Wow…We’ve officially exited the 2010s and have entered an entirely new decade! Let me tell y’all– it feels so good to be an adult, thriving, and ready to conquer the rest of my real-adult life. It only took ten tumultuous years to figure it out, but you know what…I’m out of the fog and not planning on making the same mistakes thrice.

So what happened?

In the early 2010s I pretty much quit doing music, formally. I never stopped writing or creating work but let’s just say the whys are complicated and a tad messy. Eventually I waded through trying to figure out how to launch my career but I just didn’t have the heart or perseverance to truly make it happen. I gave up, but this is also the time I started working in a certain store (basically for medical insurance and a steady check) and that decision would ultimately change my life. Oh yeah, I got my first new car and said #byebye91camaro.

In the mid-2010s love started to take me out…and I started going to therapy. Ok love isn’t solely why I went to therapy but there was a lot going on in all areas of my life. It wore my entire existence down and I don’t even know how to completely dive in on this one without getting too deep, maybe I will one day, but I changed (not in the best way either). I was unsure of myself and honestly didn’t know what I wanted out of love, life, or anyone for that matter. I was afraid to ask for anything I felt I deserved. Love (or the thought I had of love) literally beat me down into submission. It wasn’t all sad though, the best parts of the mid-2010s were embracing my natural curls, taking my first trip to Europe, hitting 30, and basically learning some really solid lessons on relationships in romance, family, business…well shoot, in general.

In the late 2010s I became Grown-AF and pretty much said “eff it, take a chance on yourself girl“. You can call this my breaking out phase. This is when things began to get clear. I moved to California after a lifetime in Texas, took a new job as a professional writer (thus the move to Cali), committed to lead a really cool ERG (employee resource group) within my company, started traveling more, got the most adorable puppy on Earth, finally discovered myself, and realized– I liked me.

So what next?

Basically I learned the lessons and sewed, now I figure I’d dedicate the next 10 years to taking action and reaping the harvest. Might as well change it up right? So here’s what I think I’ll be working through…and you can all count yourselves as my accountability buddies to help me make it through this new exciting time in our lives.

1. Getting more creative and sharing my work.

Though I thought the 2010s would be the quick start and end of my musical aspirations, I realized who I was and why I did music in the first place. I can’t stop creating. It literally makes me sick not to do what I love so I’m going to give it a go in The Bay. I’m going to continue to create because it’s in my nature and if I decide I want to make a living off of it, I’ll do what it takes to make it happen. I’m also going to keep writing on my blog (I promise) and launch my podcast because I feel like I have some solid insight to offer to the world. It’s time.

2. Getting more intentional about love.

I am going to better guard my heart and not take the people who I love/love me for granted. I’m a hopeless romantic and a super sensitive soul– I pretty much wear my heart on my skin. I’ve also tragically lost a handful of people in my life and I know that I’m not exempt from mortality so I’m going to choose to do better about giving myself more to the folks I love. I’m going to love like my life depends on it and also make sure to honor what I desire romantically. I love love and I won’t be a cheeseball about it any more. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, so loving unashamedly is definitely on my to-do list.

3. Letting the sky be my only limit.

I will go and do whatever I dream to do. I know I can. I’ve lied to myself and said that I couldn’t before but that was out of fear, and I won’t punish myself with the restrictions of reality or my own self-made limitations. If it happens, awesome…and if doors close or windows shut, I’ll find new entries to make it to outer space.

Do note that these are my Big 3. I definitely have some other goals in mind like eating better/cooking more, working harder on my spirituality, traveling, and all that jazz but these were the most neglected so I’ve got to fix them stat. Anywho, what about you…What are your goals this year? What do you want to harvest? And oh yeah, Happy New Year friends! <3

2019

-D.Wright

So if you didn’t know, I’m a music creative and writer who currently works in the technology industry.

I’ve had about 15 years of experience in the music industry, have written stories and songs for as long as I could write and even got a Creative Writing degree to back up my passion of songwriting. It’s different, I know.

Most recently (ok, over the past year) I decided to be a grown up, because it’s never too late to abandon a woman-child mentality. I challenged myself to take advantage of whatever amazing opportunities came my way and came to realize I wanted more. I don’t mean the simple promotion more, which is totes cool, I mean the unfathomable more. I want the, I can’t believe this is my life, how cool is this – more. Now, I have a pretty nice little gig going but I knew that if I really wanted the freedom my heart desired career-wise, I had to give my dreams some new life.

So here it is, advice from a person in transition of making their unfathomable dreams an attainable reality.

Take Matters Into Your Own Hands

You are responsible for your own dreams. No one owes you their love or support when it comes to something you feel passionate about. You will be your biggest cheerleader, supporter, motivator and whatever other -er or -or noun you come up with. Support is a gift, it’s your cherry on top. It’s not a main ingredient and it took me years to honestly realize it. Along with that you can’t wait for other people to help move your forward. You must use every tool and resource you have to push yourself further. Again, this beautiful and amazing thing is YOUR responsibility. Why would a mother immediately let someone bond with her child right after giving birth? Unless some medical hurdles get in the way, it ain’t happening. Your dream is your baby that you nurture and grow. It’s yours to help grow.

Seek Counseling

It’s tough being on a journey solo-dolo and feeling like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. In your times of growth and exploration of your  dream you have to make sure that your mental well being is taken care of. Just as you exercise your body, you want to make sure that your mind-set and emotional state are in tip top shape. Getting in tune with your spirit and your mind is one of the most overlooked and empowering things you could gift yourself. With my spiritual and emotional growth, I’ve really felt a genuine breakthrough. I know I’m finally turning into the best version of myself. I don’t fear anything and I’m ready for the world. Take care of yourself, you won’t regret it.

Never Compare Yourself To Anyone

It’s great to gain inspiration from other amazing people, but your path isn’t their path and your experience will never truly align with theirs. I used to think that I was supposed to be a Disney star before being a pop princess at 18, but guess what…that made no sense. I didn’t even know how to get a tape to Disney and I barely even knew anything about the music business. What I did know was that I was a shy person with lots to learn and a ton of untapped potential. As the years went by, I saw my friends and peers (who I grew up with) in the business become internationally acclaimed creatives, working on TV shows, making tons of money, starting amazing businesses and everything else you could imagine. I began to doubt myself. They looked perfect, acted perfect, sounded perfect, lived perfect and Instagram did not help!

After a mental breakdown or two, I had to pull it together. I realized I’ll never be someone I’m not. I don’t want to even know the things they’ve been through to get what they have and I’d probably never be willing to make the sacrifices they made. I had to learn I’m the expert at my life and that my knowledge, faith, and works will take me where I want to go.

Don’t get me wrong folks, I’m still learning but I feel so powerful now and can’t wait to see what my future holds. How are you giving your dreams new life? <3

-D.Wright