"It's not about being the best.

Words of wisdom from the female bassist of controversial band Mindless Self Indulgence, Lyn-z Way. Not only is she an excellent performer, she's also a versatile visual artist with an endless imagination. Many recognize her talents, having collaborated with fellow artist such as Francis Bean Cobain. Their exhibit Ghost For Sale sold out. Both producing enchanting yet relatable works of art. Then, of course, her most epic collaboration yet; marrying Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance.

In an interview with Taste.Tv in 2008 she is seen discussing her experiences with the public after suddenly gaining attention from what was originally a goofy stunt.

"Not being able to play bass when I first joined the band freed me..."

That's right. When Lyn-z auditioned for the role of bassist years ago, she had little to no knowledge about the instrument. Her entry condoned by pulling off a stunt of epic proportions.

When she arrived to the audition, they asked her to play three songs. She played. Really badly (her words, not mine). Fumbled around. In the process of doing so, actually broke her guitar strap. Nervous about how unimpressed they were, she decided it was time for plan B. In a world where you can be anything, always be yourself. Especially if that person is a punk kid.

Plan B consisted of an old film canister full of Bacardi 151, match sticks hidden in her pony tails which she struck on her bass after swigging the booze and breathing fire all over the room, as well as the now elated front man Jimmy Urine. "YOU'RE IN THE BAND!"

Oh, that means she has to learn play bass, right?

"It's not about being the best. It's about having the courage to put yourself out there."

And what is more courageous than playing a live show in front of 4,000 people, front lining for System of a Down (widely known, politically charged progressive metal group) after only 2 weeks of playing bass?

She goes on to describe how she believe society puts too much pressure on being perfect. "I was an asshole when I was a teenager," All a part of growing up. Her ability to reflect is admirable. She goes on to say, "I had to like myself before I could like other people." Like anyone in the interest of the public eye, she was met with insults and insinuations. "She's so ugly." or "She's such a skank." But rarely were the insults "She can't even play bass." Makes me reflect on all the times I was fixated and self-conscious about what could happen without realizing people are going to find something to hate no matter how you do your thing. But it's your thing. Do it.

"They're not shitty because they're confident. They're shitty because they don't feel good about themselves."

What I thought was going to be research ended up being a profound facet of inspiration. Not everything is meant to be perfect. It's not always about technical form. True art cannot be critiqued. We all have our own ideas about what is aesthetically pleasing.

"I'm not drawn to perfect packages, I prefer mine with a little dirt"

Just like the epiphany Lyn-z had when she felt freed by not knowing how to play bass- I, too, felt somewhat freed by this interview. Realizing life isn't about people pleasing. You will never make everyone happy. It's impossible. But most importantly, if you know the secret code for your happiness and success, you should use it. A lot of us do not make these realizations until the later stages of our lives have arrived. And while I believe it's never too late to make a change in your life, I also think about the many opportunities I missed out on being afraid of failure. My brother said to me once, "Success is defined by you." So ask yourself, really be honest. When will you consider yourself successful? You might find you're already a lot more successful than you realize. It's only up from here. And the possibilities are truly endless. Just ask one of my all time favorite bassist who said in 2008 she would most likely never learn the 'proper' form of bass playing. And why should she? What she does sounds badass!