KAIVON
All of us are born with a purpose. Whether we believe we were granted a mission by some higher divine source; or perhaps we believe we were instilled with an energetic direction supplied by the planets rotating above. Regardless, in each and everyone of us is this inner, burning desire to DO. And what that calling looks like will be so vastly different depending on the person. The simple point is - we all have a mission, we all have a calling, we all have a purpose. We are here on earth, surviving each and every day, waking up to the new sunrise or sunset, because we are being trusted to follow through on our personal perspective + approach of whatever calling we have. And Kaivon truly shines a light on this in his interview with host, Eddy Barco.
Short and simple, Kaivon is a born and raised Angeleno* who initially began his journey studying at Loyola Marimount, a local university. Within his first year of studying something other than music, he became cognizant of how dissatisfied and unfulfilled he felt. So, on impulsive, he decided to listen to the small ember of passion he could feel within, and dropped out, becoming a student of the infamous ICON COLLECTIVE.
Fueled by aspiration, he made sure every minute he spent there counted; studying furiously, applying all criticisms + comments, and practically sleeping in the lab, just working on and honing his skills. And once he graduated, he wasted not a single moment. He dropped his music like the trees effortlessly drop their leaves.
So many graduate from this school; and yet, only some come out of it successfully. What separated Kaivon from the many of his peers was the intricate detail of perfectionism. As we are all too familiar with, being obsessed with holding out until something is perfect can be absolutely debilitating. How many of us naturally fail to ever go after what we want out of fear of it not being perfect? Fortunately, however, Kaivon did not let this stump him. He discerned the importance of releasing his music as soon as possible. Thus, he released all fear + anxiety around his projects, and just did the thing. He knew things wouldn’t be perfect, but he also understood that there truly is no day, but today.
With minimal efforts, he found his first release to be a major success; ultimately affirming his understanding that focusing on getting things to be perfect is not the way to go. He discovered that it is more important to be quick + efficient, while trying your ultimate best. Naturally, from that first release he found more and more opportunities begin to head his way.
And then COVID hit.
There is not a single soul on this earth who has not been devastated in some way by COVID. It is the ultimate reality (regardless of length of time depending on country) that no one alive today will ever forget; nor will the history books, or various historians who will tell today’s story.
With COVID, came the lockdown. And the lockdown provided so many of us with the shocking confrontation of our own selves. Ultimately, none of us could run and hide from our personal shadows, our issues, and our fears + anxieties. No longer was the world a place in which we could be distracted by our day-to-day life. As we all know, our regular day-to-day life no longer existed. We ultimately were left with nothing other than ourselves.
What many of us do not know, is that prior to COVID, Kaivon had been diagnosed with a severe level of OCD. Upon that discovery, he had been working very hard to improve his physical and mental health. He quit smoking, and essentially any and everything else, all with the ultimate goal of being 100% sober. Not necessarily an easy feat for any of us.
And especially not an easy feat when surrounded by the claustrophobic dark four walls supplied by COVID. As anyone would, with no escape, with no vice to help hide away, Kaivon was faced with himself. And naturally, he found himself facing some deep, and emotional lows. When any of us reach these lows, we have just a few options. We can turn to a vice, we can spend all our energy distracting ourselves, and alternative (though painfully), we can also try to heal + be constructive, just to name some. Kaivon took the harder and more rewarding route. He decided to be constructive; he decided it was time for a new direction.
A new creative direction, for that matter.
If you’re an avid fan of Kaivon, as many of us are, you’re aware of the profound depth pulsing at the heart + core of his music. And he was well aware that this style was one of the main reasons he had gotten so much success. But how can one fully be successful, if one is not fully satisfied + fulfilled?
“I understand that sad / emotional music can help some get over their sadness. That doesn’t help me. So I thought to myself - “What lyrics could I say that would give myself and people joy? Feeling the way I do, what would I want to hear right now?”
Kaivon did one of the harder things for any of us to do - to just trust ourselves; our own desires, needs, and wants. Kaivon took a good, hard, and close look at where he was; he faced the shadow of what was truly nipping at the fire within him. And he began to make music that made him feel good; that provided a sense of peace, and happiness. The kind of music he never really made before. The kind of music that suddenly captivated his own soul in an inspiring and influential way. He began making more “uplifting” (if you will) type of music.
In a more grown, and self-respecting zone, Kaivon is more focused on his purpose.
“I try to remember my purpose which is to reach people through my music and that’s honestly what keeps me going.”
They always say - you can’t help others if you can’t help yourself. Ever more connected to his purpose, to his mission, to his calling, Kaivon is fully on his journey; pursuing his desire to connect with others, all of which, ultimately, began with connecting to himself.
*Los Angeles native
