where is my mind?

Confession time: I kind of feel like I'm running uphill with this blog right now.  There are so many things that I need to do and it seems like I don't have the time or the funds to do them.  I keep having setbacks and I was starting to get really discouraged, until I saw this photo on my friend Kaitlin's tumblr.

"order up." by flikr user danisoul

Sometimes I really just need to remind myself: I started this blog as a fun, creative outlet through which I could share my music and meet people.  I did not start it to add more pressure and stress to my life.  I'm not going for the best blog of the universe award or anything.  Yes, it sucks that I currently cannot find my digital camera, my video camera's battery charger, or any of their connecting wires.  But then I remind myself, I just moved in June.  There are still a few unpacked boxes that are probably hiding these items.  Yes, this means that all the videos and photos that I'd like to be posting here are trapped on their devices or are as of yet unrealized.  But that doesn't mean that I'm "failing" at this blog.  It just means I have to wait a little to post those things and I need to be a little creative with the content in the mean time.  No big deal.  Yes, it would be nice if I could afford a digital SLR camera (like the Nikon D3100 I've had my eye on), so I could take my blog photos to the next level. But I'm living the broke life, and it's better to be realistic and remind myself I have to use my money for things like food and rent and bills.  And isn't this a good incentive to work a little harder at finding paid gigs for the band to play?  Yes, it sucks that my blog's layout isn't as unique and beautiful as I'd like it to be.  But that doesn't mean I can't change it in the future.  Sure, I can't afford a web designer right now.  But that doesn't mean the blog will look like this forever.  I'll figure it out.  That's the thing I really need to remind myself.  I always figure it out.  I may suffer from anxiety.  Sometimes I let it get the best of me.  But then I remind myself, I always resurface on the other side.  Usually with a solution.  So this post is going to be my reminder to be at peace with the state of my blog.  There is no reason for these silly little problems to get me flustered.  It stops today.

This is what's important: I am putting myself out there.  I haven't put myself out there in a while and it can be kind of scary.  But I like myself, so it doesn't matter if other people don't.  I like my music and I have to play it, it's bursting out of me.  If people don't like it, who cares.  I'll play it anyway.

So how about you?  I'm sure you all have a million silly little problems that you let bother you, even when you know better.  How do you remind yourself of what's really important?

Prose-colored glasses.

The show last night was a hit!  If you haven't heard, Spinner's End had our big debut in Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice at the Princeton Public Library last night, as part of their Page to Stage series. It went so well and the audience loved our musical spin on the story!  I'm fairly sure there are some pictures and videos floating around out there, so as soon as I get my hands on them I'll post them to the blog for all of you lovely people out there to see.  It looks like some Important Theater People may have liked the show enough to give us another staging opportunity.. fingers crossed!  If we get to produce the show again, I'd love to expand on the music we wrote and maybe even involve some more musicians in the process.  We shall see!  Either way, a nice relationship has been established between our band and the amazing people that work to bring art programs to Princeton's gorgeous library.  Hopefully more opportunities will follow!

I'm so jazzed by how well things went that I've decided to be a little brave and post some of my prose on here.  I'd like to include some of my writing from time to time as a feature on the blog here, so consider this the first of many.  I don't normally write prose, I'm really more of a haiku poet and lyricist, but in the name of bravery I figured I'd jump right out of my comfort zone with my first post.  However, since I've been working furiously for the past few weeks on Eurydice, I don't exactly have anything new to share.  So this is a piece I wrote about three or four years ago that I'd love to share with you all.  Feel free to let me know what you think, I encourage constructive criticism and would love to discuss the piece in the comments with anyone who has something to say.  I call it "the boy in the car behind me."  Check it out after the jump.