"This is not a hobby" The words that come first.

I am relaunching my blog. I had run out of ideas to say 3 years ago. But now I am making a new EP. So i thought I'd blog and journal it.

The age old question of what comes first: words or music. I feel that, for me in my story, the words  come first.

It's May 2019. I have finished the demos and the major song writing. Last week, I wrote a new song called "Goodnight" which I feel might make it there. I joined iheartsongwriting.com, a community of songwriters where each week, we write and submit a song for feedback and encouragement. Since joining in January this year, I have since written some 15 new songs. It feels great to write and find constructive feedback.

This is not my full time paid gig. That has been a challenge to my mindset of who I am as a person who works. With teaching Primary school children music part time, I find that I still have to carve out time to write. And create. And think about the plan going forward. And how much to spend. And freaking out. And coming back again. This song writing thing I do- this desire to write and sing and create is a driving force in my soul- that I know that it not only makes me happy and free, but it is something I will stand accountable for. 

Words and music have always been important to me. My first essay in my first year of my teaching degree had once sentence: "words have meaning. Discuss". I've never stopped thinking about that essay. The words we speak out loud and the words and conversations i speak to myself as a creative bring me back to that. Words have weight. 

This is not a hobby. There, I said it. It's what I find I have to keep telling myself. This call to creative expression is not just a feelgood thing. It goes way deeper than that. I feel that all art is vital and regardless, creating WHATEVER is a whole calling. Making money is good, but making art is human. 

So here I am, starting again. I am making a new EP and I felt to blog the journey. Are you a creative? What words do you tell yourself?