tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9292450593280833012024-03-06T08:55:45.419-06:00Creative CompromiseKnowing and feeding your creative self.Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-10686428774937155822020-11-24T05:27:00.005-06:002020-11-24T06:15:52.253-06:00Just Like Lou<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Alice Berry was diagnosed with ALS,
better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, at 59. This fiery Latina
would always say, “Who is this Lou guy, and what does he have to do
with me?” Well, those two had a</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNG3PBUnGgp4g2GSQvFCPjOqJF6dqutUf_65vMxze4VWI_lzvaQAkAO07GuaOlVN_iXtpvmSLrUmT_DOjy5Pcqd8LECwG4qbCrN3k3d_JBU3aaJDr48WxmjnWyqixuRp-v1Qp1-rKA5ML/s640/MOM+sketch+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="461" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNG3PBUnGgp4g2GSQvFCPjOqJF6dqutUf_65vMxze4VWI_lzvaQAkAO07GuaOlVN_iXtpvmSLrUmT_DOjy5Pcqd8LECwG4qbCrN3k3d_JBU3aaJDr48WxmjnWyqixuRp-v1Qp1-rKA5ML/s320/MOM+sketch+resized.jpg" /></a></div> lot more in common than just a
disease. They shared a spirit that lives through the ages. They both
displayed an unrelenting dedication to what was important to them.
Lou Gehrig won our hearts and inspired us through his humble love of
a sport and courage to overcome the odds. The first ballplayer to
have his number retired, number 4, was called the Iron horse because
of his graceful strength in the game he loved. The world will never
forget his famous speech made on the fourth of July at Yankee Stadium
when he proclaimed himself to be the luckiest man on the face of the
earth. That was his story; this is the story of my mother.<br /><br />I
remember back in high school. I was eighteen and trying to discover
the person I wanted to be. Your typical hard-headed teen butting
heads with my mother and demanding that I was the only one who knew
what was best for my life. Yes, admittedly, I did everything a
typical teen would do to hide the fact that I was a frightened child.
Reluctant to go out into the real world, afraid of who I was and who
I was to become. Mom and I fought like cats and dogs. Everyone would
say we were too much alike. Our personalities clashed. We saw our
faults in each other. However, Mom would say, “No, not the faults,
I see everything I ever wanted to be in you only with more
potential!”<br /><br />She always encouraged us, kids, to put forth
110% in everything we did. “I’ll support you in anything you want
to do as long as it makes you happy,” she would say with fire and
honesty that only a Mother can have. Those were not just words she
said: words she lived by never faltered in that truth. She stood by
me while I made my journey of self-discovery. Encouraging me all the
more as I decided to become a singer and songwriter.<br /><br />Along the
way, she’d picked me up when I’d fall. And, she directed me to
make those right turns even when I insisted on going left. Her
guidance was never wrong. Although frequently, I had to make a full
circle to my ultimate destination, if only I had listened to her in
the first place. Ah, the beauty of being young.<br /><br />Over the
years, I realized she wasn’t just my mother; she was my best
friend. We are just alike: headstrong, determined dreamers that
refuse to be defeated. No dream is too big or too small as long as it
makes you happy. These are just a few things I have learned from the
great wisdom she never gave herself credit for. I focus that wisdom
on my creative energies, and it has made me the musician that I am
today. Everyone tells me it’s a harsh industry; it’s a crazy
dream that only a few chosen will reach. Mom’s response was, “Baby,
your one of those chosen ones. You can be anything you want to be if
you only try.” She was my number ONE fan! She loved every song I
ever wrote, even the bad ones. She would tell me the more I’d
write, the better I would get. Always eager for the next song, she
would give me that extra push when I got lazy. Because of her, I
believe in myself.<br /><br />I recall countless lonely nights when I was
on the road away from home. I’d call her in tears, tired and
discouraged, missing home. I wanted to give up, feeling like it was a
futile journey with no success in sight. Her stern but a
straightforward response, “Ay mi hija, don’t let me hear you talk
like that. Stay strong! Keep your focus. The only ones who make it
are the ones who never give up. Your time will come. This is your
year; I just feel it. I believe in you that has to count for
something!” It counted for everything! I lived for those talks and
kept trudging forward because she said I could do it, and I believed
and trusted her. Fourteen years later, I’m still plugging away at
it. Thanks to Mom’s constant and steady encouragement, I’m even
making some headway. And, who knows, maybe this year will be my year
as Mom would say…<br /><br />One day, a friend of mine in Boston told
me about the ALS Foundation and how they did a Walk to D’feet ALS
every year and asked if I wanted to be a part of it. This was
probably the first acknowledgment I had made of the fact that Mom was
sick. Being the creative type, I spoke to the organization. I told
them about being a singer, and they asked me to sing the National
Anthem for the walk. I accepted the honor. Mom was so proud. She
wasn’t able to be there, but she bragged to all her friends and
family. I had a dedicated group who raised money for the event, and
we walked in her name. That day, I met ALS patients that were far
more progressed than my mother at the time. It was a slap of reality
of what my mother was facing. She hid the pain so well. She never
complained. Until that day, I guess I was in total denial that I was
losing her. She was the one who needed someone to lean on to help her
pull through. Instead, she gave the whole family strength and
support. How ironic someone so feeble was supporting all of us.<br /><br />She
accepted her fate with dignity and strength, like no one I have ever
known. If I could possess at least a third of her courage, I believe
I could make any dream come true. She was a great role model, a
friend and confidant, and an inspiration to so many. We lost her on
the sixth of February, 2005. I say “we” because I never realized
just how many lives she had touched until the day of her funeral. So
many people traveled great distances to bid her farewell.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjZ9c3IuFp9OjlCErtm-Q1ApDD7zn4PzWJiJ_KYU7k7yw8GwVtC3bgWKm9ufwdvX0BfLayJcclCQ8yG9334pYd1jg9OCn6N3mbws4GBcV9WwOybgUCTVCR3QCi0q5W0ZsgiIAKZUFLezj/s2048/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1414" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjZ9c3IuFp9OjlCErtm-Q1ApDD7zn4PzWJiJ_KYU7k7yw8GwVtC3bgWKm9ufwdvX0BfLayJcclCQ8yG9334pYd1jg9OCn6N3mbws4GBcV9WwOybgUCTVCR3QCi0q5W0ZsgiIAKZUFLezj/s320/images.jpg" /></a></div><br />I
have to say that life just isn’t the same without her in it.
Everything has been a little out of sorts since that day. I want so
badly to have her back and give her everything she ever gave to me.
My number ONE fan…the only way I know how to hold her again and
hear her soft, comforting voice is through a song. I hope I always
make her proud.<p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I told my story to another musician. We
collaborated to write this song for her, hoping someone else could
find comfort in the words. Isn’t it just like Mom to continue to
give encouragement? Like she uses to say, “Who is this Lou guy, and
what does he have to do with me?” He personifies everything that
she is because she was,<a href="https://soundcloud.com/rebecca-hosking/just-like-lou" target="_blank"> “JUST LIKE LOU!”</a></p><br /></div></span></div>Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-18716559601303377892018-04-29T13:45:00.000-05:002018-04-29T13:45:13.869-05:00A Short Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjzRAKXb5MS-BbfpEexJ6VCzy0mRXVaNFJ2rkXnkODnAppTbGFuWfC2ib7lt1W85omgmLwlv5Gm_f_KJEzIVx9yZpHgwBm_LLLtApUlczXHxwrNAYUrOwvY8Cg4gJZz_2qxvIOSxGfiNu/s1600/30581639_10156146271367591_2363243069576314880_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="1600" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjzRAKXb5MS-BbfpEexJ6VCzy0mRXVaNFJ2rkXnkODnAppTbGFuWfC2ib7lt1W85omgmLwlv5Gm_f_KJEzIVx9yZpHgwBm_LLLtApUlczXHxwrNAYUrOwvY8Cg4gJZz_2qxvIOSxGfiNu/s400/30581639_10156146271367591_2363243069576314880_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
To Georg, with love!<br />
<br />
Some people come into your life for a reason and some for a season. I always liked that saying because it is so honest. I had a friend, Georg Hegelmann he came into my life with drive and purpose. We had met through Russ Williams at a time I was working hard to win a competition. It was a grueling couple of months, and I got through it with the help of my friends. Georg, played my music, created commercials to advertise and request for votes; he and Wolfie were a massive part of my success. Georg would even vote to download the songs I had listed as rewards. He wouldn't let me send them; he said he was willing to work for it. I won December of 2014. We celebrated new years eve together on Fame Music Radio it was the start of strangers becoming dear friends. It was a packed house on The Pack Show and was one hell of a party!<br />
<br />
The Pack Show aired every Friday night, and it became a ritual for me, the thing to do every week and Me and Mr. cheek Hegelmann would banter back and forth, and Wolfie would play mediator while Helen would be posting angry birds in my defense on Facebook. Every shot given to each other was presented with the utmost love and giggle behind the scenes. Georg was a shock jock, and he did his job well.<br />
<br />
And then there was the behind the scenes, the part so many did not see, the love he gave, the laughter shared. The hours of us talking via Skype, fixing the world's problems if only people would listen...jejeje<br />
<br />
And how could I ever forget, “Georg, turn the music down? I can't hear myself think?”<br />
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And his cheeky response, “It can't be loud, if I turn it down any lower it will be off!”<br />
<br />
Still makes me giggle to this day.<br />
<br />
More behind the scenes no one else saw was all the time's life had taken its toll, and we would chat for hours on instant messenger, and he would not stop until he knew he had cheered me up. He leaned on me a few times as well we got to know each other, and he was easy to talk to and a great listener with sound advice.<br />
<br />
Not only was he a friend to me but he introduced me to so many other people that became close, genuine friends, still to this day, we remain connected. The family keeps growing and it all started from Georg and his partner in crime Russ, aka Wolfman!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNN4cu61qZq85LzmjncH1fRecjivtOQbgkQWVc5_pA3GttXmLJWzZJ0APPaqCLShX9sJbefZD8VDy_Dv1UywOHQ8zDBTm5owZcQHECDi1T3Q7tWoElwicOAsNpQzVNFgTtFgyoDIXsSy9m/s1600/english-sayings1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNN4cu61qZq85LzmjncH1fRecjivtOQbgkQWVc5_pA3GttXmLJWzZJ0APPaqCLShX9sJbefZD8VDy_Dv1UywOHQ8zDBTm5owZcQHECDi1T3Q7tWoElwicOAsNpQzVNFgTtFgyoDIXsSy9m/s320/english-sayings1.jpg" width="320" /></a>A friend like that is one easily taken for granted, and God love him if I ever forgot to say thank you and I love you, please dear Lord tell him now. He left behind an entire community of grieving, broken hearts. This kind of fall for us is one that will hurt and leave a mark that may never go away. I want to believe it is all a bad dream, I will wake up and brush that one off. Chat with him and say, man, you would not believe what happened to me today!<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, the harsh reality is I lost a dear friend. He was so many things to so many people. For me he will always be that cheeky Georg, that kept me on my toes, made me laugh, and now making me cry.<br />
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Georg you were put in my life for a sure reason, the sad truth is only for just a short season. Rest in Peace, will love you always!Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-36749494294218936112017-12-28T10:26:00.001-06:002017-12-28T10:31:12.247-06:00New Year, New Beginnings<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Where do I start when reflecting on this past year. The highlight for me was finishing my 6th studio</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQSg_UGLkM5ZsUBScDjd4viunB5FJ_gPEyhGmclEo6DfeUxNSA9-Lpgu-REKKzl7wDZUNiiwwnl34esQhecqjQXMf0Qcvg6OxkKGctrgICfX_SipRKYhXix2HTxZG5h39AELpsrmzvXwg/s1600/2017+UK+Tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQSg_UGLkM5ZsUBScDjd4viunB5FJ_gPEyhGmclEo6DfeUxNSA9-Lpgu-REKKzl7wDZUNiiwwnl34esQhecqjQXMf0Qcvg6OxkKGctrgICfX_SipRKYhXix2HTxZG5h39AELpsrmzvXwg/s320/2017+UK+Tour.jpg" width="247" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last performance of the 2017 UK Tour</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">recorded CD, <a href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/rebeccahosking8" target="_blank">SEESAW</a>, with longtime friend and producer, <a href="https://www.reverbnation.com/scottneubert" target="_blank">Scott Neubert</a>. I was very proud of this CD, and I took it out on the road for another UK tour. I spent five months bouncing from one corner of the UK to another, I performed over 50 dates, hit several radio stations, charted and met new friends and my UK family keeps growing bigger and bigger. Sharing the stage with <a href="https://www.thebluesrevue.com/" target="_blank">Ruzz Evans</a> and Dave Willmott and a few others I met along the way was an experience I will carry in my memories forever. A true honour playing with so many incredible musicians.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was able to catch the attention of a publisher here in Nashville, <a href="http://merfmusicgroup.com/" target="_blank">Merf Music</a> and they have been golden as far as working it for me and getting my songs heard and placed. Still working with APM out of LA and <a href="http://www.onenightstand.tv/" target="_blank">One Night Stand Music</a> out of the UK. In recent months I was picked up by a management company, <a href="https://dalyceentertainment.com/" target="_blank">Dalyce Entertainment.</a> Together we are working on exciting opportunities for 2018.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was considered, again in four categories of the Grammys and did not get the nomination, and my fans picked me up and celebrated my music anyway. You cannot know what that meant to me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As a member of The Recording Academy, I decided to become a district advocate and fight for <a href="http://p2a.co/wwEftcM" target="_blank">copyright reform</a>. I have been heartbroken at witnessing the injustices an artist is faced with in this changing age of technology. So many benefitting from our work except for the creators themselves. We made some strides but there is still much work to be done.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We share in the success, and you lift me up in my failures. Life is indeed a roller coaster of ups and downs. The lessons I've learned and blessings I have taken away on the journey feeds my muse and keeps me moving onwards and upwards. I could not do it alone, and I get by with the help of my friends.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now another new and exciting year is upon us and I want to extend my love and best wishes for all of you. Looking forward to what 2018 has in store for us. The journey is boundless, and the love will see us through. Every year I make new goals and as I reach each one I get closer and closer to making all my dreams a reality. I could not get there without the support of my fans that quickly became friends and now family. This journey has been hard at times, but with so many seeing me through each challenge makes my blessings <span style="text-align: center;">countless. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I know I say it often and I hope it does not diminish the meaning, I cannot be me without all of you, Thank you for helping me keep my dreams alive!</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVEzAMgShyeNx9u9hCUIf3qOidBTdCS9PtNHTuJHZz4f87RNU0FvTthwEBkHSw3z6zTLnMGiJ9GpqZGm7PA_MkCYSWhCuScBBYnDg6ARn-lCOqm8mxSFQFMpWtfN8YtanZXVpQBox6b7Ck/s1600/new+size.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="1600" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVEzAMgShyeNx9u9hCUIf3qOidBTdCS9PtNHTuJHZz4f87RNU0FvTthwEBkHSw3z6zTLnMGiJ9GpqZGm7PA_MkCYSWhCuScBBYnDg6ARn-lCOqm8mxSFQFMpWtfN8YtanZXVpQBox6b7Ck/s320/new+size.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-66370442129192371152017-12-21T14:32:00.000-06:002017-12-21T14:34:01.450-06:00Saying Goodbye to 2017 and Welcoming Another Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1r83F0me1BFRg1TFUsv2Np0j7BdaW3gq0zqQn8gR1U1gDpGAtPolyMZcX4buDAY73VC6Q_molR67GxZf4DcRkomUGw_jXTQOYd9hEoKAer2x5jnMlxdtiIjG5bI8RRZvJgcTDl58nmwG/s1600/Blog+Xmas.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1600" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1r83F0me1BFRg1TFUsv2Np0j7BdaW3gq0zqQn8gR1U1gDpGAtPolyMZcX4buDAY73VC6Q_molR67GxZf4DcRkomUGw_jXTQOYd9hEoKAer2x5jnMlxdtiIjG5bI8RRZvJgcTDl58nmwG/s400/Blog+Xmas.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Join Rebecca Hosking and Scott Neubert for a Christmas Celebration</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
