I hit a breaking point this weekend. I saw myself crumble. Again. Under the weight of boredom and mindlessness. As previously mentioned, the computer has had my tail lately. I’ve watched woefully as my screen time has continued to go up over the past year. At multiple points, I switched back to one of my three flip phones. But then shortly after would go back to my iPhone. It is quite the inconvenience not having music and group chats. But is much more of an inconvenience to not have my mind and heart.
It seems that I prioritize comfort over pretty much everything else. With my phone specifically, I can choose to stay constantly distracted. I made the comment to my brother when I got home last week that my Instagram algorithm was showing me such funny posts lately. I sat there while he played Xbox and just kept showing him memes and laughing. Neither of us were very tapped into reality. Both of us, though, were quite comfortable.
I have become dissatisfied once again with having my mind always on vacation. I’d rather be engaged in unpacking, understanding, and creating. In touch with my surroundings and nature. More ready and expectant to hear the voice of God in the wind. With my newfound time away from my iPhone, I would like to do the following:
* Read
* Write
* Draw
* Make Food
* Go Outside
* Listen to CDs in my car (I just got some Third Eye Blind, Beck, and Pedro the Lion CDs at Mcckays yesterday while I was “doomsday prepping.”)
* Call Friends (in the last 24 hours I’ve already done this 10x more)
* Clean the house
* Make Videos
These things may seem small and not that important. But I’ve literally been watching myself prioritize “hitting a fat scroll” on Instagram, as I like to call it, instead of doing these simple, quite-life-giving things.
Anyway, I’ll quit preaching now. If you want a recommendation on a flip phone, or if you are a local to Nashville and want to borrow one of mine, I’d be glad to chat more about it. Give me a call or shoot me an email.
Here are this week’s “Quick Clips:”
* My new Song “Grudges” is out now. I was originally writing in the third person when I started this one. But then it fell into place and became much more than I originally expected. Writing wise and cowbell wise. Give it a listen and show a friend if you haven’t already. I’m pretty much just betting on organic growth with this album cycle. So, every share counts.
* I went home and saw my family last week. Here is what I wrote while I watched half a movie with my sister, her friend, my mom, and my brother.
* I finally finished Bird by Bird by Anne Lamotteon my plane ride back to Nashville from South Carolina. - I could quote that whole book if you let me. I think it took me two years to finish just because I really didn’t want to ever have to finish it. Here’s one good takeaway I enjoyed about writing:“They are not going to buy big houses…as a result of their writing…if they got these things they’d probably end up even more mentally ill and full of stress and self-doubt…I still think they should write with everything they have, daily if possible, and for the rest of their lives.”
* I met a Quaker lady on that same flight home, who helped me find my pen, which I thought I had dropped between the seats, but I had actually just clipped to my shirt. She saw that I was reading Anne Lamotte, and said how she loved her writing. I asked if she was a part of any sort of faith community, and she explained that she is a Quaker. I asked her more and was quite intrigued to learn more about their practices. The lady was so kind and was in town for a 50-year college reunion at Vanderbilt. Her hair was white and looked quite soft. I wrote four sticky notes in bed that night about our conversation and my interaction with her.
* I have been listening to the late David Berman project “Purple Mountains.” And wow. A lot could be unpacked here. He has quite the story, and quite a bag full of songs. I think I’ll keep on listening now.
* “Little-Plate” by Soundtoys is FREE until Dec. 1st! For my music nerds. This is a GREAT plate reverb plug-in that I use quite often. I just upgraded to the expanded version called “Super-Plate,” and frankly, it’s not much different than the free version. So don’t pass this one up.
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As always, shoot me an email if you want to work on music together! I am typically available to do remote or in-person sessions.
You can also shoot me an email just to say what's up. I love to talk about writing, production, faith, and whatever else.
Yours Truly,
Jake Smith
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