If you were to hear Kim talk of his formative years, you couldn’t be blamed for assuming that he was birthed with a guitar in his hands. He was that kid at school that wouldn’t pass through the gates without it, regardless of whether he had music class that day.
In fact, young Kim Churchill announced he was going to one day be a professional guitarist, before he even knew what that meant.
From coffee van to camper van
At 13, Kim got his first taste of that professionalism - as backing noodler for his mate’s dad's cover band. At 15, he headed down to the local market to try his shaky hand at solo busking. And while he may have succumbed to nerves 40 minutes in, making a bit of cash was enough of a reason to give it another go.
And good thing he did, as his raw talent attracted the fandom of the local owner of a coffee van – who suggested Kim plug in to its PA system. From then on, Kim was tethered via guitar lead to that van, following it around, honing his skills and learning how to draw a crowd.
After highschool, Kim graduated from coffee van to his own roving camper van, from busking to festivals, and from live to recorded music. He signed a deal with a major label and played his first international shows.
It’s safe to say his career was underway.
Like something out of a movie
At around age 24, Kim lived both the fun and frightening part of a Hollywood music biopic. Growing fame brought with it attention and opportunity and buzz. Record companies were touting him as the next big thing, and his songs were set to appear in hit TV shows.
But at the same time, Kim was learning that in order for your art to reach the world through conventional channels, it had to go through various gatekeepers, many of whom want to profit from your potential. He felt increasingly put upon - powerless, confused, and creatively constrained.
Not only was he struggling to buy into the hype being thrust upon him, but he now felt he couldn’t make a move unless someone told him to; as if his identity was dissolving before his very eyes.
He had two choices: continue to lose himself, or go back to his roots.
Going back to his roots
Kim returned to home turf; planted his feet on home soil. He slipped back into his camper van and took the literal and figurative wheel. He busked, played small towns, and… just… enjoyed once again being Kim Churchill.
Slowly, his confidence returned. After stripping everything back, he was able to tune in the real purpose of his art and life, and let it be his true north.
Now, he manages himself. He works with only a select few people that understand what he is trying to do, and will actually help him do it. This has allowed his art to breathe, to go in whichever direction it wants. He no longer has to worry about what might get played on the radio, or might appeal to the most people. If he wants to add a small café to his latest tour, he will.
“It feels just so much more me. It feels so much more successful, in so many ways.”
Rising to the occasion of life
Kim came face-to-face with who he didn’t want to be as an artist and as a human being, then escaped that trajectory to forge his authentic pathway to success. He is now enjoying career accomplishments like never before, but he’s doing so on his own terms.
Such a profound transformation has resulted in a heavily revised personal dictionary. Kim now defines success, purpose and self-worth very differently.
He learned that hinging your happiness or “I’m enough-ness” on career success guarantees neither will ever come. He believes those things come with living a balanced life, eating a balanced diet, exercising, sleeping, nurturing beautiful friendships and relationships, and finding meaning and purpose in what you do.
“I think a SuperHuman is a human who rises to the occasion of life”.
What he means is if a human can, in the face of suffering and struggle, enjoy what they can, create what they can, and live and love and learn what they can—if they can rise to the occasion of life— then they are truly SuperHuman.
SuperHuman Habits
Managing himself and his own career required a different brand of self-belief than what Kim was used to. SuperFeast’s Reishi played a part in helping him realise it.
One particular week, he had been given a range of SuperFeast products to see how they worked when used for creative purposes. On the day he was meeting with his accountant, who was explaining how to run the back-end of complicated software, he had tried Reishi.
In that moment, not only did he realise that he was capable of taking this aspect of his career into his own hands, but he was also having this beautiful spiritual experience of gratitude.
“Jeez this Reishi is good stuff. I am fully focused. I am learning this. I am developing skills and then above that, being really proud and a little bit emotional about doing all that.”
Reishi is now a daily staple, and has replaced his coffee. He claims it’s changed his life in a “really positive way”. He takes three heaped teaspoons a day, and for the last two years has incorporated Reishi capsules into his pre-performance ritual.
We are honoured to play even a small part in such a genuine artist’s creative life.
