What Are Weekends For?

While you’re busy building your career, your life is being built too…even if you don’t notice it.

What do you want your life to look like? might be a better starting place than What do you want your career to look like?

Things like…

What time do you want to wake up in the morning?

Do you want to cook dinner with your family on a regular basis?

What are weekends for?

What do fulfilling relationships look like to you?

Is it more important for you to live where there are sidewalks or forests?

How often do you want to see your parents?

Do you want kids and what are they going to learn by observing you?

How do you refuel?

Do you want to be bumped into more often or have people be surprised to see you?

How do you want the vibe to change when you walk into a room?

 

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

When Creativity Is(n't) Called For

We’re not looking for creativity from the guitar tech when it comes to tuning the guitar.

We’re not looking for creativity from the tour manager when it comes to where everyone is gonna meet for bus call.

We’re not looking for creativity from the lead singer about which city sounds fun and interesting to play today.

There are many situations where we need not lean into our creativity and it’s better to stick to the script.

But our relationships, our vision, our offering to the world demands that we dig in and get creative. It’s not about doing something that only you can do…it’s about being you and doing something.

 

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Choose Your Fuel

Fear and jealousy are amazing fuel. People build entire careers with them.

They’re so powerful that I’d argue that if you don’t decide to use a different source, these two might slowly creep in as the default.

There are many motivations that can bring us the optics we desire. But not all of those motivations help us become who we truly want to be.

 

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

A Step Out Of Stuckness

Sometimes I get stuck while in the middle of writing a blog post.

Sometimes I get stuck while deciding which gig to say yes to.

Sometimes I get stuck while making plans for the coming year.

Most of the time my stuckness comes from not knowing (or forgetting) what the point is.

What’s the point here? is step out of stuckness.

 

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Remembering The Opener

I was at an amphitheater show recently, five or six thousand people. The headliner was a household name. Big shows, big tour, vibrant fans.

Every ‘indie’ band under the sun was vying for the opening slot on this tour. Every agent and manager who had connection to the headliner was pulling strings trying to get their act on the bill.

After all that scrambling, one act got the prize.

So much work and sweat and favors and negotiation to get to be the opener. And they were a good band, quality songs, strong voice.

But they forgot the most important part of being an opener on a big gig like that…If you’re opening up for thousands of people who don’t know you, be sure they remember you. For something. For anything. Do jumping jacks while wearing clown shoes. Doesn’t matter. Give them something you know they’ll remember you by.

Because if you play your songs and no one remembers them or you, why are you on this gig?

»» I must say, openers have a special place in my heart. I love talking about (and helping with) the dynamics of being an opening act because it’s such a strange, complex, tricky situation.

 

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple