you know, it's very serious because it's their ministry, it's their service. So um, so it's really you're getting really good coaches at church. Um, and I feel like a lot of amazing, amazing artists have been developed right there, like you know, in their home church, like Whitney Houston is an example.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, um Aretha Flavor.
SPEAKER_01Aretha Franklin, yeah, a lot of great people, like yes, a lot of great, a lot of great um little Richard, you know. Yes, yes. So right right out of church. So yes. Um so you perform all the time. Like you're always you're always performing. So Christopher is he's he is ambitious, he is always putting himself out there, he is, you know, a great example of what you're supposed to do as an artist, like just being seen. Because I feel like one of the one of the things that is um nerve-wracking for artists who are starting off is being seen, like putting themselves out on the stage. So, how often do you perform a week, or how often do you suggest someone who is who likes to who likes music, who likes to perform for themselves, but wants to perform out in the world? How often would you suggest that person to perform and how often do you perform?
SPEAKER_00Um so be like once a week. I think I'll put I will perform once a week, um at least. Um I think that's good. Yeah. Kind of not burn yourself out, but at the same time, like um I guess showcase um your talent and then you could meet other positions and just hear and see other artists to be and and kind of bounce off, like get ideas of your own just by watching um these other artists. Um so yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you you expand your network and your community through attending events and and just doing the your self-service, your work of just being on stage, you know, and just connecting with people at least once a week. That's uh yeah, I think that's great too. Well how what's the longest time you've gone without performing? Like did you ever have you ever taken a hiatus, or have you or have you just happened to just like not like has the time in your life ha come to you where you weren't able to perform as much? Or what's the longest time you've gone uh without performing?
SPEAKER_00Hmm. Oh I'd say month on a month and a half. Um there were a couple instances. Um one instance I got injured, so I was able to um I was still able to, but uh, I can't drive myself out. So kind of hindered. But um I guess that kind of helped me regroup, um rest a little bit and kind of practice at home. Um then another one is kinda I was at one point I was um out too much, so I had to kind of like step back.
SPEAKER_01Um what was too much for you? Like what was your what was your too much?
SPEAKER_00I think uh at one point it was like four points a week, so like back to back, back to back. Wow, yeah. Yeah, so it was like that's not I mean it's good, but it's not good. Yeah. Um yeah, I'm out here, but like I'm not um getting too tired, so we gotta step back. Yeah. Um so yeah, I had to recoup and just kind of rest. Um know that I could still be out here, but um, I won't be forgotten. But um Yes. Yeah, just like yeah, buying it to balance like how um how much so yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, how much is too much, you know. So yeah, and and having that having that balance is important, you know. So what are some challenges that you face as an artist? How do you overcome them? As an as an India, do you come do you feel like you have any challenges, or do you feel like you know you're just having fun too? Do you are you like what's do you have any chall do you feel like you face any challenges in your artistry, or do you feel like you um you don't have any challenges?
SPEAKER_00Um a couple. Um I think one's like um um gigging. Um picking up gigs. Um 'cause it would be like in the season was not as consistent as I would like. It'd be like months without end, like why should they get like an actual gig. But um I still I guess the fun part of this, like I still like e either way, like get out there like whether it be like a jam session or something. Can't keep your networking. That's like the fun part. Um then I guess the other ones, like uh I guess writers block. Right your block. In the sense like writing songs or poems. It's like damn. I have this idea, but I can't really fresh it out just yet.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So and sometimes it sometimes it takes like from from what I'm thinking from my experience is like the poem comes on its own time. Like sometimes it may take uh a month. I actually finished writing a song, like I had the instrumental, but I didn't have the words. I had like a small piece of it. Yeah. And I just wrote the whole song to it, and it took me about three years. Because for the words to come for that specific sound.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So I feel like sometimes I feel like I feel like the the poem, the song comes on its own time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and that's what I think too, like I would think it would be quicker than it's like the I guess the sound and the type of songs, like it can't really be rushed, but uh just making sure like keep that idea, you know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I guess that's one of the I guess challenges is just um I guess five block is like how soon, I guess.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So like I want it done now. Right. Yeah, yeah, I get that. So what are you most proud of? What are you most happy with with your um and your journey as being uh a guitarist and a singer? Was what are you and and being you like what are you the most proud of with your craft?
