My definition of art has changed drastically over the years which I think speaks to the meaning I’ve currently settled on. Art is a reflection of the spirit and how it experiences life. That is why I stand by the fact that good and bad art does not exist. It is more about whether it is honest or dishonest. And even being dishonest doesn’t make it 'bad' because it is still a portrayal of where its creator is in life and the lens of experience they are viewing it through. Sometimes honest art speaks to a small portion of a population and sometimes dishonest art speaks to the masses.
With my own art, I aim to be as honest as I can be. I can tell you that some honesty I was expressing in the past has evolved to even opposite views now. Art is the thing that continues to save me from me. It is the thing that adds a question mark to the end of any definitive statement. It is what connects us to one another and ultimately to our truest selves.

My singing career started with my mom recognizing my particular affinity for musical movies, telling stories in my imagination, and singing constantly around the house. When she received an audition flyer in the mail for a local community theatre’s production of Grease, she became determined that I would take part. Ironically, I wanted no part of it as I was determined to focus my attention on sculpting. She knew in her heart that I needed to be involved in theatre so she forced me to audition and luckily mother did know best because I became obsessed and passionate about it, leading me to the performance-based career I have today.

Art is, for me, an ever-evolving form of self-expression. So with that, it has taken my entire life to get to where I am artistically today. And even now I don’t feel like I have fully formed what 'Blake English' is. I get little pieces of clarity every once in a while and that clarity goes into a song or a dance or a music video or something that allows me to report back to the world this new exciting point a view. Sad Girls Dance Party was my first big try and putting many of my artistic points of view and life experiences into a narrative, almost musical theatre-like, storytelling piece and I couldn’t be more proud of how it turned out.

(Laughs) All of my songs are my children and represent different pieces of me so it would be hard to single one out. That being said, my song The Neighbors has always felt like one of my prouder moments as a writer and a musician. I feel like it fully encompasses the type of stories I enjoy telling and the type of musicianship I want to explore in all my songs. It kind of showed me the type of artist I aim to be more consistently which is why I’d say it’s my favorite.

Even thinking about this one makes me uncomfortable. The fourth song on my EP is called A Ghost I Knew From Yesterday and it particularly deals with my feelings of betrayal by some of my family members as they have continued to support Donald Trump over the years. This one person, which shall remain nameless, played an integral part in my development as a person and as an artist. So when this person came out in massive support of a man that felt so opposite to everything I hold as valuable and 'right,' it was a massive blow to my identity.
I do think, though, having to put my thoughts into a string of words that work with a melody to create a story, absolutely helped me work through the issue. It helped me figure out what I was feeling in the first place which then allowed me the opportunity to work through it.

It takes me quite a bit of time to write a song, especially if it’s about feelings I’m still in the process of figuring out. Generally, the songs that I see through to the very end are songs that I have gained a firm grasp on what it is that I want to express. I’m all about the classic formula of storytelling which involves a beginning, middle, and end and I try to use that in every song I write. If a song is not gelling in certain aspects, I generally have to come away from it until more awareness moments of what I’m feeling come to me. That being said some songs like Sad Girls Dance Party are written in less than 30 minutes and I chalk that up to a fully processed feeling that could then form into a story through song.

I’ve always been fascinated with dark imagery and horror storytelling. When I was a kid, monsters and creatures were the things I gravitated to the most. I used to think it was because I related to this misunderstood outcast-type character. Now I understand that I felt like if I was friends with the thing that scares everyone else then I would be protected. Which as a child I had a lot of bullies to be afraid of, so protection was what I sought out in these imaginary fear-inducing beings. That being a theme in my childhood obviously plays a major role in the art I create today. I don't think I’m actually that dark of a person, if anything the feeling I get from horror is a pure and elated joy! It makes me happy and so I create it.

A common thread in all my work is the art of storytelling. I love telling stories and it’s why I do what I do. I can’t imagine creating anything without a story and so it will remain a constant in all of my work. In terms of being a game-changer, I really just think of it as I’m going to do what I enjoy and see where that lands. The short film aspect of Sad Girls Dance Party really is something I plan to utilize in all my videos because I think there's something really special about shifting the focus from the 'entertainer' to a narrative that takes the audience on a journey.

Art is our superpower. It is the thing that gets us through these difficult times. It is the thing that gives voice to concepts and ideas that otherwise can’t be expressed or experienced due to whatever circumstance present in one’s life. It is the changer, so yes art does, has, and will continue to make the world a better place.

Honestly, other artists are what keep me going. I get so happy when I see a piece of art or performance that I relate to or want to represent in my own work. Other artists fuel my passion. So I guess, yeah, it was pretty easy for me to fall into the industry. When you’re passionate about something, things just seem to fall in line with that passion and I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life.

Oh dear, well, I can tell you that I definitely want to be on Broadway. I guess my vision for the future is a bit murky. I know I want to help people. I know I want to create the things I love. I know I want to perform. I know I want to direct and produce a couple of the scripts I’ve written. I know I want to be on stage. That’s about where my vision for the future is situating right now.