an online concert from our living room to yours</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The World is INVITED!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.concertwindow.com/143400-rebecca-hosking" target="_blank">CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS AT CONCERT WINDOW</a></span></div>
Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-50593087681759913242017-03-20T12:56:00.000-05:002017-03-20T13:01:29.564-05:00Review by Actress and filmmaker, Penelope Read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u><span lang="EN-GB">Review of Words and Music, T</span></u><u><span lang="EN-GB">he Story Behind the Song<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxorWM4iMNazWeR5LO8CxoirkDI71XR5VfjegSXb_y80n1GSNtE-yckKZ16MQewj54eXx586Y4S3TSzdzKZFbbPKKD1gEtU4RHt94CvdaD4mxRoxNh_wZTmWqjQoajBDHIC_FfZcmC-JM2/s1600/Penelope+Read.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxorWM4iMNazWeR5LO8CxoirkDI71XR5VfjegSXb_y80n1GSNtE-yckKZ16MQewj54eXx586Y4S3TSzdzKZFbbPKKD1gEtU4RHt94CvdaD4mxRoxNh_wZTmWqjQoajBDHIC_FfZcmC-JM2/s320/Penelope+Read.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penelope Read, actress and filmmaker</td></tr>
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<u><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By Rebecca Hosking</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">As I read this, I felt as though Rebecca was in the room with me, so conversational was her style, yet her eloquence pulled me up sharply with its aching honesty. The ideas and images she writes about are so vivid, the metaphors so apt, that everything she says is easy to understand and inspires empathy. </span>The overriding message of this story is one of positivity, in fact, much of Rebecca’s writing is inspirational.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I especially liked the idea that even the bad times can be made useful, by incorporating the feelings into a song! ‘As I trip over myself and try again’ (<a href="https://soundcloud.com/rebecca-hosking/in-over-my-head" target="_blank">In Over My Head</a>) In ‘<a href="https://soundcloud.com/rebecca-hosking/04-rebecca-hosking-a-hard-dream-to-sell" target="_blank">A Hard Dream To Sell</a>’, Rebecca urges us to follow our dreams, even though it’s difficult to combine dream-chasing with reality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I enjoyed ‘<a href="https://soundcloud.com/rebecca-hosking/riding-shotgun" target="_blank">Riding Shotgun</a>’ – it is full of the courage it takes to launch off on your own. It ties in well with A Hard Dream to Sell – we have to carry on with that dream-chasing and <b>change </b>it into reality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My favourite of all is ‘Safe Haven’ – many of us have a happy place – our den, the garden, the beach, but the idea of a safe haven within<b> </b>oneself had never occurred to me. Rebecca has offered me ‘ a doorway into a corridor’. Brilliant metaphor!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This story behind the song is achingly honest, not least in ‘Trouble Comforting ‘ – perhaps we heal ourselves, in helping others. The idea of impermanence is reassuring – even the worst pain passes in time, even if we have to ‘stumble through it’!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m so glad I discovered both the songs and the story behind them. Rebecca has made me think, inspired and comforted me. I will remember her words. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB">Penelope Read - <span style="background: white; color: #1d2129;">Actress and Filmmaker, <o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Trained singer who took up acting in 2006.Experienced in TV, Film, Corporate events, Murder Mysteries, and commercials</span></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://payhip.com/b/eFCj" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY OF WORDS AND MUSIC BY REBECCA HOSKING</a></span></span></div>
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Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-49530492196029808602017-03-15T14:39:00.000-05:002017-03-15T16:02:17.165-05:00Reflections, thinking small to make big changes. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Reflection is a great tool <a href="https://www.powerofpositivity.com/7-tips-how-to-train-your-brain-to-stay-positive/" target="_blank">for self-improvement</a> in my humble opinion. We are all guilty of pointing fingers and complaining about what is wrong in the world when in most cases the things we complain about we do have the ability to change because quite often we are usually guilty of what we are vocalizing, ourselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is easy to point out what is not working, but implementing change is not always as easy as it seems. I have said this before and will reiterate it here, our brains function on habitual routines. The best way to seek change is to set up a regular routine and before long it becomes a habit that is as natural as breathing. It is that simple but, we have to start somewhere. The hard part is creating the change before it becomes a habit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If we are honest with ourselves we can hold a mirror up and ask truthfully is this annoyance caused by me? Reflection is a tricky thing. If someone hurts us or we feel slighted, are you reflecting what someone did to you on the wrong person? If a repeated action of deceit affects us in our lives it is easy to fall in that pattern and automatically assume everyone is going to do the same thing, before anything is done at all. Often times we, in fact, enforce the behavior by our attitude towards the innocent party, creating their defenses to react to your behavior. That person becomes the victim of your own reflection.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We can also be the culprit of the things that annoy us the most, we see it easily because maybe we do it as well? It is not easy to be fully honest with yourself, no one likes to admit their own failures. However, it seems failures are the stepping stones to success. Trial and error is the process to finding the best fit, should we say? You cannot fix something if you do not understand what is broken. An analysis of truth must be reflected in the mirror, then change what you do not like about yourself to create a better you. Then others see and react and follow suit; you created the cycle for a positive change.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">May seem confusing but it is human nature and no one is immune. However, we can use it to our advantage in a complementary way instead of negatively. Being the control freak that I am, I understand that we can not control the actions of others, but we can control how we react to them. Change starts with the individual, be the change you want to see and lead by example.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One voice can make a difference and soon habits start to form and changes trickle down to </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">more and more people before you know it, you are a <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3037446/what-really-motivates-people-to-rally-behind-a-cause" target="_blank">cause of a movement</a>. It all started with </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> habit you formed in combating something you did not like about yourself. Make that movement count, put more favorable energy out and we get it back 10 times fold. As easy as it is to argue with someone and demand them to think like you do, that can be replaced with an eager ear, waiting to listen, or a helping hand looking to help someone in need, or a simple handshake and smile, can create an entirely new outlook that is rewarding on so many levels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I believe! All we can do is try, right? What is the worst that can happen? But the best case scenario is a better world for future generations. Changes happen globally when we start locally!</span></h4>
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<o:p> <a href="https://payhip.com/b/eFCj" target="_blank">AVAILABLE NOW! Words and Music, the story behind the song! Check it out and download your copy TODAY! </a></o:p></div>
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Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-85087826694750199342017-01-09T12:22:00.000-06:002017-01-10T10:01:25.496-06:00The Emotional Highs and Lows of a Touring Musician<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Another new year is upon us and I was working on my ebook that is a reminiscence of my 2016 UK radio tour. I was on the road for 4 months with little to no down time at all; you'd be amazed at what can happen in a short period of time. The people I met, other musicians I had the honour to share the stage with and countless rare moments I experienced that will live in my memories forevermore. <a href="http://anovelideapromos.com/rebecca-hosking-2/" target="_blank">The ebook</a> will have direct quotes from my journal and details about the moments lived and lessons learned. But while working on it, I was making discoveries about myself and the emotional toll a tour can take on a musician. <br />
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Going out on the road is a huge part of a musician's job. We do not have a career unless we have an audience that will buy our merchandise and come out to see us play. I started out as a songwriter and learned over the years there is a big difference between an artist and a writer. <br />
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I'm a songwriter first and foremost and having said that, being out on the road for an extended period of time taught me the real difference. The high is vastly different between the two and each have their unique just rewards. An artist feeds off the emotions the road provides. It builds and carries us to the sky, then coming home is an instant drop. The higher you are, the harder you fall. <br />
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I started touring and promoting my own music as an Indie artist, in recent years. As a songwriter, I <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Scott Neubert at Smith's in Atlanta, GA</td></tr>
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was not having any luck getting my songs heard so I started promoting my own music as an artist. I released my first studio recorded CD, <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RebeccaHosking" target="_blank">Love and Other Disasters</a> in 2007, produced by <a href="https://www.reverbnation.com/scottneubert" target="_blank">Scott Neubert</a>. It received countless accolades from across the globe. I also started getting my music placed in TV/films etc. It was a whole new world and I was making progress. My 4th release, <a href="http://wolfpackmusic.com/rebecca-hosking-nashville-usa/" target="_blank">A Few Broken Pieces</a>, landed me a membership to the Recording Academy and I was considered for a Grammy in the category of best new country artist. These are the kind of steps that inspire you to keep moving forward and never give up on your dreams. <br />
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I started building <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/Hoskettes/" target="_blank">a fan base in the UK</a> and went out on a radio tour in August of 2016 hitting every single radio station that would play me, I did live in studio performances and interviews and also hit the open mic scene and played for exposure to build an even larger fan base. Any hard working, serious musician knows, there is no formula to success, no set path, you have to blaze your own trail by doing whatever it takes. In doing so your job becomes your lifeline, the people you meet become your crutches that prop you up and the lessons become your to do list, it is learned by trial and error and so you start repeating what proved to be working. <br />
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I got a small taste of life on the road, keep in mind there are musicians that spend an entire year on the road, my 4 months was a taste of a musician's reality and all the ups and downs that come along with the lifestyle. I used to read biographies of all my favorite musicians, mainly to learn what worked for them, best way to be a musician is learn what the greats did in order to make a living <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kevin Wrapson and Helen Bawden at<br />
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doing what you are trying to accomplish. I read countless stories of <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/creativity-explorations-in-art-literature-science-and-the-everyday/201503/creativity-and-mental" target="_blank">depression and mental illness and the instability that lurked in the minds of most of these stars</a>, I often judged them and thought suck it up, you are doing what you love, why all the whining….However, now I get it, probably more than ever. <br />
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Here in the USA I would go on short tours, hit different regions, 10 days on the west coast, 10 days in the Midwest, etc. After, I would come home it would take a couple days to come off the initial high then I'd fall right back into my normal routine and plan for the next road trip and write new songs. I never felt anything other than a bit of fatigue and I bounced back pretty quickly. <br />
