An Orchid and A Song

My_First_Orchid_Bloom

I was gifted an orchid plant a few months ago, a friend was moving her office into her home and had too many to keep... Sure why not! I was always under the impression that orchids were hard to take care of. I was wrong! Just one bath a week for a couple hours and presto, healthy plant. Fast forward a few weeks, to Valentine's Day....We found out (yesterday) that most roses, imported to here (Switzerland) are grown in Kenya, Africa. A place where water is sacred and scarce, is using said water to grow roses to be imported to Europe. So a few people get jobs, tending to and growing roses, but so many more are fighting for fresh water. Money over water is never a good thing. I would choose water, every time. The same day we decided to "say NO!" to these 'Fair Trade' roses, our Orchid bloomed for the first time. Timing is everything, and once again, we were given a sign that we are on the right track.

The_begining_of_bloom

2017 has been good to me, musically speaking. It is always tough, finding the time and discipline, the inspiration and creativity to sit down and really focus hard on writing a song. I seem to get halfway there, and then a new idea comes up and I put aside these quarter/half songs, and soon there are over a hundred halfsies just waiting for completion. Well these days, I seem to be able to focus more and entire songs are born. As an example of my first song of 2017, you can see it and listen to it here: "Flip Side"  it was inspired by having to leave (loved ones, loved places, whatever, leaving something over on the other side and we'll see you on the flip side!)  It isn't easy, bouncing between two countries, always having to say good-bye, but on the other hand, always having to say hello!

Still_shot_from_Flip_Side_Video

Sometimes opportunities present themselves. I had the fortune of recording a music video with Kawaii Sessions, a wonderful studio concept, live off the floor, video shoot in Wattwil, Switzerland. Some musical guests joined in and we played two songs, two takes each. We had an hour and it seemed to go alright! One would think that singing/performing two songs, live off the floor (twice) that an hour would be long enough! Alas, we were finished with only seconds to spare! What you see here is Art in itself, raw and live. The first video: "Two Minds" was released yesterday, Valentine's Day, so that was a nice surprise. Thanks to Patric Menzi and all those at Tonstudio, Wattwill for the sweet recording. And a BIG thank you to my special guests: RYKKA, Timothy Jaromir and Nicci on Electric Guitar.

Behind_the_scenes_at_Tonstudio

Sometimes you wonder if anyone is listening at all! It has been YEARS of trucking through the ups and downs of a music career... Ultimately I do it for the music, in and of itself. As Sting once said, Music is it's own reward! Thankfully though, it does seem like some are on board with me. What a waste if I had to do it all alone! So when I woke up yesterday (again, Valentine's Day,) to being recognized by an acclaimed Swiss Music Website, I was feeling pretty good! A nod in my direction (regarding the music I create) is always welcome. So thanks for the SHOUT OUT Mx3...  "Love yourselves & each other folks, happy valentine's day with our great 'HOT TODAY' artist Lindsay Ferguson, listen here!"A fitting day to be a HOT artist ;) Once again folks, it's all about the timing. Thanks for reading and we shall see us next month? 

Ten Life Hacks

Change_it_up_sometimes_black-haired_Lindsay

1) If you want to do something new in your life, do it. Stop listening to that little voice inside your head that says "NO! You will fail!!" Fight that voice, go learn the mandolin or train yourself to get fit, or take a cooking course. Go out and be YOU. You can always change into something that you never were! Who says one has to do one thing their whole lives. With change being the 'one true constant' why not go out and try some new stuff on for size??? Who says?? The only one getting in the way of you, is you. Go out and hunt for life, for LIFE!

2) There are always two sides to every story. You can pick one side, for sure, but you have to be open to the fact that there IS another side. It IS there. Don't discount others because they don't choose the same side as you. Unless they are sociopaths or murderers. Then you are right. But only then. 

3) Be nice to people. If you don't want to be nice to people, fine, that is your choice. BUT don't be mean, being mean serves no one. Even if you are right to say mean things, because you are RIGHT, it won't change things. Telling someone who is over-weight NOT to eat the bag of cheezies will make the person feel worse than they already do, but it won't stop them from eating the cheezies, unless they don't want to eat the cheezies, then they will stop. Giving shit to someone because they smoke... There is no point. Everyone who smokes (or over-eats) knows what they are doing might not be the best thing for them, but we all have choices, and we will make wrong choices and right choices. That is life. We are human.

4) Go outside and take a deep breath (preferably not around a smoker, or on the busiest city street with bus fumes etc) But when you get home, stand there for a second, inhale deeply. Put some new air into your lungs. Shallow breaths only get you so far. Deep breathing can really give you a sense of something better, deeper,  and can calm you. Also, stopping to really breathe it all in means you are stopping. They didn't come up with the cliché "Stop and Smell the Roses" for nothing. It is okay to press pause for a moment. Pressing pause can also be like a reset button. 

5) If you are REALLY REALLY angry, take a second to breathe. If you swear and yell and accuse and blaim and be angry at someone right when you are angry, you won't get it right. Things won't come out right and no one likes to be yelled at so pretty much your emotions will fall on deaf ears. So, press pause and then get back to whatever it is 'eating you' and talk about it when you are calm, like the next day. Plus, all that waiting will put stuff into perspective a little, and you might just be able to make your point. A screaming match can feel great from time to time, but never, ever does all that yelling change things. Calm and Peace change things.