SPEAKER_00Um what I'm proud of is um bringing people together, um having people staying around with me. Um yeah, I remember the first time like it was like such a surreal feeling. Like, damn, this is amazing. Just the whole venue, whether it be a coffee shop or like uh theater or whatever, um just having everybody joining like a quiet type. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um the vibe is really good, it's nice, like yeah, it's a lot of lot love. It's like tribal kind of in that sense, like yeah, like um communal, like we are all together. We're all we're not family, but it's like family, you know? Yeah, yeah, like that, and like you can't find that everywhere, like you don't go to work and have that. Because I don't, I mean, not yet. Maybe one day I'll be able to build something like that with the artist journey. Yes. So, um, but like right now, no, you don't really experience that. You experience that with your family, or you experience that like you know, as artists, you go out there. That's another reason why it's a great reason for like if you're watching this or you're listening to this and you're an artist and you're nervous to go out, you'll find your family, you'll find your tribes, you find you may find your best friend, you may find your fiance, you know, your your partner. I mean I yeah, I met um infinite at an open mic, you know. So yeah, you just play the guitar. So yeah, so it's like you know, when I met my bestest friends um going going out in open mic, because those people see you because like artists, we we're kind of we have like a squishy side of ours, like that, like that we draw inspiration from, but like some people don't understand it and some people love you for it. So I feel like when you go out, you meet pe like-minded people, it's so healthy. Yeah, so what advice do you have for um people who are uh uh artists, young and old, who have something to offer and uh something to give a talent, a craft, or something like that, and they're they're afraid to put themselves out there. What advice do you have for people like that?
SPEAKER_00Um that's crazy. Um, let's see. I should see when I started. Um started with me like just wanting to go to your event or just wanting to get out of the house. Um and then I met a couple of people and a couple of people said I got open back going too. Um did you come? And that's where I started. So like finding I guess going out and coming like what like I say, the uh the I guess the uh a friend or two and yeah, bring a friend or two with you for support, yeah. For support and then if it's gonna like yeah because it is kinda scary too. Um yeah, especially like when you don't know the body.
SPEAKER_02Yes, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I don't want to it's yeah only 50 changes like uh that is the point. That is a good point. So like if you uh you could bring a friend, someone you do know, uh kind of help you get out them judges. Um and then I guess around the way it would it'd be fulfilling um to like meet other whether it be guitarists, um singles or poets like and build friendship. Yeah. Um even if you go to one spot like each week, like they will they will I guess know your face now and then know your name. Yeah, and then at that point start conversation and so yeah, so it builds up like it's careful, being a friend. Um and so and you see that it's worth it. Yeah um when you're long called too. It's like community buildings, right? You can hang and then ask for help, even eat. So like it's it's it's yeah, it's help it's help it's scary, it's but it's like going through that first that first step, it's always scary, but like once you get past that, it it's you know, it's kinda fun. Yeah, it's kinda good, it's kinda then the nerves just slowly but surely go away. And yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. Yeah, thank you for that. Yeah, slowly but surely it goes away. So you have to have the courage. Um once you get through the fear and you have the courage and you go out there and you are you bring a friend or two with you and you do it, once you go there, you'll see it's not as scary as you thought. It's not scary at all. Actually, you're right where you're supposed to be. Yeah, so with that being said, that's all I have for you all today. Do you have anything for me?
SPEAKER_00Um for them?
SPEAKER_01Any last words?
SPEAKER_00Um I gotta start. I didn't think, but um Chase of Dreams. Um Just um you got something somebody needs. Um Yeah, don't be afraid to um put yourself in a position. Um just keep going. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Keep going. Keep going. Keep going. Alright. Thank you, Mr. Christopher Harden. I appreciate you being here and taking your time and speaking with us. And until next time, you all see you later. Bye-bye.