About time I’m here, putting myself out there. Doing the things I’ve been talking about for years.

It’s scary to step into the world you’ve been building in your mind, soul, and heart. The preparation and anticipation is probably one of the hardest parts:

• The overthinking: what if I’m not ready, yet?
• The doubt: what if I’m not good enough?
• The stalling: no one is going to notice anyway.

But once you are called to the stage or the brush is in your hand, you are being asked to show up and let it out.

There’s a reason you have what you’re holding — no one else has what you have innately inside of you. There’s nothing you need to do or accomplish to prove otherwise.

You just have to show up for your creativity.

And now stepping up to my goals, meeting my talent where it’s always wanted me, I can confidently say I’ve pushed it aside for too long.

I’ve invested time in everyone else’s projects, needs, ideas — presented myself on a silver platter, hoping others will find me valuable. And here I am, wondering, “when is it going to be my turn?”

It’s been my turn all along;
I’m the one that said otherwise.

I’m the reason I didn’t stay involved in my music community after spending years building it with DayDreamer.

I’m the reason I didn’t have gigs because I thought my job was more important.

I’m the one who stopped writing songs and locked myself shut out of fear of what would come out.

It’s painful to look in the mirror, but it’s in that reflective work where you get to meet the main villain of the story:

you — and then you get to choose differently. And yes, it’s always a choice to choose differently.

So, this is where I’m at right now — choosing different. You can’t expect different results if you keep doing the same thing.

• Don’t have a stage? Make one.
• Don’t have a canvas? Paint on the walls.
• Don’t have a film camera? Use your phone.

You can sit in the envy, the resentment, the jealousy wondering why you’re not going anywhere all you want. I have for a long time, and it’s probably news to a lot of people. I don’t show it, but damn, does it live here.

Or, you can listen to the fire that’s calling to you from the inside, wondering when you’re going to do something with it, and share it with the world.

It’s in there, meant to come out.

So what are you going to do?

You clearly have something in you — and it desperately wants to come out, galavanting around the world feeling wild, free, and in peace.

From all my years in corporate tech, our work is not our life, yet we treat it like it is. It deserves far less than we give it, and it’s because money runs this world.

While I’m not telling you to quit your job and move to the mountains to write your next novel (but, damn, how nice does that sound right now…), all I’m saying is find some time for your art.

Identify what that next pursuit, goal, or endeavor is and stick to it.

For me, that’s streaming every Sunday. Not only is it scary, it’s also become a fun, exciting routine I get to place in my week.

It’s also a stage I get to curate and build. It’s a practice I get to talk to friends and family about. It’s become my favorite thing to plan out, prepare, engage, and use as content.

And best of all — it’s authentic to me. I get to talk about my struggles, learnings, what I’m thinking about each week with anyone who wants to share in it.

While my thing is singing and telling stories, it’s really the community that keeps me going.

I think we all could use a bit more community. If you agree, I’m glad you’re here and I hope you’ll stay.

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Now the fun stuff

What’s on rotation

I’m an album-girly. I enjoy walking in the morning and evening, listening to a new (or new to me) album each time. I also love a good record store find and sharing my picks with the world.

what’s on the calendar

If you’re unaware, every week I host & perform “The Sunday Streamies” on YouTube.

It’s my current endeavor while I keep myself fresh with performing, building my own stage and audience, and I pull content from the stream.

But past streams do not stay up for longer than 1 week (or at least until the next one). Just like any in-person performance, you have to be there to experience it or watch it before it expires.

(pro tip: if you subscribe and have the link, you can watch the back catalogue for now…)

Missed the last one?

You can watch it here, and either subscribe or be notified of the next one!

What are the Sunday Streamies?

A time for us to have fun as we wind down the weekend and before the next week begins. If you’re feeling the “Sunday scaries,” this is made specifically for you. Let’s take that energy and put it elsewhere!

• Pre-show at ~4:30pm CT — I’ll start the stream, play some songs I like listening to (along with displaying lyrics) as I get setup and ready.
• Show starts at ~5pm CT — I’ll play my original songs, a few covers, and chat about music and creative living in-between.

Unlike a live, in-person performance, I can’t see you or hear you. It’s a very trippy experience after being used to crowd laugher, applause, and interaction. So, if you feel inclined, I would LOVE your messages in the chat or reactions.

Bring a drink, a snack/dinner, and a friend — let’s have fun!

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Well, that’s it for now. Thank you for being here & I hope to see you again soon!

Love,

Kelsey in Paradise