Career Champion: Megan Dunn
Continuing with my favorite series: Career Champion! One thing I love about the blogging community is meeting incredible, strong, beautiful, courageous and wildly talented, smart, innovative, entrepreneurial boss babes, chief chicas, inspiring women. Every month, I'm going to spotlight one of these incredible role models and share a little bit about what makes them amazing.
I’ve known Megan Dunn since middle school - my favorite memory is that she was the first to show me how to download songs off iTunes! From that day after school to now, Megan has been showing what it means to speak your truth and live your dreams. From battling an illness, to debut her music to creating a safe space for sexual assault survivors, Megan is changing the world one note at a time. Read on to find out more!
1) There’s so many things I want to ask you about so let’s start with music. How did you get into music and how did you decide to pursue it?
I've been playing guitar since I was 14 and singing for fun as long as I can remember. I stopped throwing away my songs when I was 19. It was when I got really and sick and couldn't go to college right after high school that I started playing a lot more. I had all of this time and anxiety that I needed to do something with, so I started writing songs and actually sharing them! I think the idea of pursuit with my music is more of the eagerness to share and connect. I'm okay if this doesn't become a big career. It's nice when people just want to listen and share with me. I plan to release new music this coming fall!
2) Honestly, I’m still jamming out to your EP More Than a Body. What is your inspiration when writing songs? Do you have more coming?
I'm so flattered to hear you're still jamming to my EP two years later! A lot of those songs came from my struggle with being physically ill for so long, but they also comment on mental health struggles that can coincide with chronic illness. I also talk about being a survivor of sexual assault with my song Body. Everything in that EP came from struggles with my body and trying to reclaim it and identify as more than.
3) This brings me to the other reason I was so excited to talk to you. Tell us about your project More Than a Body - how did it come about?
More Than a Body came from my wanting to create a space for survivors. I've known since I was a kid I wanted to use my experiences for something good, but for the longest time I didn't know how and in what way. My song "Body" led me to the name for my EP and the project. It encapsulates everything I'm trying to help people remember and encourage them to be mindful of: the message that they are more than their body and always will be. It immediately felt like the right name for a positive movement of healing and heading towards the light. I didn't want to create a heavy space, but an open one for every and anyone that identifies with the message and wants to be part of a survivor's based community.
4) What do you have planned for More Than a Body?
I have so much planned for More Than a Body, it is so exciting! I have been able to take more action on the Kent State University campus as I'm still attending school there. I've been working to get a branch established and we've had great success with meetings, events and collaborations with other organizations there. We are planning a concert fundraiser and other special things for this upcoming Fall 2019 semester. Once I graduate, I'll be handing it off to other members at Kent and plan to focus on the Columbus, OH branch and implementing the project elsewhere. I have a seriously amazing team in Kent that has helped MTAB truly take off. I 100% could not do this by myself!
5) In a time of #MeToo, why is it important for women to raise our voices?
In this time of #MeToo I think it is important for women to raise their voice, because we deserve to be respected and heard. It's been too long we've not been treated equally. In saying that, I also believe that in this time it is imperative everyone raise their voice--and listen. I think men need to speak up, they need to call out other men and abusers in general. Everyone has to take action, not just women, not just survivors. As amazing as it is that so many women and survivors are coming forward and sharing their stories, I think it's also important the validity of all of this doesn't depend on survivors exposing their traumas. People need to trust it is happening and take action. We should all care about this all of the time, whether someone details out their account for us or not--it is happening. The reality of our society is this is happening everyday and that has to change.
6) What do you envision in five years - where will you be in music, with More Than a Body, etc.?
I feel so much is always happening in my life, it's hard for me to predict the future! I know in 5 years I will have been graduated from Kent State for 4 years with a Fine Arts degree in Textiles and I hope to be deeply involved with my field by then! My textiles work is very important to me and I have a lot of goals set in regards to that career. I also hope to continue to play shows and release music as I have time and also find time for MTAB. Essentially, I see my next 5 years as being incredibly busy, but chalk full of work I'm passionate about and things I love! I hope my future self quickly finds the balance to manage it all!
7) Go back to high school graduation - what would you tell yourself?
Going back to high school graduation I'd remind myself being able to graduate high school on time is a huge deal and that is does not matter if you need time off before college. Being sick is no small thing and everyday victories for some people are huge victories for you. You'll be eternally grateful for your time off, because this is when you find yourself and what makes your heart sing! Let yourself breathe for a minute, it's okay to take a rest.
8) How do you find inspiration?
I find so much inspiration around me, I never have to go searching for it, it's crazy! I find it in my loved ones, my classmates, my professors, strangers, music buddies, my struggles love, my everyday life, etc. Everything inspires me to write and create lately and I feel very grateful for that. It can be something really simple and mundane, it doesn't have to be grand. I think creating is how I manage the struggle of the human condition and mundane parts of every day. With the need to create to function, inspiration more easily surfaces.
9) Who is your role model?
I'm lucky to be surrounded by countless incredible people that I admire, but my main role model is and always be my Ma. She has always been an example to me that there is great strength in kindness. She is such a survivor, one of the strongest humans I know. She always appreciates the little things and showed me how to do that, too. She shows by example how to choose happiness over bitterness. She's the kind of person that sees a hot air balloon or rainbow and chases it all over town. She's always accepted me for who I truly am and encouraged me. I'm open-minded and open-hearted because of her, I'm a dreamer and a doer because of her.
Rapid Fire
Favorite snack: Hummus and blue corn tortilla chips
Favorite music inspiration: Kelsey Lu
Favorite TV Show: Schitt's Creek
Favorite phone app: Instagram
Favorite season: Fall
Best way to spend a Friday night: Playing a music show or going to a music show!