On Beginning Again—Ripping Off the Creative Bandaid
Getting back on the creative rollercoaster mid-reno, approaching 38, with two little kids in tow.
On New Beginnings…
If you follow me on Instagram or TikTok, you’ll know that I’ve spent the last few years restoring a room within my circa 1827 Charleston home and turning it into my home recording studio. It was a project that took much longer than expected, largely due to my own naivety regarding what it takes to “restore” rather than “renovate”. Initially, I had started documenting the process online as a sort of stop-gap until I had new music to share. In my mind, the room would be done in a month or two; then it’d be back to business. One month turned into one year (then two, then three), one baby turned into two… until my 37th birthday last August, when it was finally functional enough to open back up.
Three years is quite the hiatus; I had plenty of time to think about what should come next. Between sessions of stripping paint and contemplating my existence, I dreamed of building some kind of creative hub where I could flesh out my inspirations and process while simultaneously creating a space for other creatives—across any discipline—to draw from.
If you know me at all, you’ll know I enjoy talking about creativity and craft as much as engaging in the work itself. (If you don’t know me, consider this my official hello—these days I’m primarily a pianist and composer, though I have a foot in a few too many creative avenues!). This publication is an extension of that conversational impulse—I’ll be writing about my own journey and practice alongside wider-reaching creative topics. When discussing my own work, you’ll probably notice recurring themes: art, literature, theology, philosophy, culture. Beyond that, I’ll be following wherever the muse leads…
These are early days for my humble little newsletter, so I won’t make too many promises except these: I’m committed to quality, honesty, and vulnerability reluctantly saying the things I’d usually edit out.
So glad you're here, Anna. A hiatus can be a formative experience. I think we all need to go up to the mountain once in awhile. But it sounds like you are ready to come down, and that a new and exciting season is beginning for you 👏