Tomorrow is my birthday. I have THOUGHTS.
Getting older as an artist is such a specific experience. There’s a cultural narrative that creativity is a young person’s game: that your best ideas come early, that artists “peak” and then coast. I have found the exact opposite to be true for me.
This year (the year I’m about to add a candle to) has been the most creatively productive year of my entire life. An album every month. A daily blog. Quilt Anthems out in the world. Bring Us Home, the most ambitious thing I’ve ever attempted, nearly complete. A Halloween album with my son. A book in progress.
I don’t think that’s a coincidence of timing. I think it’s a function of accumulated life. Every year adds material. Every year adds perspective. Every year, the well gets deeper even as the surface sometimes feels the same.
Tomorrow I turn a year older and I am, genuinely, more excited about what’s ahead than I’ve ever been. That’s not something I take for granted. I know not everyone feels that way about getting older, and I don’t think you have to. But for me, right now, in this season, it feels like more is starting, not less.
See you tomorrow. We’re celebrating. 🎂
Follow me on streaming and stick around tomorrow: birthday post incoming! 🎶