It's taken me some time to get settled into my new life in Santa Fe, and now I'm ready to establish my music roots here. Earlier this year I took another past through "The Artist's Way" with my newest buddy, author Jillian Brash. It's a 12 week course and is really effective at breaking the creative ice blocks and encouraging artistic flow. My years in Austin were very rewarding but the past few years my career went, for lack of a better word, flat. All careers in the arts have natural peaks and valleys...but the last few years in Austin were excessively brutal for me. I experienced one failed partnership after another. Each incarnation of my band yielded high promise...but failed miserably to deliver on that promise. By 2008 I had exhausted all of my enthusiasm...and my art form became of shadow of it's former self...and my self confidence began to faulter as well. "Fake it 'til you make it" became my mantra...but with everyday the "faking" lead me to question my integrity..."am I a fraud?" soon became a common question I was secretly asking myself...followed in short order with "what's the use?"
But with the Artist's Way I came to the realization that what distinguishes a successful career is the ability to over come failure. And by taking small, safe, do-able steps each day I could rebuild not only my career, but my enthusiasm and confidence in it and myself. Plus, I learned to look at all the good things that have happened to me throughout my career. And there are a lot of good things...even a few great things. The next thing I knew I was making a list of what I wanted to do with my career here in Santa Fe. I also made a list of the things I was no longer willing to do. A song came on the last day of winter...then an appearance at a film opening...and then, a personal agreement to only book performance spaces...
Little by little I started feeling more like myself again. And I decided to explore the higher end venues in town which eventually landed me a booking at Mike's Music Exchange....the best listening room in town! A few exploratory phone calls to program directors at local radio stations yielded invitations to bring my CD in for airplay. (I just dropped them off today!)
So I've decided to dedicate September as my own Music Month. I'll be doing something every day to honor my music artist. In this recreation of my life in music, I've decided that being a touring artist is out. I'm fine playing a show or two every month or so...and if I travel it will be up to Taos and down to Albuquerque. And it feels...liberating...right...perfect, actually.
So, be on the lookout for some cool stuff happening on my website...including a revamp of my radio player where I plan to do a true radio format with little commentaries between the tracks.
Peace, Daniel
This is so great! I am happy for you! All that matters is that you feel good with your artistic expression. It sounds like you are at an awesome place within yourself. Yea! I can't wait to see where you go! We are always open to an appearance in Austin for your loyal fans! Keep it in mind, you are loved here!
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