Lindsey Stirling‘s inspiring documentary Brave Enough just aired on 17 May 2017 on YouTube Red. In it, Lindsey opens up to the public about some of the personal challenges that she has faced throughout her personal life and her career as an electronic violinist and YouTube star. She shares details about her struggle with anorexia along with how she coped with the sudden death of her best friend and the failing health of her father. She says of her challenges, “All my trials have really helped me prepare myself to become more brave. Every time you get up a little bit stronger.” She has had quite a few trials that we see in her documentary, and yet she still musters the courage to perform for large audiences and share her story.
Drew Steen (drummer) shared that “Lindsey is the most hands-on artist you’ll ever see, from the live show … the choreography, the videos. Lindsey does do it all.” The documentary shows Lindsey fixing some problems that she found with a few of her costumes. At one point, the stars on her outfit weren’t glowing beneath the black light, so she cut some neon duct tape in the shape of stars and stuck them on her outfit. She really is very involved in every aspect of her shows.
Lindsey explains that her album Brave Enough was “very much inspired by the passing of my best friend [Gavi] and that extreme loss and learning to reopen again.” Later, she says, “After Gavi passed away, I just kind of closed up. I was so almost numb to everything. But one thing my dad tells me all the time, he’s told me my whole life: you’re never alone, no matter how alone you feel. Our loved ones aren’t gone after they pass away. Every time I went to the studio, I wore something that reminded me of him, and I would also pray that Gavi would help me write.” As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (a.k.a. The “Mormon” Church), Lindsey believes that when people die, their spirits live on. This belief has given her a lot of hope and peace, enabling her to be able to move forward with optimism. Lindsey shares something that she learned from her tough experiences: “You know, we can’t block ourselves from emotions. If you numb the bad, then you’ll numb the good.”
Lindsey always tries to share a meaningful message in all of her shows to help people who might be going through difficult experiences. She also remains loyal to her beliefs. Lindsey’s mom said, “Mostly I’m proud of the person that she is, how she has stuck to her values and stayed true to who she is. She’s just a bundle of light. Ever since she was a little tiny thing, just a bundle of light.”
At the end of the documentary, Lindsey says, “Life is not one journey to a destination. It’s a constant fight. It’s a constant battle to stay optimistic, even if you’ve been hurt multiple times. The scars that you carry, they can either make you hard, or they can make you strong—make you empathetic and not bitter, and we all have that choice. It’s a climb. You can rise past your trials. You can be brave.”
Lindsey’s documentary Brave Enough is definitely worth the watch. It will make you laugh, cry, and be inspired. Check it out on YouTube Red.
