back on track maybe

April 29, 2022

Well I fell off hard here! On New Years I set a goal to write a blog post every week, and I’ve only written 3 so far. That’s only 15 short right? No big deal. 

I still don’t think a blog every week is unreasonable, but I tend to get a bit lengthy with it. My brain wants to approach a topic from every angle and write about it like a thesis. 

But that’s kinda dumb. It’s difficult, time consuming, and almost no one is going to read it. And ultimately, I’m only writing as a means to supplement my music. A way to broaden my marketing funnel, a way to examine things from different perspectives, a means to crystallize thought. And I found myself spending more time and energy writing than I did actually making music.

I swear I have the most exhausting form of procrastination ever. I will do all the things to avoid doing the one thing that matters. I’ll keep writing, but I will focus more on brevity. 

Anyway, an update:

  • I plan to perform at an open mic event sometime this year, singing and playing guitar. Because it’s scary. 
  • Most of my time is being spent teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, at the detriment of my own training. I’m in a bit of slump now. But that’s okay, it’s part of the process. I’m well acquainted with the terrain. 
  • Meanwhile I’m building more websites, taking on more graphic design gigs, and learning about Digital Marketing.
  • In some of my free time, I’ve been playing StarCraft 2. I feel like such a nerd, but there’s something oddly satisfying about the strategy of the game, and the logic behind effectively managing multiple processes simultaneously. Also the game is so goddamn stressful that it has a low probability for addiction, for me at least. 
  • I completely quit nicotine finally, and holy shit I didn’t think it would mess my brain up so much. What a stupid addiction. 

Lastly, I want to share a summary of a book I’m reading: Atomic Habits by James Clear. I wish I could have read this when I was 14 years old. 

Music

Blog Posts

do unto others

do unto others

When Maynard James Keenan spoke of this song in an interview he said: “This song is about recognizing, identifying, the cycle of abuse within yourself. That’s the first step of the process: realization; identifying. The next step is to work through it. But, this song...

on gratitude and abundance

on gratitude and abundance

Tony Robbins says you can’t experience gratitude and fear/anger at the same time. Part of me suspects this is true, and another part is too stubborn to acknowledge that I might have some measure of control over my emotions and experience. Regardless, practicing...

tone mapping method 1

tone mapping method 1

I am privileged to be one of Jessica Haeckel's first students for her Tone Mapping Method singing program! I write this after two online private sessions with Jessica, and about 2 weeks of practice. We start the third session in a few days, and I just wanted to share...

new years, hatsu geiko, goals and trajectory

new years, hatsu geiko, goals and trajectory

Many traditional Japanese martial art practitioners observe Hatsu Geiko (first training), spending the first day of the year training, sparring, practicing, and socializing with teammates and friends. Over 10 years ago, we adopted this tradition at my Brazilian...