Hey.
This is months late. Iâve been a hypocrite. We talk a lot about making space for life, for creativity, people we love, avoiding burn out and .. I burned out hot and fast this year. It was really f*cking ugly.
The people I admire most are not necessarily the people getting everything right, but the people who are trying to do the right thing, trying to do good by others, trying to be kind, understanding, compassionate. I donât think I have patience for people who arenât trying to be good any more, and I donât think I was being very good - to myself or anyone else. I guess it happens. We live in A Society, weâre under pressure, thereâs a lot to juggle but instead of a round-up of things I have been doing, here are the things Iâm not doing anymore:
Overtime. Working weekends. Iâm free five nights a week - itâs weird!
Producing Splanc ar Newstalk - buĂoch as an deis agus daoine iontacha ach abair faoiseamh!
Worrying about the wrong opinions, especially if theyâre behind your back or online. Itâs hard to swallow, but if theyâre not on your side, they literally donât matter.
Worrying about letting people down (professionally). As someone who just quit a load of stuff I can say: youâre replaceable (in the best way) and often their response will tell you what a good decision youâve made.
Using my entire social battery in the office or bringing work home with me
Making things that are meant to be chill like yoga or painting stressful by worrying about doing or not doing them when I donât have time
So, correction: this is not late, itâs right on time!
A few months ago I shared the Creativesâ Toolkit but here are a few things that have been helping me recenter this time and might be useful if youâre feeling the same:
I donât know that you should waste your âAuthentic Selfâ at work at all, but there was a lot to take from this podcast. Not JVN giving me the managerial skills my workplaces never taught meâŠ
Said it before and Iâll say it again, the Belfast accent can fix anything:
Not your usual newsletter because ⊠I really havenât listened to that much music lately. Everythingâs been setting me off. I think Iâve said it before but working in pop radio when youâre not in a good way is unhinged - âhereâs Ordinary by Alex Warren and the sound of me choking up in the studioâ. Tina Turnerâs Simply The Best blared from a car in the Liberties and I wiped a tear outside the new empanada shop (the spinach and feta is delicious). I love being in my feels but enoughâs enough.
So Iâve been taking it slow, and the songs that have eased me back in are the classics. Cohenâs âThereâs is a crack in in everything, thatâs how the light gets inâ gets thrown around a lot, but Anthemâs real gem is âforget your perfect offeringâ, a solid daily mantra.
These are the songs that have had me swaying in the kitchen again (a lot of Joniâs Blue): Trying to ditch Spotify so this is an Apple Playlist, which I canât seem to embed in a cute way? (I have a degree in computer science lol x)
Iâm trying to not treat keeping up with music like a job (itâs literally my job), but working my way through new releases:
Expected to love new Haim⊠Relationships wasnât for me at the time, I hope we get the rock album we were promised
Was initially rolling my eyes at the prospect of a new Bon Iver record, but⊠I love it! Love Danielle on If Only I Could Wait, love Mk.Gee and Dijonâs appearances, love the fun production. Good to cry to, good to cook to. Itâs a 2/2!
Was prepared to gloss over Lanaâs belated country album but Henry Come On is one of the most beautiful songs Iâve heard in a long time. Iâm a sucker for a string section.
In Irish music: predictably loving Keanâs singles, addicted to Morganaâs latest releases, and love Holly Munroâs Domsa, Duitse, Oscailte. Theyâre all here:
I also listened to a lot of Japanese music back in Feb/March and these albums are very different but worth a listen. Happy End are a very cute Sgt. Pepper-style 70s band, and 90sâ POiSON GiRL FRiEND is for you if youâre into The MarĂas right now:
Things are slower now, itâs good. Iâve actually been writing a lot - just finished a music journalism course in Maynooth University, and a song writing course with Laura Marling which was lovely, so maybe Iâll share bits of those in the next while.
Most excitingly Iâll be writing for The Irish Times! My first column was a review of Barcelona-based Cushlaâs Tech Duinn. Writing feels like a much more sustainable, enjoyable way to engage with something I love without killing myself to do it so Iâm really glad this has fallen into place and am excited for the interviews and ideas lined up, buĂoch as an deis :)
Anyway, normal service will resume shortly but will probably be slower and simpler. I hope youâre taking care, go maireann an dea-aimsir agus go bhfuil samhradh geal sĂ©imh suaimhneach lĂĄn sonais is sĂłlĂĄis amach romhainn <3
GrĂĄ mĂłr
Emma x
Maith thĂș, a spĂ©irbhean!! â€ïž