I'm now 8 1/2 months into my self-employment adventure. Man, I AM LOVING IT!!! I can't believe I took such a long-lasting detour from the music business. This is what I love, what I'm good at, what I feel I was meant to do. Have there been challenges? You bet! It's not easy to have to build a calendar of dates, get out there and perform whether you feel like it or not (usually I do though:) and scrape together enough to pay the bills... but it is absolutely the best way I can think of to make a living. I love working from home (the business end of it)... my office/studio I've set up, having coffee out on my deck, soaking in the beautiful sights and sounds of my yard, the quietness of the neighborhood during the day... such peace. God has been very good to me, and I give back by volunteering at the Humphrey Cancer Center and North Memorial Hospital, playing music for patients, and by giving faithfully to my church. I also volunteered at the Hamline Dining Hall at the MN State Fair... that was fun! I sincerely believe that the more we give, whether out of love or out of a sense of duty, the more we get back in the form of blessing and peace of mind and heart. If you have a dream, don't give up on it no matter what. I worked in property management for about 16 years, always wanting to get back into full-time music... but the timing never felt right until late last year, when I finally gave my notice of resignation and took that leap of faith. Yes, I had some savings; yes, I planned and plotted out a course; you don't want to jump in blindly, or out of frustration. But eventually, you've just gotta decide it's TIME and DO IT! Like my sister told me, "Life is too short to spend it doing something you don't like!"
