Where to begin?
It's been two months now since publishing this website. In many ways it feels like a lot more time has passed since then, while in other ways it seems like no time has passed at all. Almost as if my mind is still stuck from back when I first took this big step months ago.
I guess the biggest factor in why I feel this way is due to how drastically my routine has changed since then. Back when i was working full time the days went by a lot quicker. Wake up, go to work, clock out, get drunk, repeat. I didn't allow myself the extra time of day to work on the things that I've been focusing on now because I was so eager to forget about the day that just happened. The projects that I've accumulated would just kinda sit there, I knew what needed to be done, but I wouldn't give them the attention to progress them to completion.
Since breaking that routine my days have been spent much differently. While I was bartending full time I let a lot of things slide away on a day to day basis. Simple things like laundry, dishes, and general housekeeping. Now having the extra time, the state of our living space has become a much bigger priority. It's gotten to the point where if the dishes are piled up too high, or there are too many clothes on the bedroom floor I find it hard to concentrate on anything else until these things are back to the way that they're supposed to be. One thing that has helped keep me on track, and sane, is listening to vinyl records. I find that it helps create a rhythm for the day. Not only does it provide background noise to zone out and listen to, but it's also nice to get up every 20 minutes to flip the record and take a quick break to gather thoughts about whatever I'm working on at the time. Some times there's no better sound after sitting at my laptop for hours than the sound of the needle sliding to the end of the groove signaling me to get up, take a little breather, and put something else on to get me through the rest of the task.
As far as work is concerned I've made some good strides in designing and printing more content. "Leroy" has been by far my most successful print to date. I was thrilled to see this six layer print turn out almost uniform in its' first run of 10.
Hannah and I have been doing a lot of research and planning about vending opportunities. We've been preparing ourselves for taking on this kind of business approach by creating and gathering inventory to sell as well as collecting displays and decorating items. I think the biggest win when it comes to this corner of our lives was acquiring our first card reader. It's such a small piece of the puzzle, but getting in in the mail and setting it up made everything feel very real.
The music is happening, but I can't say it's been my top priority as of recent. I recorded a scratch track of the first song "I Just Wanna Die" and posted it privately on soundcloud (Let me know if you'd like a link).
I guess my biggest take away from this past month is how to prioritize what to work on every day while understanding the importance of finishing previous projects before working on something new.
It's great to be constantly coming up with newer and better ideas, but most often than not you find yourself with buckets full of fresh ideas with no tangible work to show for it. I find the hardest part of the process is willing yourself to make that extra push and really take the time to turn the rough draft into its' finished form. Be it a drawing, a song, a photograph, or whatever it is that you're passionate about. It's easy to get halfway and think to yourself that it's good enough, knowing good and well that it's not exactly what you fully envisioned it to be.
This is basically the summary of my love/hate relationship with my music for the past half a decade. I'd love to start working on something new and branch into a new direction, but my older compositions haven't been given the attention that they deserve in order for them to see some light before I move forward.
Going forward I've definitely gained a lot of confidence with the direction I'm trying to go in. I've gained handfuls of wonderful feedback from strangers, friends, and family alike. It's amazing how much these small comments can go such a long way. I have a much clearer vision of the steps I need to take in order to move forward while also making sure to take care in maintaining this momentum that I've gathered. There's still a long way to go before I consider myself to be in a comfortable position. But if anything is certain it's that I'm making progress, slowly but surely. It's these smallest seeds that grow into the hardwood forests.
Thanks for taking the time to check in on me. It's friends like you that truly make my world go round.
-David
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