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This time was different for me. I packed my bags and grabbed my passport and journeyed to another country with the intention of staying as long as I could with a goal of promoting my latest CD, Safe Haven. I was already building a following in the UK and Lucky me, getting a fair amount of radio play, the tour was easy and I bounced across the country and circled it twice hitting each station that was playing me as well as being sent to new ones all over the radio community. I would promote live performances on the radio shows and started getting a nice draw in all the rooms I played, which got me more invites to play again and many brought me back as a featured artist. <br />
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This was it, it was happening, people were noticing and giving me positive feedback every single time. I cannot describe to you the sense of accomplishment as an artist to have a stranger buy your music and walk away genuinely happy as if they have just won a prize. As a songwriter, when that happens, you know you have done your job right. It is like an office worker getting a promotion or recognition for a job well done. There is not a lot of rewards or compensation for an indie artist, so these little natural highs are the gold that keeps us focused on our ultimate goals. <br />
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You win some and you lose some it is the nature of the beast, but when you get on a roll and everything is going right, you feel in your mind you are unstoppable and that is the best reward any musician could ever ask for throughout their creative career, in my humble opinion. It certainly gave me a new sense of self worth and a confidence I have never felt before. <br />
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Coming home and what happened to me mentally caught me off guard and not what I was expecting. I still have not adjusted to the normal. For 4 months my normal consisted of trains, planes, couch surfing, meeting new people, rewarding interactions that lead to new opportunities, every single day. Since I have been home the high has turned into a low. I had to remind myself of what was accomplished while I was away. Nothing felt grandiose anymore. Nothing held anything that felt <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Basement in Chelmsford, London UK</td></tr>
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extra special. I think for me, when talking to family and trying to explain to them how empty I feel now, it becomes glaringly obvious, the reality that, yeah I felt special, but obviously it was not real, I'm nothing more than I was before I left. All those insecurities rush back to rear their ugly faces and stop us dead in our tracks.<br />
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I finally get it, I do not think I am alone in these feelings, I think most musicians no matter what level you are at, feel lonely after the crowd has gone home. Like a junky hooked on a drug, I now have a need to feed a crowd and be heard. As an artist making that connection with an audience feels almost as good as it did when I wrote the song. <br />
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My family is my songs, my life is my career, my self worth comes from my success and I feel my success is measured by how many people listen and give positive feedback. This is only the beginning for me and I want to give props to all the ones before me that taught me what it takes to make a dream, reality. I want to show respect to the ones I used to think were whiners. The road is not an easy journey to partake in, however the rewards are vast. Please forgive us when we are not ourselves or the person you are used to seeing. Artists are extremely emotional people that seek comfort in very unconventional ways. The world is seen in a different light and artists by default has a self centered nature that makes it hard to understand, that most people, simply do not understand us. <br />
<br />
I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be able to follow my heart and dreams. I am even more grateful that I have a group of people that love and respect me enough to follow me on this crazy journey we call the music business. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/Hoskettes/" target="_blank">The Hoskettes</a>, have created a family that looks out for each other and that, especially in the times we are living now, is not an easy thing to accomplish. This Fan group has become a safe haven for me, a place I can go when I need to feel like I am a part of something. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LhbPVbXEYt08csFMa4iSSLnpWLovUebKuP2k-ZhJGEqOnO6iCSeg3XW5yi7c0fEkS0Gvdm_6x9nXrkgDjV2ZmlsFoiivev3ArPTvu__zNGEJKarOJXQNDi92lefp_DgVkBt2nyZLOK2i/s1600/4+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LhbPVbXEYt08csFMa4iSSLnpWLovUebKuP2k-ZhJGEqOnO6iCSeg3XW5yi7c0fEkS0Gvdm_6x9nXrkgDjV2ZmlsFoiivev3ArPTvu__zNGEJKarOJXQNDi92lefp_DgVkBt2nyZLOK2i/s320/4+pic.jpg" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Uncommonground in Chicago, IL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm a pretty positive person and a firm believer of visualizing the success you want for yourself in order to create a reality. But those visions do not come to fruition without putting forth the effort and that work is never easy. Creative people are humans, like everyone else, we have good days and bad days and most of us have crippling insecurities which is the reason we crave your attention, it is our reminder that we do have something to offer, in a society that we usually do not quite fit into like others do.<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you for the blessings, I say this often and hope it does not diminish its meaning, but I cannot be me without all of you. Thank you for the attention and love you have shown me from the beginning and all the times you've picked me up during the in betweens from one failure to the next successful step. Thank you for always believing I could do it, when I did not think I could. Yeah the tour has ended and that feels very sad for me, but the smile comes back when I think of the possibilities 2017 holds. <br />
<br />
<h4>
Here's to another year and may success keep growing, onwards and upwards for all of us, no matter what your dream may be. </h4>
Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-36236321762963422882016-04-10T10:28:00.001-05:002016-04-10T10:29:23.223-05:00Melantha's Storm ON SALE NOW!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dCGeoPip3Fmbx0GWz7Z0qiwElknNuV86BHkxwvtSyRe6cWQAEkF6aRa36Q7CbVD8PGkxRwrpTwnVzRjllAoLSY11HVJQw8YWcoOtb4dAVvC3BnqsEVnO7b53oD_ZtmHk06riuQ0Vgl_q/s1600/Melantha%2527s+Storm+Final+Cover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dCGeoPip3Fmbx0GWz7Z0qiwElknNuV86BHkxwvtSyRe6cWQAEkF6aRa36Q7CbVD8PGkxRwrpTwnVzRjllAoLSY11HVJQw8YWcoOtb4dAVvC3BnqsEVnO7b53oD_ZtmHk06riuQ0Vgl_q/s320/Melantha%2527s+Storm+Final+Cover.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Melantha's Storm is distributed and available at <a href="http://anovelideapromos.com/" target="_blank">A Novel Idea, Inc.</a> To order your copy email: <span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">anovelideapromos@gmail.com</span></div>
Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-79783670114264720822015-12-30T10:51:00.000-06:002015-12-30T11:28:00.002-06:00The Year in Review<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNjodUSDMWOoedxT30m8yF1T-7sAfncagAZ6ZArL8d7kPiRnRbvx-dOgQ8U_XRCJs9Kzpx_y2bPRPseHcbsJt12K0H6uCA_k3IO6zkgcTEcDATV7U5qvfil3-dTWqmmQRQ0owayw0WRkf/s1600/Happy-New-Years-Eve-2016-Clock-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNjodUSDMWOoedxT30m8yF1T-7sAfncagAZ6ZArL8d7kPiRnRbvx-dOgQ8U_XRCJs9Kzpx_y2bPRPseHcbsJt12K0H6uCA_k3IO6zkgcTEcDATV7U5qvfil3-dTWqmmQRQ0owayw0WRkf/s320/Happy-New-Years-Eve-2016-Clock-12.jpg" width="320" /></a>Wow, I can't believe this year is almost closed. I have to say 2015 was much better than the year<br />
before. I believe 2016 is going to be even better! There has been a lot of changes that has taken place throughout the year. Some took quite a bit of adjusting, however, like all good and bad situations we learn and grow from every experience.<br />
<br />
My year started out with a big win on <a href="https://artistsignal.com/rebeccahosking">Artist Signal</a> after countless months of hard work, Myself along side a very active team won a $10,000 reward for being the most popular artist on the site. I cannot not list all the names of those who helped, because the list goes on and on; was a group effort of epic proportions. Some of the rewards rendered as a thank you from me, were songs I wrote to the person who voted for me 650 times, That was sheer dedication that humbled me and I will forever be grateful for everyone and everything you did, the time you gave and interruption of your lives, please know it was then and will always be very appreciated. Thank you for your <a href="https://soundcloud.com/rebecca-hosking/trouble">TROUBLE</a> and for all <a href="https://soundcloud.com/rebecca-hosking/the-stranger">THE STRANGER</a>s that became close friends. I tried for the win in November and failed and it was the workings of a group of hard core supporters that encouraged everyone to continue to vote in December that got me the win!!! You know who you are and I do hope you enjoyed all the rewards rendered for your assistance. It was the journey that showed me I cannot be me without all of you. An artist is nothing without an audience and I am truly blessed with the most supportive street team ever. <br />
<br />
With that reward came many challenges, many of which have been squashed and not worth a mention, but the biggest reward was the lasting friendships and the continued support of so many. The deal was to use that money to get to the UK, well the dream is still very much valid, but the money was not even a tip of the iceberg of what it will take. You all know me by now and when I set a goal I do not rest until it is reached no matter how long it takes. I believe I will and look forward to meeting all of my friends over there in the UK. <br />
<br />
Since then our group has grown quite a bit and there are several, post AS, that have joined us along the way. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/Hoskettes/">Our family</a> grows daily and we have so much fun, I am spoiled by the interaction and in return I will continue to create art I hope you will always enjoy and love. Scott Neubert and I have formed quite a team musically and I feel my art changes for the better daily, he has believed in me and taught me so much as an artist and an individual, I feel I have grown beyond measure, especially in 2015. <br />
<br />
With the winnings I went on to release my 4th studio album,<a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rebeccahosking4"> A Few Broken Pieces</a> and it became my top best seller surpassing my debut in 2007, Love and Other Disasters. From that CD the song, No Reason got me on the Hot Disc charts out of the UK, I then released a single, Tonight that hit the top 20 and was also picked up by Clear Channel for iHeart radio here in the USA. Then another single, A Cold Heart Never Melts is slowly climbing the charts as well. I was added to <a href="http://wolfpackmusic.com/rebecca-hosking-nashville-usa/">The Wolf Pack Music</a> after sharing countless Friday nights (the reason why Friday's are my favorite days) on The Pack Show with my good friends Russ Williams aka The Wolf Man and Georg Hegelmann. I can't forget to mention where it all started and how they have given me so much support and took me under their wings, The Rock Doc, Northern Girl, Gonzo, Diane Marie, Sheldon Snow and <a href="http://worsleyradio.uk/appeal_001.php?v=0">Raymond Rowe</a>. So proud to be a part of the <a href="http://www.newusb.co.uk/artists/profile/index.php?profile_id=Rebecca+Hosking">NEWUSB</a> family! Since then the radio stations have grown worldwide and impossible to mention them all, Bright Sky Radio, of which got me on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/best-independent-country-music/id958167309">The Best of Independent Country Music</a> compilation CD. That debuted in the top 4 best seller in country music on iTunes. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YankeeBabes/?fref=ts">The Yankee Babes</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wosradio/?fref=ts">Woman of Substance Radio</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/moniesMUSICPromotions/">Monies Indie Music Promotions</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TalentCast/?fref=ts">Talentcast</a> to name a few, So many the list goes on and on, thank you all for the opportunity to share my music. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br />
I have received countless sinc opportunities for TV/Films landing a song on the hit series, The Lost Girl, Bizarre Foods of America, several commercials both locally and nationwide, also landing on ESPN on the Poker World Championship, even a few indie films. I want to thank my licensing company, APM for believing in my music and working hard to get me heard. <br />
<br />
2015 ended on an unfortunate note when I was laid off from my job with HP after 16 years of service my position was handed over to India, a sad misfortune that is happening quite often in my country. However, this quickly turned into an exciting adventure as I relied heavily on my freelance work to stay afloat and have had several opportunities arise that have life changing potential. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<h3>
I am excited to see what 2016 has in store, the possibilities are limitless and I'm ready to take the bull by the horns and seize life to its fullest. I hope to make my friends and family proud and show the generations to come nothing is impossible without a dream and a whole bunch of elbow grease. So here's to rolling up our sleeves and making all our dreams come true. I cannot be ME with out all of you, thank you for sharing the journey, here's to another year!</h3>
Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-47062896521704350732015-11-04T09:19:00.000-06:002015-11-04T17:10:11.065-06:00Retrain your brain for success, one smile at a time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkh5gx4nnDDZyn7ntgph0_htrAltMqKFsUkFAHciZlAOK_09sGHnIDcRtlmWHSsFZHxNGk88xtN-ATjCy_-q5QFV_1KylUpmQeCxf5hA57v8gab-WkwulyB5Vi1skLtvwS4uMkRpSlLUP/s1600/brain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkh5gx4nnDDZyn7ntgph0_htrAltMqKFsUkFAHciZlAOK_09sGHnIDcRtlmWHSsFZHxNGk88xtN-ATjCy_-q5QFV_1KylUpmQeCxf5hA57v8gab-WkwulyB5Vi1skLtvwS4uMkRpSlLUP/s1600/brain.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Humans are creatures of habit and our<a href="http://www.closertotruth.com/" target="_blank"> brains function</a>
through repetition. We train our thoughts and our actions through daily
routines. These routines become common practice and soon working, eating,
sleeping and every aspect of our life is a regular occurrence, none of it feels
like work anymore, simply a natural progression of daily living. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://rebeccahoskingcc.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">In this blog</a> I have argued that creative personalities see
things a little different from others. We create a different reality, not seen
by anyone else. We share our views through our art to make others aware of what
