DON’T PANIC

Fifty-two songs in a year is no small task, but Sanderson approaches it like any other undertaking—trusting that the universe will ultimately guide her. “I worry about fatigue,” she admits, “and I worry about burnout, but I think where I find balance is, like, well… if I am feeling that way, I can talk about that, and if I don’t feel like making a song, maybe I’ll sing about that.”

Sanderson seems to draw inspiration from everything around her—whether it’s people watching, driving aimlessly, skateboarding or the occasional romantic movie—and she derives a feeling of freedom in everyday life. Her relationship with getting tattooed shares a similar philosophy, one of taking chances, doing what feels right and trusting the people around her.

“There’s a tattoo shop in Indiana called Cardinal Tattoo,” she says. “It’s right next to the skate park that I was at every day. I would just skate and skate and skate, and then go get a tattoo. It just became my life, I was obsessed with these tattoos. I never knew what I wanted to get, I just wanted tattoos. They had a ‘get what you get’ box. It was 50 dollars and you drew two words out of the box. Whatever two words you drew, the artist went in the back and drew you a custom tattoo from the combination of those two words.”

“You choose your reality” is a line from Sanderson’s song SENSORYOVERLOAD*, and it encapsulates her approach to music, life and art. Sanderson has been in the public eye for her entire adult life, offering her insights, expressions and perspectives to an audience of millions. To her, this is only the beginning of her reality, as she undertakes her next professional platform, OnlyFans.

“Yes, I’m about to start an OnlyFans,” she says. “I feel like it’s going to be shocking for some people, but if you know me as this inspiring, motivating thing, this is just another outlet where I can tell my audience to fuck societal norms. Show your body, show the things that make you feel free. It’s an outlet of empowerment in my eyes.”

Lauren’s approach to the subscription service is ultimately another avenue to connect with people.

“I’m gonna be showing behind-the-scenes clips from my music videos, photoshoots and my life,” she explains.“I like the idea of being able to just talk to people. It’s another platform where I can build a more carefree approach. Think of it like Instagram, but the raw version.”

Sanderson’s message has always been one of positivity and a yearning to connect, and as she evolved as an artist and a public figure, that message evolved as well, branching outward into whatever medium she chooses to communicate.

“The bigger message behind me doing this is that I know so many artists who want to do an OnlyFans, but they’re scared of what people will think,” she says. “Well, I’m secretly scared of what people think too, but I’m doing it to inspire people to put themselves out there and not care about judgment.”

Lauren Sanderson is an artist. She takes the mundane from her surroundings and turns it into a true expression of herself. If the first thing we learn from talking with her is “Don’t Panic,” then the last thing we learn would have to be…

“Don’t listen to criticism from people who you wouldn’t take advice from.”