“Off”… As Off for More
Since Sunday is off, it’s one of the busiest days of the week for Jeff, Miss Isabel, Ben, and I. Jeff is recording his The Club exclusive weekly video, with Ben operating the technical aspect of it – I highly recommend you join The Club, as Jeff is tremendously invested in bringing the members into our creative and intimate universe. Miss Isabel and I, along with Moose, are preparing all orders we receive on the online store during the week. That off-day starts at 9am sharp so that we can have brunch together a little later before heading back to the studio for a few hours…
I know it sounds crazy for us to do that since we are so involved in the creative preparation of my upcoming album, but I kind of like that ongoing motion. There’s such a convivial atmosphere going on as we’re committing ourselves to all the aspects of our journey. It has never been a burden for any of us, as it’s the reflection of our connection with our people, which, in itself, is the real core holding everything together; communion. This is why I’m always looking for better – if not different – ways to cultivate and grow those relationships. They’re meaningful in every possible way, just like they deeply matter to me. I wouldn’t change that. It’s sacred. It’s personal.
That being said, the balance, or should I say the absence of a balance, between everything I’m an active part of as an artist, an independent entrepreneur, and my caring nature for others, is quite challenging sometimes. A challenge, yes, but a beautiful one nonetheless, especially as I’m getting more and more confronted by a reality I don’t have much control over. My creative realm is expanding, and so is the spectrum of the flourishing reach of my music. The family is blooming at the same metamorphosing rhythm. It’s amazing to witness that fabulous assemblage organically transform itself again and again. I honestly don’t have much to do with it – thank God I don’t, everyone would end up looking the same (as in a figure of speech, of course). It’s all about the heart and soul being carried by the sounds and words of songs that keep outgrowing me… It’s extraordinary.
To give you an example, only this morning, amongst all the letters and cards I wrote for those ordering on my online store, I had the blessing to correspond with a new friend from Israel who had been introduced to my music by one of his Instagram followers living in Iran. Isn’t this the most radiating testimony that a community with love, welcome, and compassion as its core values transcends any nation’s politics, that an honest human connection with another, regardless of the geopolitical atrocities his nationality might be attributed to, creates an emancipative hope beyond our fear of differences and our disgust for the horrendous actions of a country’s rulers? That’s what I remember when I’m troubled or angered by whatever world news I’m consuming. I’ve learned more about empathy by exchanging with people located all around the globe than any church preaching I ever attended…
That being said, the balance, or should I say the absence of a balance, between everything I’m an active part of as an artist, an independent entrepreneur, and my caring nature for others, is quite challenging sometimes. A challenge, yes, but a beautiful one nonetheless, especially as I’m getting more and more confronted by a reality I don’t have much control over. My creative realm is expanding, and so is the spectrum of the flourishing reach of my music. The family is blooming at the same metamorphosing rhythm. It’s amazing to witness that fabulous assemblage organically transform itself again and again. I honestly don’t have much to do with it – thank God I don’t, everyone would end up looking the same (as in a figure of speech, of course). It’s all about the heart and soul being carried by the sounds and words of songs that keep outgrowing me… It’s extraordinary.
To give you an example, only this morning, amongst all the letters and cards I wrote for those ordering on my online store, I had the blessing to correspond with a new friend from Israel who had been introduced to my music by one of his Instagram followers living in Iran. Isn’t this the most radiating testimony that a community with love, welcome, and compassion as its core values transcends any nation’s politics, that an honest human connection with another, regardless of the geopolitical atrocities his nationality might be attributed to, creates an emancipative hope beyond our fear of differences and our disgust for the horrendous actions of a country’s rulers? That’s what I remember when I’m troubled or angered by whatever world news I’m consuming. I’ve learned more about empathy by exchanging with people located all around the globe than any church preaching I ever attended…
That’s why it’s constantly confrontational for me to deal with my increasingly busy schedule. It’s not really about the workload, but the time – the lack thereof – that seems to stand against me, a frustration that is exacerbated by my limited energy level in general and by my current cognitive limitations in particular. Therefore, I need to be more creative in the way I approach every single aspect of my day, all while trying to avoid the establishment of a numbing routine that would be defined by the boundaries of my quotidian structural constraints. That is the challenge… While I am utterly disciplined towards my responsibilities, I need to evolve in a malleable and flexible motion nonetheless. I know all too well that freedom and obligation aren’t quite complementary in substance, that it’s more like trying to adopt the sun and moon cycle without having to submit to the repetitiveness of their tidal streams; the inevitability of nature might come clashing with any of my wishful thinking at some point. That’s why I have to navigate through the often perplexing elements of my reality with a clear vision, to be more efficient without compromising the affective reason I do it in the first place: You and me.
