09. Tom Girl: Heartbreak, Grief, and Transformation with Quentin

Quentin has been creating for most of their life — theater, dance, vocals, performance, music — but this conversation centers on a project that took nearly three years to complete: their new album Tom Girl, an homage to the intensity, joy, heartbreak, and becoming of your twenties.What started as a “little solo side project” became something much deeper: a vehicle for grief, endings, identity, queerness, and a return to love — the kind you only reach after you’ve walked through anger and resentment without judging yourself for feeling them.We talk about what it looks like to let creativity lead you somewhere before you consciously understand where you’re going — and how art can become the place you process what life is putting you through.What We Discuss:How creating music became a way to process grief, anger, and a painful breakup when talking or “moving on” wasn’t possibleWhat to do when a creative project starts before you realize a chapter of your life is ending — and how to let the work guide you through itHow choosing creation over self-destruction can become a practical tool for emotional regulation and healingWhy resentment often points to unclaimed personal power — and how moving through it leads to peace and clarityNavigating queer identity, androgyny, and self-expression without shaping yourself to be more “acceptable” to othersHow learning to set boundaries made deeper love, safer relationships, and stronger creative work possibleWhat actually goes into making an album — and how environment, collaboration, and production choices shape the emotional impactHow to stay persistent in the creative industry, keep choosing your art during financial instability, and build a career without giving up on yourselfThis Episode Is For You If…You’re in your twenties (or healing from your twenties) and want to feel seenYou’ve ever used creativity to survive grief, heartbreak, or identity ruptureYou’re learning boundaries after years of over-giving or people-pleasingYou want a real look at what goes into making an album (emotionally + technically)You’re trying to build a creative life without stable money — and still keep goingNotable Mentions:Listen to ⁠Cleo Sol⁠, as a solo artist, as well as the band she performs in, ⁠Sault⁠ Check out ⁠Turnover⁠ and hit song “⁠Cutting My Fingers Off⁠”⁠Poems and Power⁠ women studies class with Chelsea Diane Follow Quentin: @itsquentin Follow + Support The Artist RendezvousIf you enjoyed this episode, the best way to support the show is to share it with a friend, follow the podcast, and leave a comment with your biggest takeaway.Instagram / TikTok / YouTube: @theartistrendezvousWebsite: theartistrendezvous.comReach out: [email protected] Artist Rendezvous celebrates the creative spirit of Austin, Texas, sharing stories of inspiration, risk, and the courage to create. Each episode explores what it means to live a creative life and the mindset shifts that enable artistic success.