Progress

Hello, lovely, devoted readership! (Hi, Lucy! Hi, Dan!) I hope you’ve been well! (Pictured, an emu lovingly tending to her eggs like I am tending to my creative work.)

Two things:

1. I’ve taken a pause from writing this past week to explore other avenues of creative expression; for me, that means music.

I’ve considered how to proceed with my writing blog, as music is wonderfully, thrillingly becoming a larger and larger part of my life once again. I’ve been composing, creating, and scheming an exciting future in ways that I haven’t in years. There is nothing more enriching to me than returning to something I love and have missed dearly.

Because of the people and events that have recently graced my life, I find myself falling in love with jazz all over again after what became perhaps a four-year hiatus from listening to the genre for my own enjoyment. As someone who spent so much time listening to, practicing, and performing jazz saxophone, this call to return to the music that shaped me into the musician and person I am is deeply heartening.

I’ve realized something that most people who know me very well probably already knew: music, above almost anything else, is what gives my life a higher sense of purpose. There is almost nothing that enriches my life the way music does and I am thrilled to be returning to my pursuit of music in a meaningful and concrete way.

In the meantime, writing has been placed somewhat on the back burner. I’m learning how to maneuver my myriad of passions and pursuits in ways that attend at least somewhat to all of them. It’s a work in progress and I’m excited to see where it goes.

2. I’ve also been considering the ways in which I use this blog; I’m thinking about creating some more personal pieces that speak honestly and candidly about my experiences and personal development through obstacles and healing. I’ve been making progress on a long-form piece I tentatively plan to release in parts that speaks on some of the personal challenges I’ve wrestled with and the ways in which I’ve grown and gained wisdom from those challenges. Because this piece covers some heavier and more personal topics, I’ve spent some time deliberating how I want to approach and release this piece in a way that somewhat preserves my privacy while also speaking to and opening up about my tougher, transformative experiences.

In the meantime, I hope y’all are having a wonderful, wonderful few weeks. Happy Virgo season, happy almost-Fall, happy wonderful summer week in which you are blessed to grace the world with your brightness and light.

Best,

Cate