our mind's eye sees. I'm learning through my travels and new people I meet that
we all have some form of creativity living inside of us. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In this piece I want to explore the measure of success. What
do you consider a successful day, a momentous occasion? Waking up in the
morning and accomplishing making another person smile is a very successful day
in my opinion. But we all have to make a living and we all have to pay the
bills, realistically a smile does not accomplish putting money in the bank. Or
does it? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are countless self help books out there that all say
the same thing, <a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Self-Development/The-Secret-Audiobook/B002V5GN4Y?source_code=GO1GB907ESH060513&mkwid=se5EmRTv4_dc&pcrid=87222169929&pmt=e&pkw=the%20secret&gclid=CjwKEAiA9uaxBRDYr4_hrtC3tW8SJAD6UU8GHJ8dT6sfDdYGe0gYnssXvU_6tMASOgHOed81sl32JhoCudzw_wcB" target="_blank">The Secret</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-Contact-Sport-Career-Strategies/dp/0688146228/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1446650116&sr=1-1&keywords=life+is+a+contact+sport" target="_blank">Life is a Contact Sport</a> and my personal favorite,
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Artists-Way-Julia-Cameron-ebook/dp/B006H19H3M/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1446650148&sr=1-1&keywords=the+artists+way+by+julia+cameron" target="_blank">The Artist's Way</a>. These are only tips of the iceberg, do your own research
there are countless books that can help guide you that will speak to your own
needs; bottom line is, we create our own reality. Regardless your religious or
political beliefs no one makes success for you, except you. Having said that,
no one gets there without help. Remember to respond kindly and help others on
the journey behind you. Always educate yourself and continuously question the
world and all that is involved, knowledge is power and is the number one tool
to success. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Actions make reality. Think of a goal you want to obtain and
make a plan. Planning and goal setting is a sure fire way to reach any dream. Dreams
are reality in the making. Build a trustworthy team that is like minded to your
needs. Success is more realistic when learning and sharing your experiences
with others on the same path. Failure is not an option, but the pitfalls and
road blocks are inevitable, adapt, adjust and overcome. Never let negativity
discourage you from a reality that is waiting in the wings. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I propose starting by retraining our brains to think and do
different things. Nothing changes unless you make a change. I have spoken of
this many times throughout this blog, the repetition is me practicing what I preach,
I am retraining my brain, so positive thoughts and actions become second nature
it is no longer a chore to accomplish, it is simply how I live. I'll keep
repeating it until it sinks in and maybe if you are reading and sharing, it
will benefit you as well. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Challenge yourself to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Day-Mental-Diet-Change-ebook/dp/B006LG2IM0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1446644613&sr=1-1&keywords=mental+diet+emmet+fox" target="_blank">The 7 Day Mental Diet, By Emmet Fox</a>. I'm
a huge proponent of Emmet Fox's teachings. I'm not saying it is easy, but if
you successfully complete it, the positive nature can change your life. I have
started and stopped many times and still in the process myself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Success in my point of view is dusting yourself off when you
have fallen and try again. Learn from mistakes so you do not repeat them and
keep looking forward. I believe if you do what you love the rest falls into
place, I also believe nothing is handed to you, we must always relentlessly set
small goals in order to reach the bigger picture. I do not believe you can be
successful, by stepping on other </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">people or abusing trust. Karma has a way of
coming back to haunt us, apologize profusely when you have unintentionally hurt
someone and always help when you are able to do so. I believe you get back what
you put out, it is our responsibility as humans to make this world a more
loving place. A smile can lead to success because it is creating a habit that
soon changes how you think and live and soon the changes unfold as naturally as
breathing.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtAfLQ-B9wnJiK46fklBc9qgMFHFnQaMeVTysAbQoI55hc50d72heiWWNcX5bXNYTppAlCNwQWtFzMTwOdfzX_gG2rmuLpuOMtQQmQMQ8VNdh4BNpNXcyttysM0aW1cfjv6G8TDItOTtx/s1600/smiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtAfLQ-B9wnJiK46fklBc9qgMFHFnQaMeVTysAbQoI55hc50d72heiWWNcX5bXNYTppAlCNwQWtFzMTwOdfzX_gG2rmuLpuOMtQQmQMQ8VNdh4BNpNXcyttysM0aW1cfjv6G8TDItOTtx/s1600/smiles.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Maybe in the environment we have been living we may have all
lost sight of certain habitual luxuries we normally take for granted. Retrain
our brains for success. Wake up each morning regardless what challenge you must
face and say today I'm facing it with a smile. Ignore the naysayers trying to
put negativity in your path. Happy living is successful living and success
should be shared and celebrated. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Someone told me once, you only lose if you stop trying, so
don't give up. I would love to hear your opinions and success stories, if you
decide to try the challenge, please share your experience. If you feel negative
feelings creeping in, stop, take a breath, maybe even take a day or two, then
try again. We are all in this journey together, we are all interconnected whether
we want to believe it or not. The world can be better and as a team we can all
succeed one smile at a time. </span></h4>
Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-47135859026865948482014-12-31T13:54:00.000-06:002015-11-04T09:31:21.589-06:00There are Angels Among Us Always<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELpvVVQ4i2FGDM6DpNLgcp-0dZW4sEVS7o2ErgzCg-oW4q5sUC-M_X4l8KdN_5akWdrv5roUZgpFas_S_5xgLrRuTRSK1vAJ1Q5d3xF8FKxtbJ4lSbpE0NdnKHsr_S05ilfCWRT9Jwdy0/s1600/little-angel-wallpaper-angels-8047805-1024-768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELpvVVQ4i2FGDM6DpNLgcp-0dZW4sEVS7o2ErgzCg-oW4q5sUC-M_X4l8KdN_5akWdrv5roUZgpFas_S_5xgLrRuTRSK1vAJ1Q5d3xF8FKxtbJ4lSbpE0NdnKHsr_S05ilfCWRT9Jwdy0/s1600/little-angel-wallpaper-angels-8047805-1024-768.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The year of 2014 has been life changing for me. Many very rough moments that happened this past year that I thought I would never recover from as it all unfolded. But as the old saying goes, that which does not kill us only serves to make us stronger.<br />
<br />
I do not want to dwell on the moments that brought tears but I want to reflect on those chance happenings that changed everything for the better. I believe we all have angels looking over us encouraging us to try new and exciting things. Influencing us in ways, if we are only open to the signs.<br />
<br />
I had many angels this year that affected me in ways they may never truly understand. My first angel I met many years ago, <a href="http://evashaw.com/" target="_blank"> Eva Shaw</a> opened a lot doors for me in the writing world. She has been a mentor over the years and this year, our relationship became so much more. She had helped me grow as a writer and our relationship also helped me grow as a person as well. I will forever be grateful for the lessons I have learned that she so patiently allowed to be revealed. She not only is a mentor but she has become a friend that will always have a special place in my heart.<br />
<br />
Then there was a woman I met at the beginning of 2014 who sings like an angel named <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jys4J29q_uc" target="_blank">Rebecca Newman</a>. She had shown an act of kindness by a chance happening of introducing me and my music to her fans called the Newmaneers. I joined her fan page as I had never been a fan of classical music until I listened to her sing. Her voice is an instrument of its own and I was in awe of her talent and even more impressed by the love of her fans. I had never witnessed such admiration for anyone, like the Newmaneers had shown her. I thought anyone that received as much respect as she was given not only had an obvious talent but a generous heart as well; it was an honor to be a part of something that was so much bigger than simply a fan page.<br />
<br />
She was in a contest called Artist Signal and won the month of February. I had joined the contest many months prior to meeting her but never really understood that a win could be a possibility until witnessing her hard work. I started paying attention and making friends within her group and I eventually had the honor of a gentleman creating a fan page for me, Kevin Wrapson created a page that eventually soon became what we now know as the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/722842544403125/" target="_blank">Hoskettes</a>. He joined forces with Robert Scullen and I had started with 34 members that generously came from the Newmaneers. Many said they never listened or cared for country music until Rebecca had told them to listen to me. Thank you Rebecca Newman for giving me that chance.<br />
<br />
I had the good fortune to be able to do a tour in the Northeast with a good friend <a href="https://www.facebook.com/renee.wahl.5?fref=ts" target="_blank">Renee Wahl</a>. We had a great show in Philly that <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ilikelogue" target="_blank">Jennifer Logue</a> had set up for me at Milk Boy. It was a great crowd and I was also able to meet my friend <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ian.harris.564?fref=ts" target="_blank">Andy Whatt</a> face to face as he made the journey from DC to come see me.<br />
<br />
Renee and I then journeyed to NYC. I had wanted to play in that city my whole life. Unfortunately it did not turn out as good as Philly, however it was where I met the very talented <a href="https://www.facebook.com/micheal.castaldo?fref=ts" target="_blank">Micheal Castaldo</a>. He was the only person who said he would come to my show who actually showed up. He not only came <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65yCY2-TcNUhyphenhyphenmTUVM268lQfCsM4wk8h4OYCaTL7gL4mGnR3aKmVgHr1hHdty7BRWiSiDMoIIyFUSmAuH4mPGAc63PnOuZCmHE1BaYu7d9LDtUkj4yNUTQGBCKhS9OvgUg5oRIyIzL_Nm/s1600/10441333_1509840229247371_5649609202968504279_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65yCY2-TcNUhyphenhyphenmTUVM268lQfCsM4wk8h4OYCaTL7gL4mGnR3aKmVgHr1hHdty7BRWiSiDMoIIyFUSmAuH4mPGAc63PnOuZCmHE1BaYu7d9LDtUkj4yNUTQGBCKhS9OvgUg5oRIyIzL_Nm/s1600/10441333_1509840229247371_5649609202968504279_n.jpg" /></a>to the gig, he proceeded to show Renee and I around Little Italy afterwards and bought us dinner. After my car breaking down and learning of limited time left with my brother and wasting time on a rough gig in NYC; he gave a pleasant ending to an extremely rough day, yet another angel here on earth.<br />
<br />
We had to cut the tour short and head back home. I was able to spend some unforgettable moments with my brother that I will cherish until we meet again. He is now with my Mother and I am blessed with angels in heaven as well as on earth. <br />
<br />
The Hoskettes are now 183 members strong and we have gained members from all over the world. I have had the good fortune of meeting and joining forces with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AsheiBand" target="_blank">Ashei</a> and through them I met and befriended Sonja Garard who allowed me to become a member of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/WolfPackMuzic/" target="_blank">The Pack</a>. I also met <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IntoTheEastFace" target="_blank">Into The East</a> and became friends with Liv McBride. I also soon met the leader of the Pack, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/derWolfman?fref=ts" target="_blank">Wolf Man</a> who then took me under his wing and did many radio interviews with me and I eventually made the top ten most requested on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FameMusicRadio?ref=br_tf" target="_blank">Fame Music Radio</a> hosted by Georg Hegelmann out of Johannesburg, SA. These acquaintances have quickly become life long friends I will cherish always. <br />
<br />
I have had a very successful year with my release, My Soul is Already Sold, produced by Scott Neubert. My first release with him since Love and Other Disasters. I have made several cuts on TV and films from songs on this CD, being featured on, The Lost Girl, Bizarre Foods of America, also featured on Delta Airlines, Smithsonian Channel and many more. Scott and I are finishing up my latest release, A Few Broken Pieces which should be out literally within weeks. We make a good team and I appreciate him always believing in me and helping me make my musical aspirations a reality. He is a God send to say the least.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOeqmOTFBu7coRGvEZW3mR99lTVuojDK0IrIYrx6G5hcmHz-qCiFOHZAMHgkPwL0uVgfADw3oGfI95Yy8hha2D3vpuVlHEHWC5KUlZUQVTj8odJCsuooS0lmb71E4Dt8ONFRtdsVS4ajG/s1600/new_year-07.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOeqmOTFBu7coRGvEZW3mR99lTVuojDK0IrIYrx6G5hcmHz-qCiFOHZAMHgkPwL0uVgfADw3oGfI95Yy8hha2D3vpuVlHEHWC5KUlZUQVTj8odJCsuooS0lmb71E4Dt8ONFRtdsVS4ajG/s1600/new_year-07.gif" width="320" /></a><br />
There are so many others I have not mentioned and you all know who you are, that have impacted me in one way or another. You never really fully realize or appreciate how blessed you are until you sit and count your blessings. There are so many angels that have been there for me through thick and thin. I have been blessed 10 times fold and will never know what I have done to deserve such love. <br />
<br />
I will be closing the year with a win on <a href="https://artistsignal.com/rebeccahosking" target="_blank">Artist Signal</a>, ironically ending the year basically how it began; with angels looking after me and changing my life forever. <br />
<br />
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<br />Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-28409741336977826282014-08-12T16:26:00.000-05:002014-08-19T17:25:49.447-05:00Enter to WIN! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPP7u54ClPqFgC-YMWSCczvaU8LEaCsyg619zf-19RWlKknBqbXm7wPcMMJvfzGLK2FwUFo9MXcYUkHeUMfsEi6iyt8zKCXpHo345d5ScOLfapXfwPxsM1pL9hV8Kk5IYOcuMtaBd9RhQI/s1600/girl5-stick-figure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPP7u54ClPqFgC-YMWSCczvaU8LEaCsyg619zf-19RWlKknBqbXm7wPcMMJvfzGLK2FwUFo9MXcYUkHeUMfsEi6iyt8zKCXpHo345d5ScOLfapXfwPxsM1pL9hV8Kk5IYOcuMtaBd9RhQI/s1600/girl5-stick-figure.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Its time for us to have a little fun. For those of you who know me, know I am an
artist as well and work under many different creative realms. I have been hired
to do many portraits in recent months and now for a little fun I'm going to
give you all the opportunity to show me what you can do!</span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Starting today until the end of the month I want you all to draw a portrait of ME!
