When times of change come, and they come, it is good to have inspirational people around who will help you on the journey. I find one of my fellow bloggers, nrhatch  completely ‘on the money’ and when ever I need to hear something in my head, she almost without fail puts out  a post with all the quotes I need. So a big thanks to her.

Another inspirational fellow who has given me so much during the last year is Derek Sivers.  He sends stuff all the time, which is the enlightened stuff you knew all the time, but needed someone to say it OUT LOUD in a simple and clear way. He SHARES in a way that is just so generous. Every useful book he reads, he puts a potted version on his site –  he has a new book out  Anything You Want – 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur” and much stuff on his blog, website that will not only help musicans, but anyone and everyone with their creative and community side something to ponder on…I am on his email list and I so appreciate the nuggets he sends through…this is one of them.

He is a lesson in how we should all live our lives. Sharing with our communities, helping other to find their way creatively .  I found a lovely thing he shared just the other day of a John Mayer workshops at Berklee which I have stuck on my wall, and it is for all you budding songwriters, story writers, script writers. Just take out the word songs and change it to story, painting, decision…it works in almost any context.

“I can’t stress enough how important it is to write bad songs. There’s a lot of people who dont want to finish songs because they don’t think they’re any good. Well they’re not good enough. Write it!  I want you to write me the worst songs you could possible write me because you won’t write bad songs. You’re thinking they’re bad so you don’t have to finish it. That’s what I really think it is. Well it’s all right. Well, how do you know? It’s not done!” John Mayer

So I am off to write lots of bad songs and finish them…thats the task…

Today  I have to thank Earthly Voices for an amazing concert last night.. I had a little cry on the way home clutching my flowers, thinking about all the brilliant times we have had, and how I am so not going to miss that horrible journey.

SONG OF THE DAY She’s Like the Swallow trad.

My first choice is June Tabor singing this traditional folk song from Newfoundland, with the delicious Huw Warren on piano.The other version by Cara Dillon  is to ‘compare and contrast’ . Dedicated to Earthly Voices who cracked this  song last night, and I can only apologise for not being able to tell the difference between ‘the ‘ and ‘a’, ‘dum’ and ‘ba’.