Lindsey Stirling Is 'Proud' of Herself for 'Stretching Her Creativity' This Past Year: 'People Aren't in Boxes Anymore'

Lindsey Stirling is able to challenge herself by being able to "creatively jump between a lot of different types of projects," and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"This year has been really, really exciting. I would also say exhausting. It's been less of a big picture and a whole album cycle when you have this one focus and just continue to grow bigger and bigger and bigger — but this year was very different," the artist, 39, exclusively tells OK!. "We did a cruise, then we had a symphony tour, so I had to reimagine all my music, then we did a rock tour with Halestorm, and it was taking my music the exact opposite way and being like, 'How can we take my songs and turn them into rock 'n' roll?' Now, we're getting ready for Christmas, so it's been a lot of switching gears, and how far can I stretch my creativity to keep it a fresh feeling each time? I'm really proud of myself for what we've created this year."

The violinist, who skyrocketed to fame after being a quarter-finalist on Season 5 of America's Got Talent, has been booked and busy — something she feels "fortunate" for. "I get to wear a lot of different hats as a performer," she shares. "I can take my music into totally different avenues, whether it's a symphony or a rock 'n' roll tour with my songs. I'm grateful I can really stretch my world a lot, and my fans will show up."

"People aren't in boxes anymore. I feel like so many people have such diverse tastes, and as an artist, it's exciting to be able to meet your fans in different versions of themselves. They can dress up as a rocker, but they can also go out for a nice evening in a theater. It's been so fun," she adds. "It gives me freedom, which is quite exciting. I feel as an artist, you get to be grateful for the version you are to the world, and this is the artist I've chosen to be. I am grateful for the kind of artist I am and the size of artist I am. It allows me to be more malleable and turnable."

Stirling understands she might not be the biggest artist in the world, but she's quite alright with that. "I get to be fluid with my work, which is so important these days. I have to remind myself that I am so happy with my career. The fans come for me and support me and give me freedom," she says. "In this industry, some days you can feel like a superstar and you're like, 'Wow, I'm so lucky. I can't believe I get to live my dream,' and in some ways, I beat the odds of what people thought I could do. You can live in that space, but you can also feel so small and so insignificant. It's actually more about shining where you're at, and this is something I have to continuously remind myself of — not looking at the size of venues, but looking into the eyes of the people you can see from the stage and be like, 'Look at that young girl or that mom over there.' It's more about the individual connection."

Stirling's shows are also not to be missed, as she is super active on stage, incorporating aerial work into her performances. "From dancing to being up in the air and spinning and holding onto a hoop with my leg while I play the violin ... it sounds super wild, but it's something I've trained for for years," she states. "When I first started to go down this journey of being a performing violinist, I wanted it to be super visually engaging, a high-energy show. It's funny — I didn't dance and didn't know how to dance. I was in my mid-twenties, starting a career in music and was like, 'I'm going to learn to dance.' If 23-year-old me could see what I am doing now, I'd be pretty blown away. I've continued to test the limits, and it is through tons of training and tons of work and gym time. I've really built this strong muscle. I would have never imagined I could hang upside down and play violin on a hoop. It started with just practicing to spin in a circle while playing a violin, and now, 15 years later, I'm so grateful I didn't stop taking one step at a time."

In order to get in the best shape, Stirling works on her upper body strength. "I've always been a pretty squidly dink kind of a person," she quips. "I was always tiny and had no arm strength. It's been quite empowering as I am in my late thirties now, and for the first time ever, I am realizing I can do pull-ups, which is crazy. It came from lots of gym time to get the strength to be able to lift myself up on the hoop and practice."

"At the end of the day, I am a violinist and my hands are my most important asset," she continues. "I was working on my silks for my tour last year, and it got to the point where I was working so hard, I started to lose feeling in my hands. I push pretty much to the limit, and I'm so proud of what my dancers and I do on that stage because we push ourselves super hard!"

The older Stirling gets, she knows it's important to put her mental health first. "You have to listen to yourself and trust what you actually need. I got all these tours and was exhausted. I took things slow afterwards, allowing myself to sleep in and be 'lazy.' Every time I'd catch myself being like, 'You're so lazy,' it's like, 'No, calm down.' I need to be so gentle and so slow with myself, but at the same time, knowing when it's time to stop and say, 'Let's start making goals again.'"

Though the California native isn't a fan of working out or practicing her violin — "it's very repetitive," she says — she tries to find a reward along the way. "When I'm at the gym, I can listen to a fantasy audiobook or a new album I'm saving," she dishes.

Ultimately, Stirling wants to connect with her beloved fans. "I hope I give people a sense of, I can do things I want to do. People on stage are normal, too! I take moments to remind my fans I was never super special as a child. I was your average kiddo, I've dealt with mental health struggles, I deal with imposter syndrome, I feel like I am not enough, but I think when I get up on my hoop and do something supernatural, people leave saying, 'She's a normal person who does cool things.' That's what I hope people leave my shows feeling," she says.

Now, Stirling is gearing up for the busy holiday season and her tour. "It's always fun to return to the holiday show because it's my version of Christmas traditions," she reveals. "Since 2017, I have done a Christmas show of some sort or a Christmas tour, and it brings me so much joy. I love getting to sprinkle Christmas around the United States — and we revamp it a little bit. After such a crazy year of a lot of new things and new types of shows, it's comforting to go back to my Christmas show that I love so much. It feels cozy."

As for what people can expect, there's a new type of aerial routine. "I've started training, which I am stoked about," she shares. "We always put humor into the Christmas show, and we've some new bits. It'll be fun!"

Stirling also loves being around her "tour family."

"This is my chosen family. It's my little circus I get to travel around the world with and create art with. We've seen each other through the thick and thin of it and the beauty and hardships. We've experienced losses, weddings, people having kids ... I am so honored and proud to be able to create art but also create smiles across the world with these people," she gushes.

On top of everything, Stirling is "starting" to write new music. "I'm excited to experiment again and be playful with music. I don't have a specific sound that I'm going for, I've got some scripted projects I've been slowly working on, which would take me into a different world. It's an itch I've been feeling I need to scratch, so I am going to lean in," she says.