Miami based music sensation Iris Stryx is spreading her unique sounds in a crowded industry. The rising star has been developing a unique sound that puts her artistry to work. Wearing many hats as a prolific artist, Iris helms each part of the creation process, from songwriting and production all the way to mixing and mastering. She took time away from her busy schedule in order to sit down with us and discuss the importance of addressing mental health issues through art.

“The key is to build a loving, non-judgemental relationship with your own mind,” is Iris starts the conversation. “But it takes practice. Daily meditation is essentially the workout you need to build this ‘awareness muscle'”.

The ‘awareness muscle’ is a concept the illuminated artist repeats throughout our interview, making an important point to highlight how he embeds this reminder into her songs.

“Each song has an element of a conversation with both sides of the mind: the conditioned and the unconditioned. I address the difficulties of being in the middle of these two worlds and trying to find a balance in the process,” Iris adds with a charismatic smile. “We just need to really get in tune with the parts of ourselves that are on auto-pilot due to the conditioning.”

As a means to an end, Iris took to her successful music career in order to help spread these messages after a lengthy battle with anxiety and depression. Not one to pout about the difficulties, Iris emphatically states, “It was a blessing, because it allowed me to dive deeper into a side of the mind that was really absorbed in the depths of emptiness. Suffering in silence while observing the suffering really opens your mind to the ultimate nature of our conditioned minds.”

When asked about the importance of music in her journey, Iris smirked, “It was my saving grace, because it also allowed me to momentarily detach from my conditioned mind.” Easy to see her joy with the art form, he added, “Those breaks from my ego based self really allowed me to dive deeper into what it means to exist in peace. I was becoming free by becoming aware, without necessarily realizing it at the moment.”

In the midst of her compelling career, having released a string of viral hits emphasizing virtues such as selfless love and kindness, Iris makes it a point to always make time for self-reflection. “Just like a physical workout, a mental ‘workout’ like meditation helps create this anchor that can help guide you throughout your day, reminding you to gently catch yourself in the midst of your conditioned behavior.”

Even with a successful career as a singer, producer, songwriter, Iris Stryx mentions that the journey is more important than the achievements. She concludes our interview with the wisdom of Buddha, “Material things and successes have no intrinsic value. Selfless good deeds do. So aim for virtuous acts in order to create a genuinely fulfilling life by helping others as much as possible on your journey through life.”