About a year ago, I stepped out of my comfort zone to follow my dream of being a singer-songwriter. This career change has been a huge success, and I have been booked solid almost every weekend (check out Cat ‘n Jimmy for more on that). However, I was suddenly on stage, being seen, and image became a much bigger part of my life. I thought it might be fun to start of makeover blog and share some of my music along the way.
The Dreaded First Post
It’s taken me a long time before I could bring myself to write this first post. I started and stopped over a dozen times. I mean, I’m writing about my evolution as a performer, and part of that is giving myself a makeover. It’s highly personal, and it’s more than a bit nerve-wracking to put myself into such a vulnerable position opening up like this.
Then, last weekend, I performed 4 shows in 3 days, Thursday through Saturday. I sang for 7 hours on Saturday alone. All four shows were great, and I gave each one my all. I took good care of myself each night, icing my feet, getting plenty of sleep, staying hydrated, using my Singing Straw to keep my voice fresh, stretching, etc. Still, I woke up Sunday morning feeling like I had been hit by a truck.
Performing is physical and requires serious stamina. It’s not just the singing. It’s the standing. It’s the little bit of moving and grooving (I wouldn’t dare call it dancing) I do to the beat. It’s the stress on my feet aggravating my bone spurs and Achilles tendonitis. It’s the stress on my knees, and the difficulty getting on and off certain stages without steps.
This is the entire point I started this website illustrated in one weekend. I want to be a stronger, better performer. I would love to be much more mobile during a show. I’d love to walk around more while singing without getting out of breath or sweating so much. I would love to feel more confident in my appearance with all those eyes on me.
Why Blog About It?
Sure, I could quietly go about the business of losing weight, upping my style game, improving my stage presence, etc. However, I like to share cool stuff. When I learn something helpful, I like to shout it from the rooftops.
I spent so many decades of my life struggling with undiagnosed and misdiagnosed hormonal imbalances and failing at diets. I had to become my own advocate.
I read thousands of dollars worth of books and scientific studies on health, fitness, nutrition, took herbal courses (and wrote an herbal book!*), went to midwifery school, massage school, etc. In doing so, I’ve learned a lot about women’s health and wellness. And that information isn’t doing anyone any good locked up in my brain.
Even with a background in health and wellness though, I’ve struggled. I’d try things for a while, then get distracted with whatever life crisis might pop up. Having kids, financial pressures, lack of support, always having to fit my needs into other people’s schedules, health issues, injuries, and an ADHD brain on top of it all, would all get in the way.
Life’s Ups and Downs
Everyone has a breaking point. As uncomfortable as I was with setting boundaries and prioritizing myself, I realized my health had to come first. I switched to a ketogenic diet and signed up for martial arts classes. I lost over 100lbs! For the first time in my life, all the pieces of the puzzle were coming together, hormonal issues were resolving due to the dietary changes, and weight was easily falling off.
Then, the pandemic hit. throwing everyone’s lives into flux. Stores didn’t always have the keto-friendly foods I relied on. Both the dojo and the local YMCA I went to had to shut down for a while. Never mind the amount of stress the pandemic brought on.
About half of the weight I lost crept back onto my body from 2020 to 2022. Even though life had mostly returned to normal, I couldn’t get back into my healthy groove. I think a lot of people will find this relatable.
And that’s why I chose to start this website and blog about uncomfortable, personal things. I’m far from the only one out there dealing with these same issues. I also know it can be hard and time consuming to sift through all the junk info out there.
Maybe, just maybe, we can find our way through these challenges together- and, share some music along the way.
*This is an affiliate link to my book on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.