What I've decided to do with my blog for the foreseeable future, why I currently prefer a different method of blogging, and my new creative priorities.
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First of all, my apologies for having taken so long in posting new content for the blog. I don't want to drag this post out any more than it has to be with giant explanations, so I'll just say it's been a rough year, mainly with the passing of my mom back in May.
Since then, I've been struggling to be inspired to do just about anything, especially write more content.
I started this blog years ago with the intent of having an outlet where I can express myself through writing. In the early stages, the blog served this purpose well. Lately, though, I've had to take several steps back due to many priority shifts in my life. Thus, I can no longer commit time, attention, and energy to the blog in the form of regular blog posts.
One of the most difficult struggles I've faced is the fear of failure. Being the perfectionist I am, I've had a hard time overcoming this flaw in favor of releasing new content in the form of books, stories, music, and other creative endeavors.
With all this in mind, rather than posting regular blog articles, here's what I've decided to do instead.
As you can see above, my creative priorities have changed somewhat.
While hard at work writing, recording, producing, and mixing my own music over the past several months, I've found a renewed passion for playing and creating music. So I've decided to table my writing pursuits (stories, books, novels, etc.) and relegate them to "hobby" status for the time being.
You wouldn't believe the relief I've felt since adopting this new mindset shift. Now, instead of feeling guilty for not finishing my current writing project (a novel I've yet to finish editing for over two years), I can now work on it at my own pace. Instead of focusing on my writing as a career, I can relax and enjoy the process and journey of writing rather than only seeing the destination as the sole means of creativity.
So, for the foreseeable future, I'm concentrating my attention and energies on creativity itself in the form of practicing, playing, and creating original music—becoming an artist again, in other words. I've also discovered a newfound interest in mixing music—totally by accident while working on my own musical projects. As such, I'm considering transitioning into engineering other peoples' music as a side venture.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
This past weekend, I enjoyed watching a great Bluegrass concert featuring several artists including the legendary Isaacs. While sitting there soaking up the amazing musicianship and performances, a light bulb—rather an explosive firework—went off in my mind. I instantly knew what was wrong: I desperately needed—and missed—getting fed creatively.
I understood that I needed to spend more time filling up my creative well rather than spending all my time and attention of spilling my creative energies for others. I've been doing the latter for years in the form of private lessons, courses, performances, etc.
It's true that too much of a good thing isn't necessarily, well... a good thing. Taking a break to create rather than produce is something I desperately need; it's what makes me who I am creatively and what helps me create the things others enjoy.
Not only was a shift in creative priorities necessary; it was inevitable.
So moving forward, my preferred method for blogging is actually via my Now page. It's simple, short, and great for keeping my readers updated without having to devote the energy to writing a new blog post every week or so.
Granted, if the notion hits me just right, I'll definitely post more blog articles. But once again, there's no pressure. Just like with my other writing projects, I've relegated my blog to "hobby" status. This frees me to enjoy the creative process again instead of meeting deadlines for something that simply doesn't light me up in the way creating music does.
As I write this, I'm putting the finish touches on an upcoming single from the album of the same title, an album I've been working on for the past couple of years. The single (and the album) is entitled "Revival in the Air," and it's one of my most-requested original songs.
Since releasing my latest single, "Metal Crush" (see the video above)—a hugely fun project, I might add—I've decided to put the pedal to the metal and produce more of my own music on a faster timeline. My goal is to mix one song per month, and so far it's looking pretty good. I admit, I've been late on this deadline the last few times, but not by much.
While I won't be posting blog articles left and right, I will continue to maintain my Now page whenever I have several updates to post for readers. And if you're subscribed to my blog, you'll get notified whenever a new post goes live, so there's that.
All in all, I haven't abandoned the blog; I've just been pursuing various other creative priorities that will make it much better once the inspiration they ignite prod me to create new content—when the time is right for me.
Besides, with over 70 articles to choose from, there's plenty of content here already. Also, if you're looking for even more exclusive content—another one of my main focuses for now—you can check out my Patreon page. In fact, I recently revamped it to reflect my current pursuits: creating tablature from my most popular YouTube videos, monthly Livestream Hangout videos, and more.
No matter what form of media you decide to join me on, I thank you for your patience and understanding through these past difficult few months and my current transition to new creative priorities. I look forward to giving you more of what you came here for in the first place—my creative perspective—even if not necessarily in the form of blog posts.
E
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