For some reason, I'm back here 8 years later making my next post.  Maybe that's my cycle for reflection and reviewing things that I have done (only in writing - the past is always bouncing around in my head).  It's too long if you want to provide people anything that resembles news - at least current events - but a cycle that long certainly doesn't take a lot time out of your schedule!

I have wanted to finish my next album for a long time.  I thought maybe I would get on a 3 year cycle of album releases, but one thing or another delays a project - mainly life obligations.  It's important to make yourself make time, but it's difficult just to be creative on demand.  When you finally have some time for creativity, you choose the thing you want to do the most and that usually revolves around playing guitar, even if it's just to play, or writing songs.  So blog posts fall off of the list of things to do even though I do enjoy writing articles.

And I also need time to be fully creative - yes, if I've been working on something and know exactly what I want to do, then I can boot up the recording equipment for a half hour or so and do a little bit on a song.  But when I'm actually developing ideas, and shaping how things sound, I need hours, so that I can get into it, forget about other things I need to do for a while and just be in the creative world for a while.  Maybe that's a weakness, but it's how I operate.  In order to clear my mind, I need to know that I have some time where I don't need to worry about anything else in my life.

I think one reason I've been busy recording music lately is because of the crazy state of the world.  Maybe my anxiety about some events has given me extra energy, or I'm trying to get things done before the world falls apart and I'm unable to do what I want to do.  As I age, I also know that there really isn't much time to finish everything in my head so I'd better get to work.  I think that means I'll keep recording on a regular basis from now on because I'm enjoying it and it feels good to bring ideas alive.  Many of the songs I'm working on now have been bouncing around in my head for many years, a couple of them for decades, and it's nice to finally hear them played back from my recordings.

Here's hoping for some peace in the world and some new music from me!  Take care ~John