Resolutions - One Month In
It's been over one month since I hit the reload button and decided to start the year with a fresh attitude. So far, everything's been going well and, hopefully, you’ll be pleased to find out that I continue to keep up with my resolutions and extensive list of wishes. This is, of course, provided that I keep myself focused and organised, which is not always easy.
In my head I distinguish wishes from resolutions based on one simple criteria: would I need a bit of luck to achieve whatever it is that I’ve wished for? If the answer is yes, then it goes to the category of wishes, if it’s a no then I move it to the pile of resolutions. If I’m honest, I’m a little bit superstitious to talk about wishes openly before they actually come true. As my dad once told me, you shouldn’t brag about a mug that you’ve made before you actually make it because there’s always a chance that your mug making machine will break. Resolutions, on the other hand, take persistence and a day-to-day focus, therefore I have no problem talking about them to everyone who would listen.
So what are my resolutions this year and what it is that I need to do to make them happen?
Release the EP
This resolution is definitely a no-brainer. All my efforts this year are focused on delivering the best music I’ve ever made to every music platform possible. I also want to ensure that the new EP gets the highest media and radio coverage I can get. This project’s been going on for a while and 2019 is definitely the year it's finally going to see the world!
This EP of my dreams is meant to showcase my music in the way that I've been envisioning for a very long time. I didn't want any restrictions, such as the fact that I played and recorded solo or that I didn't have the access to a good music production software, to stand in my way! I decided to go all in! Even though running the project on the level that's much higher than any of my previous work has proven to be very challenging, it’s incredibly rewarding to see that things are slowly coming together!
Start touring
My second resolution is to return on stage and, most importantly, to organise my very first tour in promotion of the EP. Playing live is what I miss the most, so this year it’s something that I really want to focus on. A few of you have been kindly enquiring when I plan to get back to gigging and I want to assure you that this is something I’m persistently working on despite a few complications.
In 2016 I played over 40 shows and it was amazing! Then I reached some kind of a stage crisis, where playing for the public still brought me a lot of joy but I was no longer proud of the actual performance I was giving. I didn't want to come on stage and play the same old songs. I craved to play new material and wanted to present it in a completely different set-up from what I had at the time. Bringing new songs on stage was not an issue as such because I never really stopped writing. It was the new set-up that I needed to figure out, so I embarked on a lengthy journey of trial and error. As soon as that was accomplished, I was faced with a relatively trivial yet unavoidable problem: my set-up was much bigger than my previous one and it really needed to be driven around. Hiring cabs has proven to be annoyingly inconvenient and stressful and there were only a certain number of favours I could pull in before it would have become too awkward to ask.
In order to make sure that I actually do get a chance to go on tour and play live shows again, I’m now diligently studying traffic rules and impatiently waiting for my provisional licence to arrive. I'm also in the market for a driving instructor working in Central Bristol, so any recommendations would be most welcome!
Stabilise social presence
My third and last music-related resolution is to ensure that my online content is delivered to you in a steady and consistent flow. I genuinely enjoy sharing stories in my blog, shooting behind-the scenes videos and writing letters to you. For me, this is an important part of my music career and this year I want to achieve a certain level of routine when it comes to posting on social media, so my audience can expect new content on a regular basis.
Over the years I've created different mini-series and started multiple mini-projects. Some of them were relatively successful, whereas others went completely unnoticed. I'm really happy and grateful that I get to experiment so much and people still support me and my ideas. In January I properly focused on figuring out the best way to get all these creative bits together in order to deliver a vibrant and consistent content flow. Combining it with my EP recording and a full-time job has been tricky but I'm not giving up and keep familiarising myself with multiple online scheduling programs.
Some of my personal resolutions
Now when I've shared my main music-career related resolutions and reported on my progress, I'd like to throw one or two personal aspirations on top. If I'm honest with you, most of my personal goals and resolutions are still connected in one way or another to my music career because I'm irreversibly obsessed and my whole life revolves around my ambition to move Whitney Houston from the position of the most decorated female artist in history. Nevertheless, I still try to identify some personal goals for myself, otherwise it can get a little bit intense.
There is obviously the good old resolution to start a healthy lifestyle, which we probably all have on our lists! As trivial as it is, health is important and we should take care of it by undergoing regular checks, eating relatively healthy and, perhaps, going on a stroll every now and then.
This year I'm trying to be more objective with my health-related resolutions and I no longer make promises that I will do yoga every morning and eat salad every evening. Of course I still want to feel good about myself and stop panting when I take the stairs to the 2nd floor but I slowly started accepting that my years of being a professional athlete are behind me and I might never get back in the athletic shape I once was when I was sixteen and a competitive figure skater. In January I focused on trying to stop thinking of exercising as the worst punishment I could ever endure and instead look for more fun alternatives that would help strengthen my core. Yoga is definitely still on my list! (Check out Yoga with Adriene on YouTube if you’re looking for ways to gently get into yoga practicing).
However, my main personal resolution this year is to move to… London!!! I think it also doesn’t come as a huge surprise as I've always been in love with this city and every time I go there I feel pretty much at home. I appreciate that a lot of you will probably think that I'm crazy wanting to move there! I mean, it’s expensive and crowdy, but also so-so wonderful! London gives me the same vibe I get in Moscow, and because I absolutely adore my hometown, this obsession with London makes total sense!
Actually, I was meant to move to London back in 2014 when I initially started talking about relocating to England. I ended up in Bristol quite spontaneously when I accepted the offer from the University of Bristol to do a Master's degree in Law. Initially, I wanted to go to London universities but fate had other plans, so I chose Bristol instead and never regretted that decision! I've had a wonderful time in Bristol and made so many amazing memories here. However, after almost 4,5 years in Bristol, I feel like I'm ready for a new adventure!
I still have a lot of things to finish in Bristol before I can start planning my next chapter, and though I'm slowly making enquiries and preparing my dearest ones for the change to come, I’m trying to take it slow and steady! There will be lots of planning and organising to do and probably lots of funny stories to share! But for now, I’m simply bracing myself for all the hard work that is to come because, I won't lie, the idea that in a few months my daily life might be completely different from today’s gives a slight anxiety even to an adventurous soul like me!
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