If you haven’t heard by now I have relocated to a little corner in Nashville, TN. A place to retreat into my hermit shell to write, write some more, and really give myself some tough love by forcing myself to focus.
I believe as creatives we need to have some space to shed some skin. You can’t go on and on and on without allowing yourself to come back to center. It’s easy to get lost, to get distracted, to let the weight drop on your shoulders with so many pretty things along the way that cloud our paths. I am always the person who plans their life out 6 months ahead of time because that’s what you gotta do to be active in the music industry. So to just pack up the bare essentials into my car and head off to the music city with no plan…yeah that was a bit unexpected even I didn’t see that one coming.
Yet here I am.
Bed on the floor (on top of a really nice colorful rug of course).
A couple of posters to give the walls some personalities.
A handful of books.
4 journals.
New pens.
New strings on my guitar.
Well…newish.
Barely any money to make by.
And the only people I really know are the two people I’m living with besides that I’m just another stranger with a guitar.
I am grateful I took this chance.
Do you know how often you get to see your impact on the people around you?
It’s a rare moment.
The days leading up to when I left I was so taken back with the amount of love and support pouring in. Not that I didn’t believe it when people said they did support me but to see it…raw…and personal right in front of me. It really opened my eyes. All the stories shared, the late nights, the teary speeches one by one in private time. It was hard but everyone gave me that light (that last push of motivation) to drive 755 miles away from all that warmth because I knew I wasn’t wrong doing this.
So welcome to the new page—Shit—the whole new chapter in my life.
Getting out of my comfort zone, not to runaway or to turn my back on what I know but to expand on what I already do.
Allowing myself to be scared but not letting it hold me back.
I need to go ask questions, I need to explore, I need to grow and the only way to do that is to take that risky path filled with potholes, uneven surfaces and signs saying “caution falling rocks at times”.
At the end of the day, you have to take a step back from your “day to day” life and ask yourself “is this all I’ve wanted?” And if the answer is yes, then keep doing it! If the answer is no, ask why. What can you work towards to change that?
Sometimes the greatest and most simple answer is right in front of you. Allow yourself a break and be inspired by those around you. I am thankful I have.
