A lot of people know Jamie Lynn Spears from her years on Nickelodeon playing the title character on "Zoey 101." Still others probably know Jamie Lynn for the unplanned direction her life took when she became pregnant at 16. Many know her as Britney Spears’ little sister. Finally, there are multitudes that know her as an emerging country artist: a singer, songwriter and budding performer.

But what many do not know about Jamie Lynn Spears is that underneath her celebrity exterior, she’s also very smart, thoughtful, hilariously funny and incredibly insightful for someone so young (just 23 years old).

She’s also a friend to creatures big and small. During the interview just before mine, Jamie Lynn had a daddy long legs spider crawling on her. She didn’t freak out; she just quietly plucked him off her and moved him to a safer location, quipping, "No animals were harmed during the filming of this interview!"

Above all, what I learned today is that Jamie Lynn Spears is grounded in her choices, is filled with hope and has a clear plan in place to accomplish her dreams.

Two years into her newest career endeavor and a year after the release of her debut extended play album "The Journey," I had the chance to catch up with her before her show at Country Thunder in Twin Lakes on Saturday afternoon. Sitting in the green room, here’s what she had to say about her song writing, inspirations, SaladGate and life lessons learned.  

OnMilwaukee.com: You’ve talked about being able to find "your sound" over the last couple years. Describe your sound, what you’re trying to convey with it, and the process that went into finding it – basically, I’m asking you where you fit in the country music genre and how did you find that fit?

Jamie Lynn Spears: I think as an artist, you’re constantly evolving. If you’re not, then you’re not challenging yourself. And when I started really, really writing seven years ago, I went in there with an open mind. I went in with some amazing songwriters. So I was really taking the point of view where I was listening and taking in all of the greatness that is Nashville and all the talent that’s there. But when I started telling my story, that’s when – and really being free with that – is really when the sound started to kind of come to life. It was like there’s kind of a Cajun side to it, but there’s also this young girl, and there’s this mother and all that mixed in creates a sound that can be, at times, a little sad but other times like a triumph, you know? It’s all about ... I think my main thing and my main sound is just about being a strong person – not just a strong woman, but a strong person.

OMC: You have over a hundred songs in your current catalogue. What’s your writing process like? For example, where do you write, how long does it take to write a song, what are your inspirations, how does collaboration with your co-writers work, really anything that’s important to you in writing a song.

JLS: There’s no one way. It’s not like I wake up and say this is what happens. It’s always different. I could be hanging out with one of my friends and something inspires me. I could be driving down the road, and I record a voice note. Or you can be in a planned co-write where you’re, you know you want to meet writers and talent, and you want to work with people whose work you like. And sometimes you go in a room and it’s magical. You create this beautiful song. And then, sometimes, it doesn’t happen. So it can be spur of the moment. It’s really just all about what inspires you. But I think it’s ... no matter what, it’s important to keep writing, to keep doing it, to not let it become foreign. Because then you’re not challenging yourself.

OMC: Keith Hill turned the country music world upside with his interview in May, now known as SaladGate. As a female artist how do you feel about his comments that in order for country radio to get ratings, the female artists need to be taken out of the mix?

JLS: I mean you can imagine how I feel as a woman. But I think that if anything, it just gives us women another reason to band together and put out some badass songs to give people a reason they have to listen. If you put something out that’s undeniably good, people will listen, and I think we’ve got a good group of women right now who are really wanting to do that. And it just gave us a little more ammunition.

OMC: Knowing that as a female artist you already have a couple strikes against you with Keith Hill’s comments and you already have a difficult time getting airplay – not you personally, but all women artists – what strategies are you employing to connect with fans and get your music heard?  

JLS: Well in today’s world, I think that being as personal and interactive with your fans on a personal level is so important. It’s so easy to do these days with your socials and with all of these things. As much a trouble as that can sometimes bring, it can also bring so much light into the situation. And I think that it’s really important to continue to stay connected. But also, to make them a part of your journey, not just make them feel like they’re watching from the sidelines. I think keeping them involved whether it’s from doing chats with them whenever you can, or whatever is. I think just staying really involved with people is really the most important thing.

OMC You’ve said it’s hard to write "happy" songs. Why is that?

JLS: Well, I’m in a different place now. I think that for a while there was a ... you go through spells as an artist and it’s easy to ... I mean sometimes everything sounds beautiful on a grand piano so that’s also another thing. But I think, for me, it is sometimes hard to get in there and say, when you’re in a weird mood or whatever, to get in there and just to force something. At that time and place, I think you go through times where it’s easy. It’s all about where you are as an artist.

Right now, my last writing trip that I did with a lot of females, we had a lot of fun and it came to me a lot easier as it hadn’t had before. I think it’s all about where you are. So at that time, maybe I was just depressed [when I said that] or something, I don’t know. (laughs) Maybe I was eating too many Cheetos!

OMC: On the flip side of happy songs, you’ve said that you hope your journey connects to and helps others, which is super important. And I think people need to understand that things haven’t always been easy for you. You wrote "Big Bad World" at a really lonely time in your life, you said; will you let us in a little bit and tell us about the place you were at when you were writing that song?

JLS: I do feel I’ve always been very blessed. No matter what’s come my way, I feel like I’ve been in circumstances that I’ve had opportunities to really be in a blessed situation. But, no matter what, we’re all human. We all can be very self-involved. And at that time, I was living in Nashville by myself with my little girl. It’s a new area for me. I was just really homesick. It was my first time being away during the holidays and all of that. So for me, it was just really about no matter who you are or where you’re from, it’s where you feel so small. And you just want something familiar. And that’s just where I was at that moment in time. Thankfully, I got a good song out of it. (grins) And I’m really proud of it.

OMC You’re, you’ve said, in a place of contentment now, but can you tell us what you’ve learned from your low times?

JLS: I think you look back at any times that you consider low times and you look at those as where you really find who you are, and your strength in that. You look back at that and you say, there’s a little bit of, you know, you get to feel proud of yourself for doing certain things or making certain decisions. And you also look back at some of them and say I’m not so proud of that one!

But I just think that being able to look back at everything and have some perspective is really what makes me feel good about where I am now. I just feel like no matter what life throws at me I’m really blessed, and I’ve got a lot to look forward to. So that’s kind of where I am right now.