https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxOyjqFjSCY&feature=youtu.be
VIDEO – Introducing New Album
I spent many years ‘reacting’ to what life threw at me. Music became a way of expressing myself, a way of taking control of emotions and navigating through societal processes. I didn’t think I had what it took to be a musician; my guitar and vocal skills didn’t match up to those professionals around me and the industry appeared to be cut-throat and competitive. Keeping my music to those precious hours after work I used it as a way of finding refuge in a seemingly un-friendly world. I remember when I first wrote a song in this way; staying at my Nana’s for a week to study for my GCSE’s and writing the aptly titled ‘Dream world’.
A series of life-changing events at the end of 2012 brought about the motivation to change the way that I was living. Those always present bumper stickers began to jump out at me from everywhere; ‘life is short’, ‘live to work not work to live’ ‘you are blessed with a unique gift’. I felt compelled to see what would happen if I stopped listening to my fears and put my energy into those things I enjoyed doing. Quitting the day job, I selected 9 songs from a life-long repertoire and set about creating a musical debut album.
It took 3 years to develop, record and promote its release, and in doing so, found that I was re-visiting the same moments from my past again and again. I didn’t write a single new song during this time and found that emotional turbulence, which had always been my source of inspiration, was slowly being replaced by an inner peace. I was in the early stages of realising those benefits that come with aligning ones purpose to ones joy. Space was opening up and with it, an in-flow of new inspiration. By its end, I was ready to write music in a completely different way.
After completing Julia Cameron’s ‘The Artists Way’, my daily routine adopted an hour a day to exploring my interests without the pressure of a particular outcome. I took notes on the Indian Chakra system, Carl Jung, the Tarot, Egyptian hieroglyphs, the Dogon of Mali and quantum physics. While superficially these themes appeared to be unrelated, upon synthesis ‘The Creative Process’ was born.
I myself have been through The Creative Process a dozen times to write songs for my next album. These new songs, based on concepts outlined in Caroline Myss’ book ‘Sacred Contracts’ are an exploration of 12 personal Archetypes (see Carl Jung for further reading on Archetypes). Myss, suggests deep inner reflection on your personal life journey so far, and the identification of Archetypes that stand out as your closest companions. In this way, my music has become a collection of daily mantras that support my growth and development. Rather than reacting to what is happening around me, I now begin song-writing by first going inwards; visualising my strongest sense of self and writing songs from a place of calm.
To further support this, The Creative Process I have designed provides a holistic outlook that shines a light on inner conflict and makes space for inspiration. It’s aim is to pursue an inner harmony of the masculine and feminine resulting in a strong foundation upon which we can build. I am now a conscious creator and am committed to becoming the change I want to see in the world.
Currently being offered in the form of 4 x 1::1 creative consultation sessions, The Creative Process is now available to the wider community. You can read more about this here.
Watch this video for a brief description and performance of new song PIONEER