Naturally, it's hard to see the progress you're making until you step back. I think this goes for your confidence and mental health as well. I chat about that for a while coming off my first stand up comedy set.

Today I go on a rant about venues as a musician, but really, I'm angry at the finger pointing from everyone involved. Hospitality and the music industry suck, how can we make it better?

No final goals, no plans. Just excited to keep making shit until the day I die. That's the mentality I'm trying to cultivate for myself and it was reinforced by seeing Rickie Lee Jones last night.

There is no right way to make or market your art, especially now. There are tricks, I don't know them, but I've heard they're out there. But I find the lack of a rigid pathway exciting.

I like to work quickly, and efficiently. Not to necessarily squeeze every second out of every day, but rather because my brain gets so easily frustrated fighting with the tools. So I try to shorten the path between A and B from project creation to completion. In this episode, I fight with a new mic. It pissed me off. Enjoy.

It's a funny thing, battling the need to create while also being terrified of being judged for it. Cringe is a particular fear of mine, one that I think debilitates me considerably.

Is it insane to tie our lives so closely to our devices? These tools are like nothing that has come before in human history, so perhaps it makes a lot of sense....

Its an on going question, but is A.I just another tool? What sort of affect does it have on your creativity when your tools become so accessible?

So I went to see some Mexican wrestling, and it was a fascinating time. Got me thinking about allowing yourself wholeheartedly to commit to a performance and art in general.

Did some reading, running with the theme of the plague from Pathologic. 'The Plague' by Albert Camus. And it got me thinking of the repetition in humanity's response to terrible events.

I drink wine while talking about it. It's loose.

Is work-life balance a personal responsibility or a societal one? How are you managing work vs life, or is work an important part of your life?

I had a chat with Kelsey about it!

I've been trying to make some changes to the type of content I consume lately. I have a bit of a ramble about being more intentional with what you're watching/listening to/reading in order to inspire more creativity.

Sometimes you can recognise when something is not worth doing. When part of the creative process is not at all enjoyable, maybe there is a way around it. But then, parts of it are perhaps supposed to be gruelling. Maybe. I riff on that for a bit on today's episode.

This episode I rant and rave about Pathologic 2, the most powerful experience I've had playing a video game. It's really gotten me excited for art in general at the moment.

Obviously, talent is integral to standing out and creating convincing art. But is it more important than making unique art for you? Is being incredibly skilled or being incredibly creative more rewarding?

I don't have an answer here but I certainly talk about it for a while on this podcast.

I don't believe this is the only reason, of course, but I can certainly realise it in myself when I just want to feel seen. Perhaps it's a good drive, perhaps it should be ignored. Who's to say.

I suppose a sense of progress and growth suggests an end goal. Of course, having a goal is a good thing, but allowing yourself to simply be 'moving forward' is extremely freeing.

Not in all things, but mostly, you're allowed to just exist.

So I had my album launch last week, and it was a blast! I loved playing with the band, and the support was so heart warming. But naturally, there is always a mixed bag of feelings when releasing something. I have a bit of an explore of those mixed feelings on today's episode.

It's good to prepare, and I should honestly practice a lot more for live performances. But one particular part I like to be prepared for is the unexpected. It's the part of live performance I enjoy the most while also being the most terrified of. The chaos and unpredictable nature of seeing what the fuck happens on stage.

Today's episode is me trying to calm my nerves before my album launch. Enjoy

A goal can be useful as a compass, but do you need to have your final outcome set in stone? The world is chaotic and impossibly complex, as is a creative venture. I riff on the idea of focusing on the underlying driving principles rather than having 'it all figured out".