I decided to go to New York City in April. It was one of those decisions that, on paper, looks like a terrible idea, but in my mind it feels like the right thing to do. You could argue that I've met my travel quota for this year, but still New York has landed on the agenda as an act declaring my desire to keep moving forward. One day at a time, one song at a time, one fan at a time to try and solidify that I'm not going backwards and I'm not standing still. I'm making choices, even the dumb ones, to show that I'm doing this thing that is me. Are you doing the thing that is you?
I sent a song out into the world and it hasn't come back yet. Our dishwasher broke, our dryer broke, our garage door broke, we're broke, but we're doing OK. I wash dishes by hand, I hang the laundry on the line, I open the garage door with my own arms and we're doing just fine.
I'm reading this book about resistance, being a professional, doing the work and turning life up to eleven. I love parts of the book, I don't like parts of the book, and it made me think about my own work in a new light. Would I have called myself a professional songwriter before reading it? I don't think so. It took me a long time to use the word 'songwriter' to describe myself. It's going to take some time to get comfortable with the word 'professional.'
Last week a barrage of new songs showed up all the same time. One about a bird, one about being girls, one that's been hanging around half done, one instrumental that needs one more thing and my brain was all over the place. Did I want to spend all my time on these projects? yes. Did I? Of course not. Resistance came in the form of housework, facebook, netflix, work, cooking, lists and crap and kept me from my work. The next time you think your work should take a back seat to "doing the right thing." Tell the right thing to shut the hell up and go do your work.
Was that too forceful? If it was, then it means I'm letting myself off too easy these days.