“If you feel down and you write that down, most of the time it is going to be a country song.” ~Billy Joe Shaver, songwriter
I keep Billy Joe Shaven's advice in my inbox. I like to look at it when I'm feeling stressed or tired or uninspired, or some combination of those. I like to remember how good it feels to purge whatever I'm feeling into music, even if it is with songs I can never remember on a guitar I can barely play for an audience that, despite their attentive ears, doesn't have much feedback to offer (because they are felines).
Every time I tell myself that *this* is the weekend I'll revisit some songs or *this* is the weekend I'll post a new video, it becomes so much easier to do anything but stay home and practice -- meeting up with friends, running, shopping, laundry, pretty much anything is preferable to indulging in my own creativity when, as much as I enjoy the feeling of playing music, it altogether feels like a selfish pursuit. But then I remember this quote, and all the others about how music can save souls and change lives and uplift the darkest of spirits. And then I think that yeah, maybe it is worthwhile to practice a little, even if it's for 10 minutes, or for 30 minutes, even if it's the same old songs I've always loved to play, or even if it's whatever nonsense I need to say.
