For Michellar, music is not a return to something lost, but a continuation of something that never truly left. After first discovering songwriting at the age of 15 and stepping away from it for decades, her reemergence as an artist feels grounded in lived experience, reflection, and quiet resilience. Her album REVERIE …. FROM THEN TILL NOW captures a lifetime of moments shaped by connection, challenge, realization, and growth, each song reflecting the paths that have led her to where she stands today.
Rooted in folk traditions inspired by artists such as Peter, Paul and Mary, James Taylor, and Carole King, Michellar’s songwriting carries an emotional honesty that feels timeless and deeply personal. Her creative confidence was reignited by a pivotal moment in 2023, when her work was accepted into the deYoung Museum Open Call Exhibition, validating a long-held artistic voice and opening the door to new possibilities.
Since then, Michellar has embraced songwriting with discipline, curiosity, and spiritual openness, crafting music that draws from nature, introspection, and human connection. In this interview, she speaks candidly about fear, trust, collaboration, creativity, and redefining success, offering insight into an artist who creates not for recognition alone, but for connection, meaning, and shared experience.
REVERIE …. FROM THEN TILL NOW reflects a long personal journey. What inspired you to finally bring these stories together into one album?
What inspires me to bring these stories to life are the connections that I make with everyone These stories reflect those moments and days where I had challenges, difficulties, realizations in life and about life , that touch and shape my outlook on life. These experiences have made me what I am today.
Growing up with folk influences like Peter, Paul and Mary, James Taylor, and Carole King, how did those early sounds shape your artistic foundation?
These folk influences shape the way I write my melodies and lyrics. They were embedded in me in a way that I move around those notes and stories I play.
After a 40-year hiatus from songwriting, what fears or expectations did you have when returning to music?
After a long time away from music….I had fears of not writing the way I did when I was 15. I had fears that it will all go away again after I write a few songs and get discouraged. I fear I can not play my guitar as well as I did. I was afraid to perform in front of people. I had fears that I will not be able to finish my songs to a point of releasing them for the public to hear. There were definitely a lot of fears starting back up again. I expected that my songwriting was very rusty but with every song I wrote I gained more confidence . With every performance I had in open mics I gained more trust in myself that kept me going and so I did..
How did the deYoung Museum Open Call Exhibition in 2023 change the way you viewed yourself as an artist?
The deYoung Experience changed my outlook of myself as an artist in a profound way. With the validation of my artistic work from that acceptance ,I looked at myself with a no limitation mentality. Exhibiting in a museum… was one of my childhood dreams. For that dream to come true…. I felt bold to take on further artistic endeavors . With Songwriting reemerging… I am taking myself to places where I haven’t been before. I am growing everyday…. Experimenting with my abilities… that scare me a lot of times .
You’ve released a large body of work in a short period. How do you balance creativity, discipline, and self-care during such an intense creative phase?
In order to express my creativity , I had to discipline myself to a schedule of 3-4 hours day of musical work… whether that is learning Garage Band, recording, writing, trying out new chords, putting myself in a mode of no thought, to be able to accept what comes through in my writing sessions. There is a process called Mushin in Japanese. I embody that process. When I go into the studio… may it be visual or musical , I allow myself to be open to any kind of inspiration. There is something definitely spiritual about that process and I embrace it with full heart and soul. My Sleep has never been more interrupted since the songwriting started but I cheat and I nap when I can during the day. I also surround myself with as much positivity as possible.
Collaboration is an important part of your process. What qualities do you value most in a creative partner, and how did Tobias Wilson embody those?
I value honesty, trust, creativity and love in a perfect collaboration. Tobias Wilson has been honest with me about my songwriting process. He approached me with a book about the subject to show me how I can improve on the practice . He trusted my thoughts and visions of the songs as we approached each arrangement. He listened very well as I shared my ideas . He has the creativity to process those ideas sonically and musically so that we share the same outcomes. He loves what he does and it shows every way he handles the production process with me.
When you sit down to write, what usually comes first for you: lyrics, melody, emotion, or story?
When I sit down to write …. Chord progressions come first which is usually dictated by an emotion. The melody comes after the progressions. When the first lyrics are written, which are usually dictated by the melody and progressions…. A story emerges. The story then follows as the lyrics continue to flow. By the end … the story is written with that emotional core … filled with a melody and lyrics that I love and enjoy.
How do your life experiences outside of music, particularly your background in landscape design, influence the way you approach songwriting?
Being a landscape professional, I take a lot of my thoughts from working outdoors , into my songwriting. The atmospheres I am surrounded by daily take me to places in my songwriting that grounds me. Nature in every way ha becomes a conduit for self expression. Nature makes those emotions and thoughts real and relatable. I find clarity in nature and the helps me deliver my thoughts in my own soulful way.
What message or feeling do you hope listeners consistently take away from your music as a whole?
I hope listeners can find themselves within my song like the wind … passing through a tree. They linger, touch and feel the atmosphere that which surrounds them.in hopes that they found a symbiotic connection and relationship within its reach.
Looking forward, how do you define success for yourself as an artist at this stage of your career?
I define success by having someone say to me…. That my song has touched them in one way or another. The audience is a true indicator of my success. The connections is what makes me keep going. As an artist….to be seen and heard …and be understood and be felt…. Is a a rate of success that I measure immensely. At this stage … I am emerging and gaining some attention and I am so thankful for that. I shall continue as long as someone will listen.
