So I quit my job!

"I made a conscience decision that I should do music full time even though I only have a total of (across all social platforms combined) about 1500 followers..."

I spent seven years working two jobs and going to school part time to finish my early education degree, it was such a thrill to finally graduate and start my teaching career. It was even sadder to only work about 3 years in the field of elementary education as a lead teacher. In that 3 years, I won teacher of the year, added and raised my salary, became a leader on my teaching team and gained the support of my district on many new innovative ideas for building an inclusive classroom.

While also finishing my second EP, writing, recording, promoting, releasing and touring (very small) my first album. I averaged about 4 to 5 shows in a month, used all my vacation and sick time for recording and traveling shows, and writing my full length second album, did photoshoots, ran all my social media, booked and promoted all my shows. I was thriving in teaching, and I was on an upward spiral with building a following for my music career but, I was so overwhelmed with everything! Although from the outside it all looked positive (and it was), I was actually crying, breaking down and essentially crashing out on a weekly if not daily basis. I could no longer mask my saturated life.

So, "I made a conscience decision that I should do music full time for my 1500 followers, and Yes with only about $3000.00 saved in my bank account, and a mild health issue that requires quarterly medication supply. " If I am honest I wasn't just thinking, I was overthinking all of it. I knew that if I quit my full time job (making a pretty good salary) I would find myself in a new type of grind that I did not know how to navigate.

So come along with me on this new adventure in figuring out what kind of artist, creator, person I am meant to become.

Here is a photo of me the first day of teaching three years ago.

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When I was overthinking, I heard this over and over:

"There is only one of you, and you are the only person who can offer your gifts to the world." -Lindsey Fritzgerald Stine

I would not have made a clear choice without having a supportive family!

It has been a journey for my family and I to come to a conclusive understanding on music being my primary contribution to this world, and I am so grateful that I was the only one holding myself back from jumping into my authentic place. My family has been my support system since I was a three year old singing Whitney Houston covers in church. Without them believing in me and my creative abilities I would just be another teacher in another classroom wishing for more. My family is one of the reasons I write songs!

I would not have made a clear choice without having really good Friends!

I am so grateful of the many connections I have made over my many years of life. I have always had very encouraging, supportive, and responsive friends so that my music doesn't fall through the cracks of life. Whether it's coming to shows, promoting my music, sending me messages, finding me gigs, connecting me to new music friends, helping me re-recording whole EP's , providing free photoshoots, free studio time and just talking me through the creative process. My friends are part of the reason I even want to write songs.

I would not have made a clear choice without myself!

It has taken such a long time for me to believe in me. I have always had confidence in so many areas in life, since I was young I knew what I liked and what I could live without and who I wanted to be in relationship with and who was just gonna be around for a season. I didn't know that it was going to be so difficult to just say "wow, I am good at this!" "I should keep doing this!" Encouraging myself and having confidence in me and what I was naturally born to do has been so hard to come to terms with. One thing is for sure I knew the path I was taking wasn't going to end gracefully. My response to grow and reflection on what I think about myself is another reason I write songs.

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Til next time...

This is just the beginning of my journey and my hope is that as you read you are inspired to go after what you truly desire in life because we really only have this one life and we need to make the most of it.