hello again

reemergence

Good afternoon,

Here I go, stretching my mind back into the practice of reaching out into the beyond to my community via the ether-way.

I’m currently lounging, cozily curled up on my couch watching the alder grove outside my windows sway gently. Maple leaves twirl down to the ground to rest for the winter, and I am finally taking a breath of reprieve from a steady summer and autumn of long hours at the Grainery while continuing to work for my client in Port Townsend as their steadfast gardener.

Over the last few months I’ve been happily fading away and unwinding from the intricate world of social media. My head feels clearer and my mind more peaceful. I admit, I still feel the dread of what such an exit will do to my slowly unfurling music career, however I am hoping that I can use other tools to stay connected to friends, fans, and other musicians and venues to continue to create community and collaboration within my artistic endeavors.

Over the summer and into the fall I’ve had the pleasure of playing and attending many shows at The Quilcene Lantern. For a community so small, this space has created an incredible avenue for meeting and connecting with touring musicians that are making their way up and down the western roads of the PNW. If you are interested in learning more about this venue, hosting events, or attending a variety of shows on the Olympic Peninsula, please check out their website and sign up for their emails. Follow this link: The Quilcene Lantern . I mention this venue, not only because I’ve appreciated all the work they’ve been putting into creating space for music here on the peninsula, but also because it has reminded me that there is a whole network of friends and other creative folks out in the world that I am yearning to visit and collaborate with.

This winter I plan on hunkering down to work on making recordings and songs for the pleasure of self-exploration. As the rain lets up and spring emerges, I am hoping to hop in the car and head on a tour, to see and share with so many of you in our little corner of the world.

If you have a desire to be a part of this tour, or have any fun ideas for shows, creative venues, experimental collaborations… please reach out to me via email, Substack, Bandcamp or if you have my phone number, through texts or calls. I will be making my plans and sending my emails in months to come, and I have hope beyond measure that my energies will stay refreshed and joyful as I step back into myself musically and artistically.

It is always a struggle for me to know how exactly I should be spending my time and what I should be putting my energy into. I am often contemplating the ethical nature of my choices and debating which paths in my life will lead to the most healthful and fulfilling existence for myself. It is hard for me to take action, however much I am yearning for change or movement. I strive for stability, but crave the sensations of travel, risk and extending my comfortabilities and boundaries with life outside of work and home. Does this resonate with anyone? How can we encourage and find room to support both of these ways of living with one another?

Until I am ready to take the wheel towards touring and traveling for music again, you can listen to small projects I am working on and sharing through my monica bandcamp. Embedded into the text of this entry, at the top of the page, is a song that my friend Geena Barker and I made together over a year ago. In the depths of last winter, we reached out to each other through melancholy musings. I was able to share with her a recording of acoustic guitar, and she blessed the recording with an incredible vocal take that fully transformed the recording into a wonderful expression of warmth and gratitude. These are the projects that remind me so kindly why I over and over turn to music to fill me up. I am happy to have the tools to once again share these projects with you all.

Thank you for sharing your emails with me amidst my departure from instagram. If this platform is not quite right for you, feel free to unsubscribe. I’m unsure the frequency of which I’ll send emails out, but I will attempt to use this as a way for people to keep track of shows, recordings, and tours. I’ve attached a selection of photos that highlight special moments of my time since leaving internetdom.

If it at all behooves you, please share this with friends and family that may be interested in my ongoings as a musician. I’m always looking to grow my community and connect with others.

Stay goofy,

Caitlyn aka monica