It can be a stick figure or whatever you are capable of doing you will be judged
on originality and how well you know me, for example, my favorite color is green
and my favorite flower is carnations and I play guitar, sing and write! If you can't
get my likeness draw a stick figure that will show its me by the things incorporated
in the drawing! Be creative and show the world your talent and how much you know
me. Another hint, I have two cats name Linus and Speck whom I love very very much!
:o)</span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
The winner will receive a never before released completed demo of my song written
for my family called, Every Chance I Get!</span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Meet your judges, my dear friends and 2 people who know me better than my own
family, Scott Neubert and Renee Wahl all of whom you should check
out their pages and enjoy their music while your posting your drawings of me! <a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/scottneubert" target="_blank">Scott Neubert</a> and <a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/reneewahl" target="_blank">Renee Wahl</a></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Don't be shy visit my blog and you will learn I believe we all are creative,
only not all of us tap into our creative whims, like others do. <a href="http://rebeccahoskingcc.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Creative Compromise!</a> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So now is your chance to show the
world your vision of art and how your eyes perceive one of the artists you enjoy
listening to.</span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
You can submit your entries at my fan page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/722842544403125/" target="_blank">Rebecca Hosking Support Group aka The Hoskettes!</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Winners will be annouced on Sept 8th after the judges have a week to review all entries!
Can't wait to see what you guys come up with! Make me PROUD but first and foremost
let's have some fun!</span></h4>
<h4>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Paz y amor siempre</span>Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-6722182368253289022014-08-09T11:37:00.001-05:002014-08-09T11:37:25.022-05:00Monkey Wrench, Anyone? <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBut7BrL9yuE4e9rS3qDeP1kHzvipjK9sDg0pAWe0urgUox0cVNd-YGCi37Ax-TqNc0dSXyGvITsgv0B1eWytWYG4rijgfBLobZVoeXw7jJJ-9nqach-WPl6GlC3SUmLw-33883fZyaXv/s1600/cartoon-plumbers-wrench-logo-21609484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBut7BrL9yuE4e9rS3qDeP1kHzvipjK9sDg0pAWe0urgUox0cVNd-YGCi37Ax-TqNc0dSXyGvITsgv0B1eWytWYG4rijgfBLobZVoeXw7jJJ-9nqach-WPl6GlC3SUmLw-33883fZyaXv/s1600/cartoon-plumbers-wrench-logo-21609484.jpg" height="320" width="260" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Funny how life keeps going no matter what, you know when
people say, don't feel so bad, no matter how bad things are there is always
someone who has it worse. Ever feel like you were that person who had it worse?
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">God, life is a funny little cycle and time stops for no one,
does it? We do our best and make our plans and strive to reach our goals, but
some days no matter how you try, there is a monkey wrench and it is jammed
right in the middle of everything causing all your hard work to fall apart. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Life is balance and 9 times out of 10 so rarely does any of
us actually have the balance we need in order to survive these bumps. We go day
to day with our routines thinking there is an end in sight and when that end
comes and it is never what we had planned; it makes us feel like we did
something wrong. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But guess what, your not alone and you did nothing wrong.
Its called life. We can plan as much as we want and be prepared, but no amount
of strength or preparation will ever make the bumps any smoother. Some things
do not have visible answers, hell, some things have no answer at all. It simply
is what it is, good, bad or indifferent. At the end of our life when we have to
answer to our maker, I imagine that is when all the mysteries will be revealed.
But, who knows? As I have planned this day to come I also think, it most likely
will never be like I imagined. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Call it a mid life crisis or a bout of depression or maybe
things are right on track for you at the moment. Regardless the state you are
in nothing is permanent and nothing lasts forever. When the tide rolls in and
we are treading water and struggling to breathe; we have to tell ourselves this
too will pass. When we are on top of the world and everything falls right into
place, enjoy it while you can, because it will eventually fade as well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To live with the philosophy that nothing is permanent some
find to be grim and bleak. But I find it to be my comfort when I feel like the
world is focused on killing my spirit. There is nothing, absolutely nothing
that lasts forever. But maybe that belief <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is not the complete truth either? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Humans are riddled with flaws and imperfections, but it is
also our nature to nurture and build bonds that cannot be broken by these
cycles of hard times. I used to live my life by the philosophy that nothing is
permanent, but here I am learning yet again. There is one thing that is
constant, there is a monkey wrench that messes with my program of belief. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I look back on my life and all the hard times I have
been through it is true with time the sorrow did pass and the monkey wrench
that broke the cycle of sadness was always love. When things were great those
good times were always shared with those closes to me and their pride for me
was shown through their love. When we lose someone close to us, the love never
dies, in fact, it is felt even stronger with their passing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When it is real and comes from a true place love is the one
thing, the only thing, that lasts forever, no matter the circumstances. </span></h4>
Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-17253023206048357472014-06-26T09:10:00.000-05:002014-06-26T09:18:50.134-05:00My Soul is Already Sold Tour 2014Being on the road is a huge part of being a musician. It is when I put all the hard work behind the scenes out on the front lines for the world to see and hear. Hours and hours of writing, rehearsing and recording comes down to this moment, walking out on the stage. This is where I connect with all of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/722842544403125/" target="_blank">my fans</a> and hopefully meet and make new friends and build an even bigger fan base.<br />
<br />
I kicked off this leg of the tour with <a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/scottneubert" target="_blank">Scott Neubert</a>, musician extraordinaire, best producer any girl could ask for and an amazing friend. We performed in my living room through <a href="https://www.stageit.com/Rebecca_Hosking" target="_blank">Stage It</a> an online performance venue. It was a great turn out and I want to thank all of you who attended and donated money to help fund my road expenses.<br />
<br />
I then headed to Philly with <a href="http://www.reneewahl.com/" target="_blank">Renee Wahl</a>. Renee is from Philadelphia and had heaps of her friends<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWlVS1mQzYHuwFiNdlCKPZosHxI8JHOgKsJn5Cyx-s2w91S9p6bfur0pMY_yTfxZhVQ_95MJTCte4aI-DOYggVNKpHca6Qz_1j763sBNJBSLf8UmZSAsFLyRqqJHnxFFFkQKb6AZ7HcAI/s1600/DSCN0775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWlVS1mQzYHuwFiNdlCKPZosHxI8JHOgKsJn5Cyx-s2w91S9p6bfur0pMY_yTfxZhVQ_95MJTCte4aI-DOYggVNKpHca6Qz_1j763sBNJBSLf8UmZSAsFLyRqqJHnxFFFkQKb6AZ7HcAI/s1600/DSCN0775.JPG" height="320" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Renee Wahl and Rebecca Hosking at Milkboy in Philly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
come out to the Milkboy and shared the evening with us. My good friend <a href="https://www.facebook.com/IanAndyWhat" target="_blank">Andy What</a> made the trip and I made a whole bunch of new friends there as well. It was a packed house and phenomenal fun.<br />
<br />
My good friend Jennifer Logue is the host of the show <a href="http://rockonphilly.com/" target="_blank">Rock on Philly</a> and had invited me to play their Tuesday night show. I'll forever be in debt to Jennifer for thinking of me and always supporting my music. We met through <a href="http://skopemag.com/" target="_blank">the magazine</a> I write for, I was offered a column and she was my first story, and we have been friends ever since.<br />
<br />
It is almost inevitable that a musician runs into a little bit of strife while on the road. My car started overheating and I was concerned. Renee contacted a friend Rob Branco aka (Cousin Rob) and he put me in touch with a gentleman named Donnie DiDonato, please forgive me if I got the last name wrong. He owns the Advance Auto on <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@39.926412,-75.16385,3a,75y,298.4h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1srl_yeRGeZaXXHa_op2VQJA!2e0" target="_blank">1826 South 11th, Philadelphia, PA 19148</a>, he took me in right away, fixed me up and even drove me around the city to make sure the problem was fixed before sending me on my way. I cannot thank him enough for his kindness and concern. A genuine soul and thank you seems too little of words. BUT, THANK YOU so very much! If anyone is ever in need of work done in Philly go see Donnie! <br />
<br />
I'm headed to NYC today and playing at the <a href="http://ellalounge.com/" target="_blank">Ella Lounge, 9 Avenue A. NY, NY</a> at 9pm. I'm looking forward to see what this night will bring. I have been wanting to play Manhattan my whole life, for me, this is a milestone of my career. To be able to share it with the amazing Renee Wahl is an added bonus. I'm hoping for another packed house and looking forward to seeing some old friends and making some new ones.<br />
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<br />Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-60917006072374351372014-04-18T15:11:00.002-05:002014-04-18T15:11:44.885-05:00The Importance of Self Evaluation<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Have you ever been on that journey, trying to <a href="http://tinybuddha.com/blog/3-powerful-insights-about-finding-yourself-and-creating-change/" target="_blank">find yourself</a>? </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgyo4KW4jYEUxu0wUlidak5rKgQxT16-K5f0sTga6D9OgBxwDIEsk3ImS_XQI-zK4weJJS5s91yH6VLxoCcvyUB4yxRDvAtie1f3BVSd31zrOcekelPK8BveMx4ydN6Mua2YWls6U0LMm/s1600/magritte_not_to_be_reproduced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgyo4KW4jYEUxu0wUlidak5rKgQxT16-K5f0sTga6D9OgBxwDIEsk3ImS_XQI-zK4weJJS5s91yH6VLxoCcvyUB4yxRDvAtie1f3BVSd31zrOcekelPK8BveMx4ydN6Mua2YWls6U0LMm/s1600/magritte_not_to_be_reproduced.jpg" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Salvador Dali</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am pretty sure most of us have, especially us creative types. We do tend to
dig a little deeper in order to delve into depths of emotions most people
choose to bury. These emotions are the catalyst to our art. In other people's
lives they go to work, come home and spend time with family on the weekends and
have created a routine that works very well. To stray from the routine is
usually cumbersome, we all are creatures of habit
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Although regimen and structure can be very beneficial if you
are like me, I get bored quickly and need to keep things interesting or else I
tend to get myself into little messes. The details of those messes is for
another post altogether. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The world around us is forever changing even if we continue
on our same path, everyday is a new day. I think we should always redefine who
we are and what is important to keep up with the changes. I believe you should
be unapologetic for changing your mind. You may feel one moment one way and the
next moment completely different, especially if you keep your mind open to new
ideas and different opinions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I can only speak for myself and I know that I play many
different roles in any given day and I act accordingly. I work in the corporate
world and I behave as such, when I'm on stage, I'm a different person. I can be
a writer, a friend, a daughter, a sister, whatever role I am, each is deserving
of its own reaction and personality. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Stagnated ruts can quickly kill our creativity. Force
yourself outside of your comfort zone daily. It is a sure fire way to learn
your flaws and improve and build strengths where you were weak. Not only does
it spill into our work but it makes us more well rounded individuals. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have a plethora of <a href="http://quizfarm.com/quizzes/new/babe55/whats-your-personality-flaw-answer-honestly/" target="_blank">personal flaws</a> that hold me back if I
succumb to them and give them strength. But, you cannot fix something until you
know what is broken, you have to view yourself with an extremely crucial and
judgmental eye. If you are honest with yourself, you will see the good and
embrace it and feel compelled to fix the bad. Once the bad is revealed it is
your responsibility to make the change. Try not to justify, simply accept that it
needs to be addressed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For most of us it is difficult to view ourselves
objectively. I find a good rule of thumb is to pay close attention to the
insults you put towards others, often times if you spot it, you got it. Keep it to yourself, you do not have to air your dirty laundry, I'm simply giving you a way to
gauge honestly. If you think to yourself, I am fine, it’s the rest of the world
that is crazy; there is some truth in that, but you are still a part of that
crazy world. Trust me don't be embarrassed I have said that many times and
genuinely believed the statement. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To ask someone to define who they are, I think is an impossibility
unless you ask, who are you at this moment? It is easy to say here I am, take
it or leave it, and be okay when someone decides to leave it. But if we really
evaluate why that person decided to leave, and in all honesty try to improve on
that flaw then maybe next time you will make a better companion. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This works in every aspect of our lives, be it creative or
not, be critical and decide to always change for the better. It is human nature
to be mad and offensive, but try not to even waste a moment with all that
nonsense. After all, think about how many times someone said something and it
made you angry, then later when by yourself in a quiet room, you thought more rationally
that maybe they did have a point. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You have to start by loving yourself, I believe when we
reach a point of comfort in ourselves it is easier for us to be happy and put
good back into the world. Viewing people and things negatively is a reflection of
you and who you are, do you want to be that person, if not, the only solution
is to stop. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'm still learning how to love myself, I beg your pardon
while I'm on my journey and thank you to all of those people, who have been a
shining example of who I want to be. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></h3>
Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-63183298693182470832014-04-01T15:27:00.002-05:002014-04-01T20:16:31.958-05:00To Post or Not to Post? <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zxcFV21AxNQb7wxc5olGDT5EwJr_uu8NonjTVFQMgaMKKLUiTz2sKqDAWnJjTI51q86-ajHGQqRYCxHAvp1jFcoTMCQCxIEeWyHADzKZbrNysrwYF01zcPKFpwQIqRWrbQFiMlkFRvn2/s1600/Social-Media-Madness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zxcFV21AxNQb7wxc5olGDT5EwJr_uu8NonjTVFQMgaMKKLUiTz2sKqDAWnJjTI51q86-ajHGQqRYCxHAvp1jFcoTMCQCxIEeWyHADzKZbrNysrwYF01zcPKFpwQIqRWrbQFiMlkFRvn2/s1600/Social-Media-Madness.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To post or not to post, that is the question? I get several
arguments from other musicians saying it drives them crazy when people post so
often about shows and upcoming events. I have to ask why is it so bothersome?
