It seems like every week now I get these emails. They are dumb but getting smarter all the time. I wonder if someday I will be fooled.
They always start something like ‘I have heard Little Mazarn and WOW can I say, you make such a wonderful collaborative sound with Jefftelephone and hemlocksounds!’
Then there’s a pitch. I could really be doing better, reaching higher, streaming more and they could help me if I get involved with the app and it’s always a word that’s almost a word. Dripmo. Soundsheba.
Delete.
What I have been doing is taking online writing class with Laraaji. We are entering week 2. (The class is through School of Song which I can safely say has changed my life. I have taken a few different classes with them and come away from the experiences gobsmacked every time! I highly recommend and this is not a sales pitch it’s just the truth)
Laraaji is booming, kind, and hilarious. I surprise myself describing him as booming but it really is the best way. He begins his thoughts in contemplation, eyes closed, and then smiles, opens his eyes, and erupts in soulful laughter. Last night I shyly raised my hand for a question and he smiled with infinite moonbeams of warmth through the screen and giggled as he said my name, drawing the vowels pleasurably out ‘Lindseeeeeeeeeeeeeeey…’
I wanted to know so many things, Laraaji, but what I ended up asking was for him to describe the moment he leaned fully on his art to sustain him and what was it like and how did he do it.
There’s too much to his answer to write here but one of my best take aways that I had not thought of was this: when you chose to be sustained by your work, you have to also choose the life your work will sustain.
This brings me back to one of the central stresses of the last few months which has been my perception that I needed a new car. Not a new car just a newer one. My car is 21 years old after all.
My car gets me everywhere I need to go, albeit with its share of creaks and mysterious quirks. The stress was from my mind telling me I would be better off with a newer one. A less creaky one with modern features. It was making me feel bad about myself, that I had this old car…that I had this perception about this car that gets me everywhere I need to go.
This is the car I have, this is the life I have and it is good and fun. This is the car that the artist known as Little Mazarn Lindsey drives, as a part of the life that I chose that has chosen me.
(Because I can’t just stop there, I then I made a hype bumper sticker about how much I love my car and sold it online and made enough money for oil changes and registration for the rest of the year and you can still get one if you freak for the CR-V.
Ending this with some bullet pointed things, considering I really shot my wad this time with the story about my ‘career’ into talking about my CR-V which is the best car ever made and which I will drive until the wheels fall off.
I am attempting to do a fall garden this year. If you’ve been following along, you know that I have boxes full of goat poop and now I have seeds. Stay tuned.
Last week there was a house show and it reminded me I love house shows. Do you host house shows somewhere on Earth we havent been (or haven’t been in a while?) tell me more. I have big plans, much will be revealed.
I made an incredible ginger molasses cake for the house show. There are no photos because it was half eaten before the party started. Should I put the recipe in a future substack? Entering cake season here and I will be insisting on cake as much as possible.
Do you have tickets to our show on November 7th with hemlock and Jolie Holland yet? You can get them here. Sliding scale and something special in it for you besides a night of incredible music. Always watch the mail. <3
Thank you for riding along, dear reader! If you want to write I’m at P.O. Box 14 Manchaca, TX 78652
Xoxo
Drop that cake recipe! Also I love this.
I do not have a house show house but I do know some people that do!! I’m also from TX as well. :)