The last few days of the first month of 2015 are rapidly approaching and I am thrilled with the amount of productivity that I have been able to maintain over these last few weeks. Today though, I woke up with an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
I never in my wildest dreams thought I wanted to play music. It just happened, but now, I realize that I couldn’t live without music. I love to write, sing, play, and perform. Like any field or art, there is constant room for improvement, growth, etc. Yes, I am sure, that like any field or art, there are many moments of self doubt. I feel as if I experience the later more than I should.
As an artist or a musician, each piece you create has a little bit of you in it. You offer that openly to the world for the taking, the critique, as well as the rejection. Sure, as an artist you should be able to remove yourself from that situation, but the reality is that you can’t. It is difficult not to be personally involved and even more so not to take the negative personally. I have tried very hard to avoid the negative. I find myself to be my harshest critic, therefore I am often hesitant to share my work, in this case my songs.
This month, I forced myself in a way that I have never done before to share my music. I submitted one of my songs to the Tiny Desk Concert Series Concert. Now, we will completely overlook my strong dislike for contests anyway, and embrace the notion that I took a huge step. I submitted my video to the NPR contest and was hesitant to let anyone else know that I had entered my video, but I overcame that too. Since I have let go of this fear of sharing my work out of receiving negative feedback, I have received anything but that! Nothing but good has come from it and it has proved to be a valuable lesson.
Now I have shared this video, the links and articles that it has been included in (by Ovrld and KUT Austin) all over Facebook but what I haven’t been able to mention, or at least communicate clearly enough is my overwhelming sense of gratitude to those that have liked, shared, and given me the support that I have needed! I have always felt has if I have never fit in here in the Austin music scene, this week has proven otherwise and has given me the momentum I need to keep propelling myself forward.
Thank you to the following folks for sharing links, tagging me in posts, etc. I couldn’t feel this way without you. (There are many, many more of you, but this is the beginning)
Lisa Kettyle (Austin badass: barista, promoter, pedicabber, the list goes on)
Lee Jaster (fellow singer/songwriter)
Alexis Alexander (in need of ancupuncture? She’s your girl!)
Avi Hartman (badass welder- video was filmed in his warehouse)
Terri Lee (that adorable dress I’m wearing… hers!)
KUT Radio, Austin
Ovrld
*NOTE*- I realize the winner’s of the Tiny Desk Concert Contest won’t be announced until the end of February and I most likely won’t be one of them, but for now, I am feeling like a winner! Thanks ya’ll! (Yes, so cheesey, I’m sorry)
Ok, Ok, it’s no secret I’m completely head over heels, and googly eyed over refinishing furniture. Like most projects they need a home. A stack of embroidered towels is one thing, but a collection of furniture seems to build up a lot quicker in a one bedroom apartment.
I feel like just the other day I just wrote an entry about how I’ve been working far too much and not focusing on what matters to me. I get stuck like a hamster in a wheel or a drone working for the Queen. It’s the daily routine, the grind, the mindlessly trudging away, and when I get to the point of pausing I find myself scratching my head, “Why am I doing this?”
og entries.” They were onto something without a doubt.
made by laura lee 