If it does not interest you simply do not follow the posts. I work it, because it
works. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I accept all friend requests and yes I have some family
members and friends who are not interested in hearing every step I make in my
endeavors and have blocked me; fair enough no hard feelings. But for all those
wonderful new fans who eagerly visit my page every single day, this one is for
you and thank you for your genuine interest in my career.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For the few people who block your page, you will gain so
many more friends who start out as strangers and become loyal life time friends
and fans from across the globe. I am speaking from real life experience. If you are working from ground zero this is the best time to start. There is nothing more exciting than following an upcoming artist from nothing into something really big. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have
been working on building my fan base one fan at a time and the journey has been
time consuming, but worth each individual who has reached out to me with
wonderful accolades on how they feel about my art. People do not like helping
strangers. Get to know the ones that can help you and when they learn who you are
and that you are worthy of their time, they will help, because now you are
friends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I say post away all my unknown friends and thank you for
following me and my posts about my music and my freelance work. I'm happy to
help advertise for you as long as you keep coming back for more. I had the
pleasure of shadowing a young woman who is an amazing classical performer,
<a href="http://www.rebeccanewman.co.uk/" target="_blank">Rebecca Newman</a>. She took me under her wing and showed me the ropes, I'll
forever be grateful for the knowledge she shared.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We became friends and she introduced me to her fan club
the Newmaneers. I got to know many of them through this exchange and eventually, I was made an honoree Newmaneer
and can not be more proud. I have sold countless cd's, I have been added to
countless radio shows and currently working on a tour in the UK and so many
other benefits I have gained from simply making a friend. Thank you all so very much. I say thank you right here on my blog, as I
can guarantee they are most likely reading this post right now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have to encourage all my other musician friends who think
it is bothersome and do not post anything at all. Well, how does anyone know if
you are any good if they do not know you exist? Take a chance and get it out
there, no one should be above a shameless plug here and there, so let people
know what you are up to, if they like what they hear or see they will support
you in return. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All you freelancers out there know as well as I do, sadly it’s a
numbers game and it has always been, who you know, verses what you know; even
before <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebecca-Hosking/140502029325514?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a> or <a href="https://myspace.com/" target="_blank">MySpace</a> existed. Popularity has always been the defining factor
of success in most all cases. Even <a href="http://taylorswift.com/" target="_blank">Taylor Swift</a> and <a href="http://www.mileycyrus.com/" target="_blank">Mylie Cyrus</a> would not be
known names had it not been for their relentless networking. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Build those numbers and thank your fans by showing them what
you got and they will be very appreciative and continue to give their support.
Do not be afraid to give things away for free to those loyal ones because those
are the ones who put their money where their mouth is, time and time again.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnry-EUdPQ3HqeJGKfeCnvsiMUYoFk9WDQ0V4Gk9Vwk-gSwpooc7DY7oxmkzoIDQ5_ojUZUADleu3IcZRhl_hS5BFaTSXMVpTxPSRq_xSxoYPRW0A_5L6Cer7I_zmsgnRo3xggxxjtzXIg/s1600/social-media-300x200.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnry-EUdPQ3HqeJGKfeCnvsiMUYoFk9WDQ0V4Gk9Vwk-gSwpooc7DY7oxmkzoIDQ5_ojUZUADleu3IcZRhl_hS5BFaTSXMVpTxPSRq_xSxoYPRW0A_5L6Cer7I_zmsgnRo3xggxxjtzXIg/s1600/social-media-300x200.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/R3b3ccaH" target="_blank">Twitter</a> is my media of choice as it is quick and to the
point and designed to reach much larger numbers. Do not put all your eggs in
one basket however, hit them all and try to give as much time as possible to each
person who finds you and shares your link with more friends. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I know we have become quite the narcissistic society with
all these social media pages. But, can we at least examine the favorable
benefits these networks do provide. Especially for us creative types whose
livelihood solely depends on the attention of the unknown public.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I want to encourage everyone in the promotion realms get out
there and network online as well as face to face. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-Is-Contact-Sport-Strategies/dp/0688132820" target="_blank">Life is a contact sport</a>,
start living and sharing with others and no matter what you do in life always
treat each other with love and respect, no exceptions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The next time you ask yourself to post or not to post???? No
one sees it if you do not, and potential, countless, nameless faces soon become
life long friends if you do. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The beauty of meeting someone on a different continent and
the things we can learn from each other is a valuable tool. Get out there and
make some friends, if you get blocked once or twice, oh well, you can never
reach them all, but the ones you do reach, makes it all worth it. </span>Nothing gained, nothing lost what are you waiting
for, if you chose to block me, well then you never saw this anyway. :o) </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: #540A;">Paz y amor por todo,
siempre! </span></span></h4>
Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-40542004160412319712014-02-04T18:28:00.000-06:002014-02-04T18:32:24.548-06:00Back to the Basics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlqAFPaSSkJwk6oygN0Or2yM8FMsVk2E2hR8HB0WwLswtKoQBs2NZjU4eOgkx1NPO3cFGFdmMtfvjIXgUr8_XP0_HI0U8vtFXcpBSbpDo2feEOqIpBsuuHEbzZ7ZJcsu1CAKjQCVl3r3Z/s1600/All-our-knowledge-Leonardo-da-Vinci1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlqAFPaSSkJwk6oygN0Or2yM8FMsVk2E2hR8HB0WwLswtKoQBs2NZjU4eOgkx1NPO3cFGFdmMtfvjIXgUr8_XP0_HI0U8vtFXcpBSbpDo2feEOqIpBsuuHEbzZ7ZJcsu1CAKjQCVl3r3Z/s1600/All-our-knowledge-Leonardo-da-Vinci1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ok, allow me to step back for a moment and get <a href="http://www.highexistence.com/rules-for-living/" target="_blank">back to the basics</a>. I set out to create this blog in the hopes to reach like minded individuals who find it sometimes difficult to live a creative life in a predominantly secular world. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To reiterate my problem, my rants in recent weeks have been consistently about the negativity that has taken hold to our society. Living in this environment is next to impossible to be creative especially when you are over worked, stressed out and genuinely unhappy. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A creative person or spiritual being if you will, needs time to refuel and step away from the chaos in order to give birth to <a href="http://www.giarts.org/article/art-as-research-unique-value-artistic-lens" target="_blank">artistic value</a>. We are adventurous souls that get bored easily with the every day mundane. This boredom encourages us to branch out into unknown territories quite often. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We are deemed as flighty at times and never given credit for our general passion for knowledge. Rarely do people understand why something so trivial to them can mean so much to us. Countless hours of hard work goes into every meticulous stroke on our canvas; no matter what medium we choose to use. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Us humans, we are not so different; we all live for the pursuit of happiness. We all want to love and be loved, even the darkest of evils hold some good deep down inside. I think these passions should be celebrated and embraced. Think of how colorful the world could be if everyone chose a path outside of their every day comfort zone. But be careful not to stray too far, we do have a tendency to get carried away. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You see, the beauty of art is it is limitless. Those who strive for greatness knows there is no end to knowledge and never stop learning how to improve their craft. The best part of creativity is the rewards are bountiful. It builds the person we are from the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/my-soul-is-already-sold/id676075756" target="_blank">inside out</a>. We have the ability to reach others on levels they may not have been aware even existed. Opening our hearts and minds to a realm that is more conducive to pleasantries. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There is not one person on this entire planet that was not given a talent that is unique to themselves. I do not accept when someone says they are not creative, they simply need to be shown what their creativity might be. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Today, I want to be grateful for my gifts and to show my gratitude, I am putting a piece of it out into the world. Sometimes we all need to step outside our comfort zone. This always leads to new and exciting discoveries. However, other times straying too far from what we know also can potentially make us lose sight of where we came from and that does not fair well for our art. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Getting back to the basics is always a gentle reminder and refreshing homage to the gift our muse so carefully chose for each and every one of us. </span></h4>
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Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-50377193041179458762014-01-21T17:05:00.000-06:002014-01-22T09:06:53.022-06:00Working from the Bottom, Up<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyWVNo2PD_8VzmEjVJh0C7gCuZjhbHLrQh06UGF0XKhwLXNXi8RyC6FUTvzcl4cZ6un_EJguxwXnNSTddUt9p5AIFMODl0NMc21NljjRrPrySBIAfPpo50cZK68HNFr1i4itWYJlRblmV/s1600/ecology-world-10010562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyWVNo2PD_8VzmEjVJh0C7gCuZjhbHLrQh06UGF0XKhwLXNXi8RyC6FUTvzcl4cZ6un_EJguxwXnNSTddUt9p5AIFMODl0NMc21NljjRrPrySBIAfPpo50cZK68HNFr1i4itWYJlRblmV/s1600/ecology-world-10010562.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We as a global community have become completely self centered and
<a href="http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/08/04/how-to-spot-a-narcissist/" target="_blank">narcissistic</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We shut ourselves off to other views and close our minds to new discoveries. We have stopped
learning and collecting data and I find more and more people accepting
things at face value with little or no compulsion to even fact check what has been learned. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Although we live in the age of technology having
everything at our finger tips has made us lazy and therefore dumbing
down our populations. If you read it, it does not make it true. Allow me to continue by saying, this is
an opinion piece nothing I am writing is fact other than the rawest
emotions that I'm spilling within its words. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This trend has created a harsh reality; we have lost accountability and the results are proving to be <a href="https://www.healthcare.gov/can-i-buy-a-catastrophic-plan/" target="_blank">catastrophic</a>. Even though certain social medias have made it easier to connect to millions around the world it has also destroyed personalization in our actions towards each other. It has made it easier to speak our minds but we have used these tools to insult a few words on a page, verses having the courage to say something to someone's face. It has made it easier to forget the human reading the message has feelings that can easily be hurt beyond repair. Bullies do not only live in the school yards but are running a muck in all corners of the earth.You can easily scar another human across the map with a few simple keystrokes. It seems easier to debate deconstruction, than it is to build positive foundations. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I have noticed that it has also created a misunderstanding between two words that should be self explanatory. The words "Fact" and "Opinion", are not synonyms. A fact is something that truly exist or has happened. An opinion is a belief or judgement about a particular thing. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now days it is rare to find even a <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbercovici/2013/03/18/pew-study-finds-msnbc-the-most-opinionated-cable-news-channel-by-far/" target="_blank">news source</a> that states strictly facts without engaging a small or even a rather large majority of opinions mixed in its contexts. When the news we are being fed as truth becomes unreliable, I feel we have reached a very sad time in history. We need to stop taking people's opinions as truth and we need to start holding our journalists and news broadcasters more accountable for the reports we are reading. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The only way to do this is to double check the resources until they are forced to do their jobs with integrity. I realize it is their responsibility to fact check, but when they are not being held accountable for leaving that part of their job out, then we allow it to continue. When something does not look right or reads as an opinion, then I believe we have a civic duty to research and call them out on any misinformation that is found. There needs to be consequences for reporting anything other than a factual statement about something that has happened. Let the opinions be saved for blog's such as this one. When it comes to news it should be reports of actual facts about what took place, no opinions. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I believe we all need to start being held accountable for our own actions, stop pointing fingers and start looking in the mirror. Starting from this point we can then start by fixing ourselves instead of being so quick to judge others. I have found by experience it takes one to know one, so when we point out flaws in others we are really seeing our own. It is not easy to accept what we do not like about ourselves, however you cannot fix something until you know what is broken. We can change for the better if we have the strength to see what is at its worst. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We can look towards the new year and I think we should collectively as a concerned society make the resolution to start from the bottom and work our way back up to greatness. We have potential that lives beyond our own capacity of belief. We are <a href="http://www.academia.edu/624021/The_Difference_Between_Being_Smart_Educated_and_Intelligent" target="_blank">highly intelligent people</a> that seem to have lost our way. We can make a positive change, it took a course of bad habits that brought us to this state, it will take considerable effort but we can train our brains to think more positively and allow ourselves to pick each other up, instead of knocking each other down. </span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Everything works better when we work together. <a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/01/achieve-your-goals-in-2014-heres-research-that-can-help/" target="_blank">Let's make 2014 be that year we change</a>. Nothing less than the highest level of success, from this point forward, mediocrity is unacceptable. </span></h4>