6) If it looks like someone is being an asshole, i.e cutting you off while you are driving, or letting a door slam in your face while entering a restaurant or shop or whatever... There might be a good reason. They MIGHT be pregnant and racing to the hospital or they might be rushing through the door racing after their three year old. Look, there is always another side to things. Unless they are just being an asshole, then it is still not your problem, unless they are holding a knife up to your throat, then yeah, it's your problem.

7) Don't marry someone unless you feel it deep in your bones that it is a good choice. If you have serious doubts, then LISTEN to those serious doubts. Before I got married, I asked around to folks who had been married for years and years (out of curiosity people!) What are the most important things/advice you can say to a gal who is just about to tie the knot? The one that sticks out the most is that you have to be okay with the things you don't like about the person. They will, most likely never change. So (as an example) if you are marrying an addict, they will most likely fight those addiction demons for a huge part of their life. Are you ready to help? Because only you can change YOU. When you know who you want to marry, you KNOW. There are no doubts. When there are doubts, don't do it. This goes with all things 'relationship' just give it time, time will always tell.. Of all the people I know who had doubts before marriage, they are all either a) divorced/separated or b) unhappy. Seriously listen to your GUT right from the start.

8) Get outside. Move your body. Your body will carry you to every single concert, family dinner, movie, meeting, dance, restaurant, bedroom, back yard BBQ that you will ever go to. It is not just a thing, it is your entire life. Do you want to be able to continue to do such things?? Go outside. Or, okay,  buy a treadmill, but move. Move your body. Stretch, move. Breathe. Getting out, moving, stretching, breathing etc etc WILL change your negative perspective on life to positive. When you get your blood pumping, you will be amazed at how you are able to resolve those pesky little problems. This stuff will also, and here's the kicker, PREVENT problems from happening as well!!

9) Suss out a room when you walk in to it. If you are not the Birthday Boy or Honoured Guest, then walk around and get to know who the folks are before you make an arse of yourself.  Look around, suss it out before you howl at the moon because it's full. No one likes a loud mouth or a perceived attention seeker. First impressions last a long time. No, it isn't important to worry about what people think, but there might be someone of importance in there that could help you in the future. Oh and here's another kicker; don't burn bridges because of alcohol. 

10) Nothing is 100% unless the person is a socio-path or murderer. Then some things are 100% but only then. Be open. Don't be closed. Life is long, things are gonna come, things are gonna happen! Unless life ends tragically, then life is short, but then and only then, life is short. For all others, who live for 80 or more years, it is LONG!! Put some stuff in there, some stuff your friends and family will remember you for. Be the dude who howls at the full moon at a party. Remember, nothing is 100% and there is an exception to every rule.

Step Out of the Rush

I wrote an entire blog today. Well, I wrote one and a half blogs today, and at the end of this piece of writing it will actually be three, but i had to delete all the work I did on this last and third try because of a faulty I don't know what. So inputting this essay has nearly driven me BONKERS today. There have been swear words and a few tears even. I know, what am I like?? I lost the first try because of a mishap on my website program, and I hope that won't happen again! The second one I wrote over the course of the morning and when I came home from my afternoon hike in the forest, to edit it, I just wasn't feeling the vibe at all. Lately, I've been on about communication and interconnectedness. How people are literally entwined, I mean how many small world stories have you participated in? Where was the craziest place, the most random place you have ever met someone from another part of your life? Perhaps you run into many of these small world scenarios. You might even like to call them coincidences. I Love syncronicity or Déjà vu, even.  It hits home in a way that says I'm in the right place at the right time. 

Magic_lives_in_strange_wonderful_places

How do you stifle stress? Sometimes I get thinking about the  Hubble Telescope and just know that there is SO much more out there, that we are SO small in the grand scheme of things.

What_are_we_scared_of

Does fear drive us to be who we are? Fear of what others say, how others might act, what others might think of us. Fear of not living true to ourselves, fear of not living our dreams, fear of not being able to pay the bills. My god, I am starting to ache all over just thinking about it. If I believe in the idea that we are all connected, then I must believe that we all have very similar traits and characteristics and are mostly not alone in all the ups and downs. I Love that about us, but I can't help but wonder what makes one person a naysayer and cynic and another an optimist? Is it in the genes, were we born the way we are or is our behaviour learned from our parents/how we were raised? I am sure there is a science to it, but still I am curious. Of course, I can't spend TOO much time on this stuff, there are so many things to do! Book, play, cook, write, create, live and learn. But oen thing for sure, something that I learned though music, a long time ago you just have to step out of the rush from time to time. Here is one of my favourite Fat Freddy's Drop songs... "ERNIE"... have a listen and let the music move you.

Lindsays_hand_in_a_rock_on_position

Until we meet again, I will prepare a few songs for my show in Thun next week, on November 5th at  "Mundwerk." It is this really old cellar under the city and the acoustics are amazing!  Also on the horizon is some new jewelry that I have been working on, crafted from some driftwood I collected in northern B.C this past Summer. It has been SUPER fun creating little pieces of art from nature's art. It is such a relief to break away from the computer/industry side of music, sometimes you just have to craft in other ways. But I DO have a new song in the works. It has been keeping me up in the middle of the night. Maybe once it is finished I will sleep again! Ha... Sorry Mum's out there. NOT complaining about sleep. Not doing that!!!

Driftwood_collected_at_Honeymoon_Point_Chilko_Lake

Anyway have a great rest of the week!

Hugs,

Lindsay, Crafter and Composer