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<br />Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-23593797809688760442013-11-30T11:40:00.002-06:002013-11-30T11:41:38.068-06:00My Weapon of Choice is Love<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeltya4QAExtWEGCKNgOCBwtr8L8Rz3bWIaVTubUk_XkfN3Mt-cCONdLCsInoFpNDcU_nqAKKBQfbWs5Q1I3xu9zjk6ISWKM4LxsaFjO-nAEeLZ0-2gAQ9sOySSNxpeDEKLDPXXVY_dnw0/s1600/end-of-the-trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeltya4QAExtWEGCKNgOCBwtr8L8Rz3bWIaVTubUk_XkfN3Mt-cCONdLCsInoFpNDcU_nqAKKBQfbWs5Q1I3xu9zjk6ISWKM4LxsaFjO-nAEeLZ0-2gAQ9sOySSNxpeDEKLDPXXVY_dnw0/s320/end-of-the-trail.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art by James Earl Fraser</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have been going out of my way to post positive messages in recent months, mainly due to the fact, 1. it is how I truly feel and 2. because our society is screaming for a change. The world is forever changing all around us and with that change comes a few bumps and growing pains along the way.<br />
<br />
I have been extremely emotional watching the world around me. All of the ups and down and quite honestly it is a bit exasperating at times. <a href="http://www.godstenlaws.com/ten-commandments/#.UpobeOLm-nI" target="_blank">Where have our scruples gone</a>?<br />
<br />
What better time to seek positive reinforcements than Thanksgiving. As an <a href="http://www.ushistory.org/documents/pledge.htm" target="_blank">American</a> this is my favorite holiday as it has no political or religious connotations but simply a day to celebrate ones blessings. It is a day of family and friendships to come together under one roof and say thank you for being in my life and for all the good each individual brings. I guess one can argue the politics behind Thanksgiving but I'm going to focus on the word THANKS.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/31581/brief-history-black-friday" target="_blank">Black Friday</a> is an American day of indulgence and tradition that has been going on my entire lifetime. I'm all for great deals and saving money and the start of my most favorite time of the year. But when it is at the expense of our integrity then I have to say, don't you think it is about time we step back and evaluate our behavior? I cannot be the only person in America that finds a large majority of people's behavior totally unacceptable on this day.<br />
<br />
Where has our camaraderie gone? We are a nation of brotherhood and I believe it is time we all start acting as such once again. We rise and fall as one and at the moment we seem to have been in a decline for quite some time. We need to band together and start picking ourselves up. We have been living in an obvious, "EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF" society and it is not getting us anywhere.<br />
<br />
<br />
It is time for a change. Let's make this day our starting point, no more pointing fingers and no more looking back. No more hate slinging, typically created through lies and stereotypes. Please stop the madness. It is time to trudge forward ride out these growing pains and come out the other side better and stronger.<br />
<br />
The only way this can be a reality is if we start building our communities again. It takes a village, let us build that influential village based on truth and positivity. This does not have to be as difficult as it has been. Our lives do not have to be a struggle. If we help each other, we all win, no one is left behind.<br />
<br />
Living in poor <a href="http://www.cbo.gov/" target="_blank">economic times</a> is affecting a large majority. But if we work together to rebuild then the sound economic changes that take place will benefit us as a whole, not only a select few. Imagine a world with no poverty and the benefits that would come from such a profound reality. Soon there would be a decline in crime because there would be no reason for people to perform such acts of desperation. This decline of compassion was a gradual thing and I realize rising up from our fall will take a gradual climb.<br />
<br />
Today, as a nation, our time is now. As a citizen I feel it is my duty to begin and be the voice that starts by saying thank you to those in my life whom have influenced me for the good. I want to thank those I have wronged that saw it in their heart to forgive and I want to have the grace to truly forgive and forget any one who seeks my forgiveness. We are a country of opportunity let us also be one nation of peace, freedom and compassion.<br />
<br />
I understand there were many who fought for those freedoms. This is my fight. Instead of fighting fire with fire my weapon of choice is love; <a href="http://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/books-articles/articles/the-buddhas-teachings-on-love/" target="_blank">I'm fighting for love with LOVE</a> and I'm graciously asking you to join me in this battle.<br />
<br />
Anything worth fighting for never comes easy, it is well past the time to roll our sleeves up and put in the work. I believe it will be worth the effort. This is a task that some may say is a failure and is a pointless waste of time. Do not allow our mistakes to taint our intentions, when we fail we must try again and not stop until the destination is reached. <br />
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<br />Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-49864352308029812582013-11-03T12:22:00.000-06:002013-11-03T12:24:50.443-06:00Let the Revolution Begin<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYLIm22vJF-8OOw6azdvKiMyEJbzFllmdSOd04ckWcVFNl1SNJNPPKlO0e2hllHd7QbTKxaArNAELeRz0Wc4CtAgjRHlnkQ1v6ldWLZyRNCk8_JHU0i9TSOfnFi4IYopTqS_cVAe77Dxw/s1600/three-crosses-1024x890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYLIm22vJF-8OOw6azdvKiMyEJbzFllmdSOd04ckWcVFNl1SNJNPPKlO0e2hllHd7QbTKxaArNAELeRz0Wc4CtAgjRHlnkQ1v6ldWLZyRNCk8_JHU0i9TSOfnFi4IYopTqS_cVAe77Dxw/s320/three-crosses-1024x890.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We're living in a pretty chaotic society at the moment. It
feels like it is every man for themselves. I do believe we are starting to make
a turn, after all it was a long time getting to this state, I imagine it will
take some time to relearn <a href="http://www.buddhanet.net/index.html" target="_blank">simple basics</a> of giving to our fellow man and loving
everyone equally.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It is not a simple task to survive in the <a href="http://www.cbo.gov/" target="_blank">economic times</a> we
are facing at the moment. It is easy to get wrapped in your own woes that we
lose sight of the bigger picture. Every day is a struggle to make ends meet and
every one is pointing fingers instead of taking action for change. Most people
are working 2 jobs to pay their bills, we are sleeping less, aging faster and
becoming pretty damn grumpy in the process.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We need to step outside of ourselves and start reflecting on
the good. Change a thought in order to make a change. It is understandably
intimidating to look around and see so much poverty and turmoil become so prevalent.
But <a href="http://www.onevoicemovement.org/" target="_blank">one voice</a> can make a difference. If you have reached only one person it is
almost inevitable that person will feel compelled to return the favor for
another.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The thing is we all have one life, one world and one
ultimate love, happiness. This emotion is so easy to spread and share starting
with a simple smile or gesture of kindness. It is not difficult and does not
cost one penny. It starts the chain reaction that leads to bigger and even
more fulfilling gestures.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When we are surrounded by bad news, irritability and greed
you can feel it trickle down and create an intense feeling of anguish and pain.
There is no reason why we cannot use the same technique but in the opposite
direction. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Isn't it about time we start a revolution of love and
kindness and what better month to start than the month of Thanksgiving. Remember
to count your blessings especially when it feels you have none. Remember to
love one another especially the ones whom have wronged you. Remember to give
when you have it to give because you never know when you may be the one who
needs it in return. Do not turn your back on a stranger, for that stranger may
soon become your best friend.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I want to love and be loved and I'm asking you to try it,
let's all put ourselves second, stop living the motto, do it to others before
they do it to you and start living the way it was meant to be by doing onto
others as you would do onto yourself. We are all one big family and there are no
borders, tolerance is key. Think before you proceed, the end reaction should
result in a beautiful change. </span></div>
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Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-30951586188367451982013-10-31T11:05:00.001-05:002013-10-31T11:07:55.097-05:00Happy Halloween<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EOt4A3yPWNyqLDJdJX7uOj0Om2z8fB04NFOMl7x_OW8_6yRTy-Y7CRMjmhw78Fwf0s1ogIBhCnYmQuifm78qSVtGETiijzf6g2ZyywMaLiVMCnpR8qgfO15s4laPfSyuBYqV3wn91-EL/s1600/DSCN0498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EOt4A3yPWNyqLDJdJX7uOj0Om2z8fB04NFOMl7x_OW8_6yRTy-Y7CRMjmhw78Fwf0s1ogIBhCnYmQuifm78qSVtGETiijzf6g2ZyywMaLiVMCnpR8qgfO15s4laPfSyuBYqV3wn91-EL/s320/DSCN0498.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo taken by R. Hosking</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The <a href="http://familycrafts.about.com/od/holidays/" target="_blank">holiday season</a> is quickly moving in upon us. I personally love this time of the year. From Halloween on, I enjoy decorating my house, watching the leaves change colors all around me, feeling the cool air as it changes before my eyes.<br />
<br />
I have not posted in awhile because I have been busy with tour dates, writing, my day job and all the grinds we all deal with daily. For me my schedule is always the busiest the first part of the year and by October I'm wrapping things up and looking forward to a couple months reprieve during the holiday season. This is when I start booking shows for the following spring and summer, promote my music and submit for different opportunities, I guess our jobs are never done.<br />
<br />
However, reflection is a huge part of a creative person's life. I always say write what you know, but if you miss out on living then there simply is not a lot to write about. This time of the year feeds me and helps me prepare for the next season to come. I enjoy catching up with friends and family I was unable to see during the busy times.<br />
<br />
This year has been <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/topic/a5c9ad5f-fc8d-49ff-ba16-6279e1e40e63/2012-year-in-review/" target="_blank">quite a year</a> for me. I have had numerous opportunities in TV/Films for my songs and my career is really starting to move. I have been truly blessed. I also recently bought a new home that I am so very proud of, I never realized four walls could make a girl so happy. It is my sanctuary and I truly admire my little corner of the world. It feeds me in so many creative ways; I do bleieve these walls could be my muse. I am always grateful to my muse and love to give back through my art.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju601a1-wWgWkArI20aAgqMiwtNjmpqKhYS0Jom1P043CzHYrbI-2XUBVHx4SYqCOjpUDQ4zRiVBO3oeb4KfdcNk4sNZpuF2zkALOiS6NgwYrN8CbMXfvXFmsPcP9YMdL6qkIc1eKKnK1E/s1600/DSCN0475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju601a1-wWgWkArI20aAgqMiwtNjmpqKhYS0Jom1P043CzHYrbI-2XUBVHx4SYqCOjpUDQ4zRiVBO3oeb4KfdcNk4sNZpuF2zkALOiS6NgwYrN8CbMXfvXFmsPcP9YMdL6qkIc1eKKnK1E/s320/DSCN0475.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From my house to yours, Happy Halloween :o) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I want to wish everyone a <a href="http://www.history.com/topics/halloween" target="_blank">Happy and safe Halloween.</a> I am hoping to start back on posting more regularly during these slower months. I do hope you enjoy the read, if so please stop by, say hi and share my blog with your friends and family. Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-57565163571813328712013-08-23T14:03:00.001-05:002013-08-23T14:03:52.128-05:00Believe<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There is a fine line between arrogance and confidence especially in the creative world. Art is</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79SaGit594XJG5QHl-VaJH9etK872nMK2oLccf0wrhFE3j-6g6rI51yLRqxFiN_x21k06d8FihKilPv6w81pl8qTn1mIL6VcO34GktuqRlTeiyd4UVIQdm1jfL4jXwTkEq-afm7SQRScq/s1600/IMG_1552+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79SaGit594XJG5QHl-VaJH9etK872nMK2oLccf0wrhFE3j-6g6rI51yLRqxFiN_x21k06d8FihKilPv6w81pl8qTn1mIL6VcO34GktuqRlTeiyd4UVIQdm1jfL4jXwTkEq-afm7SQRScq/s320/IMG_1552+(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Photo taken by R. Hosking, Mexico</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> extremely subjective so what may be a masterpiece to you may not be felt by others. But having said that I'm challenging all you creative types to let go and start believing in yourself. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There is one thing to be <a href="http://around.uoregon.edu/story/dalai-lama/dalai-lama-talks-oneness-humility-appreciative-uo-crowd" target="_blank">humble</a>, and I feel confidently that humbleness is best shown when you are able to always have an open mind to new things and experiences. Once we believe we have learned it all and reached the top then we are cheating ourselves from new skills and that leaves us vulnerable for arrogance to rear its ugly face. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">However, be <a href="http://tinybuddha.com/blog/the-secret-to-instant-self-confidence/" target="_blank">confident</a> in what you do know. There is nothing more attracting than some one who exudes confidence in a humble way. These are emotions that cannot be faked and for the most part are often personality traits. But as I have said before everything is a learned skill and we can retrain our brains to open itself to new discoveries. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sometimes when I cannot <a href="http://flavorwire.com/343207/13-famous-writers-on-overcoming-writers-block" target="_blank">think of something to write</a>, I go for a jog to distract my brain in order to tease it into thinking of something different, it always works. I am no runner by any stretch of the word however, if I was closed off to that skill I may not have been able to improve the skills that I'm well versed in at the moment. We improve and learn everyday do not miss out on opportunities for growth. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All things are interconnected no matter how big or small. Our creativity is generated by the things that surround us. Always believe if you cannot do something today in time you will learn. Believe that you have natural given talents that if honed they can be something great and unique. Believe in yourself because there is always a time when others will not. Thrive off criticism as constructive not defensively. Absolutely listen closely when someone says you do not have what it takes. These words are the best words anyone could hear, because for me, when it is said, it simply makes me try even harder.</span><br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If you cannot believe in yourself it makes it difficult for anyone else to get on board. No one promotes you better than you, don't be afraid of saying graciously who you are and what you do, and always be open minded to those who can help along the way. </span></h4>
Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-80514411094843206762013-08-09T11:10:00.000-05:002013-08-09T11:58:12.432-05:00Change a Thought to Make a Change<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIP3aK_E2NBpqclM8ohxpzliQiLncnijJu-0Hw2j1pFaN2k8Vbv_rkUk8Y2e8XfD3retPENiLhAcsBQwXg46evVxp7zHpidR1D8XKEvYUOamXtUa-WKmdZRCW1zXf4Ee95Pj5ZEmKRuqRI/s1600/MC900387131+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIP3aK_E2NBpqclM8ohxpzliQiLncnijJu-0Hw2j1pFaN2k8Vbv_rkUk8Y2e8XfD3retPENiLhAcsBQwXg46evVxp7zHpidR1D8XKEvYUOamXtUa-WKmdZRCW1zXf4Ee95Pj5ZEmKRuqRI/s320/MC900387131+(2).jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Negativity can hinder our creative selves. Studies show we
are living in a time where <a href="http://www.blogger.com/null">incivility</a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.webershandwick.com/uploads/news/files/Civility_in_America_2013_Exec_Summary.pdf" target="_blank"> in our society is on the rise</a>. When 95% of
Americans think we have a civility problem, those percentages are staggering
and serves only to destroy the inspiration to create a positive environment. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You do not have to be an artist to benefit from creativity
in the workforce or everyday living. All walks of life can use creative outlets
to better their work environments and in return make positive changes in our lives as a whole. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Thinking outside of the box while living in a society with
an evident crisis is crucial to making changes for the better. An
eye for an eye attitude is only aggravating our situation and creating a
vicious cycle of violence and resentment. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Someone soon needs to be the one voice that is willing to
make a difference. We are in desperate need for that person or people, willing
to rise above and be the bigger man. Stop the cycle of madness and trying to change someone's mind to suit your own. We can learn
from each other if we shut up and listen instead of interrupting and arguing. Cruel
behavior has become an accepted reality that should never be acceptable. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Recognizing the difference between opinions and facts is an excellent start. Cutting out certain elements of the truth to create a new truth is what I call a lie. These creative lies are paraded in our news and media as truth. We live in an age of technology but our intelligence is being stifled by volumes and volumes of lies and ignorance. We need to use the technology to serve us, through integrity and creative intuitiveness. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Some view fighting back and raising arms as their sign of
displaying their strength. It takes a stronger heart to walk away or stand by
and take the abuse until it ends. Creatively speaking it seems likely to me
that most aggressors thrive on reaction of others, they will soon tire and find
another victim if you choose not to fight back. If all their victims fall short
on presenting a fight soon they have nothing left to argue and silence falls
across the land.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That may be my imaginative heart running away with me, but it
doesn't seem completely impossible, does it? </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It is more difficult to be polite these days than it is to
be cruel. When did the tables turn and being bad was appropriate and being good
was a sign of weakness and failure. Our societal moral values have changed and
need desperately to be revised.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Being polite feels good, when a stranger smiles at me on the
street I have a compulsion to smile back instantly. It is proven any act is
always reciprocated by a similar reaction. We have a responsibility and it
takes a village. Lets start putting more beauty into the world, through our
actions, artistry and psyche. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It takes a willingness to change a thought in order to make
a change. Let's get creative and put our heads together to find new ways to
inspire positivity. </span></h4>
Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-9511773246363129732013-07-31T10:27:00.001-05:002013-07-31T13:09:24.138-05:00Permission to Relax<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOYoFJ7xxhEU4R0iDq88y_E6W7kGGyby4eblpJTkypdWEkk5JodOfaQqNXBLAJCs8t2uiLSE8EDT5uz2oN4rBWWYHeV0ZQqg_wi9sPWB3bLSOYpKDl9JpheHS0Y1mEgKpTSK-q8mP62wz/s1600/DSCN0398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOYoFJ7xxhEU4R0iDq88y_E6W7kGGyby4eblpJTkypdWEkk5JodOfaQqNXBLAJCs8t2uiLSE8EDT5uz2oN4rBWWYHeV0ZQqg_wi9sPWB3bLSOYpKDl9JpheHS0Y1mEgKpTSK-q8mP62wz/s320/DSCN0398.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo taken by R.Hosking, Portland ME</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We live in an incredibly fast paced society. As a creative person our work never ends. We are always on the look out for a new opportunity, keeping our eyes and ears open for new inspiration and endlessly creating something bigger than before.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Creativity in my mind is a pursuit to be better and never stop growing and continuously topping each project. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t46xJpQnv8" target="_blank">There will always be another mountain</a>, our job is to discover how to climb it efficiently and effectively in order to get others on board with us through this crazy ride. Creativity is a rush and catalyst to our rise and fall. But the energy it takes to keep the momentum going is exhausting. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I do not know any other way to create a <a href="http://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/Home.aspx" target="_blank">moderate living</a> doing what I love other than endlessly pursuing it at all costs. That is a pretty bold statement, however, anyone who has lived it understands and anyone who knows some one in the business knows the sacrifices are dear to the ones around us as much as it is for ourselves. It takes a certain personality to give up so much for our creative outlets. We may potentially be insane but I like to call it dedicated. If we are lucky we find and migrate to those who understand us, or are patient with us, either way often times it is a lonely road for all parties involved. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There comes a point for anyone at certain times in our lives where we need reflection. We need to give ourselves <a href="http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/861-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-teaches-from-the-stages-of-meditation-at-kresge-auditorium-mit-boston" target="_blank">permission to relax</a>. I may be wound up tighter than most and I'm a bit of a control freak, these are personality flaws that are detrimental to creativity. The irony is, I'm always preaching work work work, the harder you work the luckier you get. But if you work yourself to the limits then the creativity dies because you have no fuel to be inspired. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We need to remember who helped us along the way, we need to understand no one accomplishes anything with out the assistance of another. Always wear your gratitude on your sleeve, and be sure to enjoy the time with loved ones before they have moved on to sunnier shores. Where is the joy in triumphs if you have no one to share your joy?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'm a bit of a recluse and really enjoy my quiet moments, reflecting and simply being still, mainly</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; height: 290px; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 332px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblwHHqZdXOPOEPEdlw5ok5WFSndTfrHgUIshLvFW-NYWp7VMvXIQmmkcZ0yPhLTOtLjaEPeLt6VXHghTt3PUV_e_m1o1RIPJv5Lp2XD-52jwrYNPFDmehcAUieBdPaq_KFU7y0UQioZog/s1600/DSCN0416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblwHHqZdXOPOEPEdlw5ok5WFSndTfrHgUIshLvFW-NYWp7VMvXIQmmkcZ0yPhLTOtLjaEPeLt6VXHghTt3PUV_e_m1o1RIPJv5Lp2XD-52jwrYNPFDmehcAUieBdPaq_KFU7y0UQioZog/s320/DSCN0416.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Photo taken by R. Hosking, Peaks Island, ME</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">because my line of work requires at times, constant <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-Is-Contact-Sport-Strategies/dp/0688132820" target="_blank">interaction and networking</a>. Being on the road, meeting new people is an exciting part of my work. There is nothing wrong with that, but I often forget to count my blessings if I do not set this time aside for reflection. One can only truly appreciate God's gifts when we are quiet and humbled. When I go back into the world and surround myself with my friends and loved ones when I'm relaxed, that is when I truly appreciate what each individual has to offer. I become elated in the glory and the creativity is a gift from the muse, a thank you for keeping my temple clean and sturdy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I know I repeat myself often in the pages of this blog, but sometimes these concepts are so simple they can be easily missed without repeatedly reminding ourselves. Today I'm giving myself permission to relax and reflect. I want to thank my creator for making me who I am. In return I will rest so I may be able to create with gratitude and conviction.</span></span></h4>
Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-929245059328083301.post-71489527618459873122013-07-22T14:37:00.001-05:002013-07-22T14:56:03.810-05:00My Soul is Already Sold<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When I write, I write what is on my mind, hoping to reach
others that might feel like I do. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0lZSRgCZvh1BZJAS0cQFbqk9-3xSAOvyqRqQyr60NaZf4OTjgfThrP3NMglEhneSHnq2c7EWS-oMgnzUvF3KmHA_dT1NMuUx7OYMDiV0SzEE5qB6Yst2sRtEwm7AK0XBlY0E04CZUlbCe/s1600/My+Soul+CD+Cover+cdbaby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0lZSRgCZvh1BZJAS0cQFbqk9-3xSAOvyqRqQyr60NaZf4OTjgfThrP3NMglEhneSHnq2c7EWS-oMgnzUvF3KmHA_dT1NMuUx7OYMDiV0SzEE5qB6Yst2sRtEwm7AK0XBlY0E04CZUlbCe/s320/My+Soul+CD+Cover+cdbaby.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
When I create songs, I do not write for
myself, I write what I think others want to hear. Ultimately as an artist I
have a deep inner vault of different thoughts or ideas. My brain is always
observing, always creating, if I do not find a way to release it, I start
feeling chaotic and cluttered.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My art comes from my highs and lows. It is the
<a href="http://psychology.about.com/od/cindex/g/catharsis.htm" target="_blank">catharsis</a> to my recovery or the calming to my excitement. My adrenaline races
through my veins when I create, it is a new birth of a new child. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am celebrating my third CD release, My Soul is Already
Sold. I'm very proud of this body work and elated to share it with all of you. I
can only hope you find the solace it provided me. I pray you enjoy it as much
as I enjoyed making it. The music was produced by Scott Neubert at <a href="http://www.smashrecording.com/SmashSite/guyNEW.html" target="_blank">Smash Recording Studio</a> in Nashville, TN. His talent helped make my vision come alive. It is a rootsy mix of Americana and Folk coming from my rawest, truest perspective. A journey to redefine who I am and who I want to become as an artist. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It is on sale now at <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rebeccahosking3" target="_blank">CD Baby for download only</a>, the actual
release to be coming soon. This speaks of another chapter in my life. I wanted
to share my art with my fellow readers, because as I pour my soul out on these
pages, I have done the same in the studio while recording these songs. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;"> </span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">I ask with a humble heart that you may listen and enjoy my
new creation. Please take<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the time and
leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I'm currently on the road promoting
it and meeting new people and visiting old friends. It has been a collection of
emotions I can't wait to share with you all soon. <a href="http://www.rebeccahosking.com/" target="_blank">Visit my website </a>and come see me if
I'm playing in a town near you. </span></h4>
</div>
Creative Compromisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12939520698984671022noreply@blogger.com0