Hello, just thought I would write and tell you where I am at both with the site and mentally. I think I am going to start and try to blog regularly. For myself, as far as expressing thoughts and ideas. Plus it might be a good place to let people know what I’m working on.
As some of you who have followed me for years may know, I have struggled mentally a bit in the last few years. Who am I kidding, a long time really. I just didn’t really know. Or maybe I knew but wouldn’t admit it or take the steps to get help. Then it became too much and I called a hotline, and I began to get help. Started with a 4 week CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) class and then to a more intense 12 week class. It was the beginning of help for me. Those classes have been over for more then a year and I now see an individual therapist somewhat regularly. Not as often as I would like but it does cost money that I really don’t have. Kinda crazy that it is hard to spend money on mental health however we spend money in all kinds of other ways.
So that brings us to now and why I am sharing this. Partly for myself and partly because I know a lot of people have many of the same problems and talking about it or reading about it can hopefully help others.
This week marks the end of 6 years for me and also the end of a job. I have been earning my living by playing 3-4 nights a week at the Roxy in downtown Vancouver. A very popular live music venue in the city that has been opened for almost 30 years. Prior to the Roxy I was teaching a lot and just starting to get active again with tripfuse (my original band). However through the years I let my teaching fall by the way side and although I continued to write music I didn’t do anything with tripfuse. I had just finished an EP and started rehearsing to play live again when I got the Roxy gig. All stopped. Can’t really explain why. I guess being on the stage 3-4 nights a week was enough for me.
So now what? Well I have been back working on the site like never before. I would love to see it turn into something that let me do it full time. Well that and I want to get playing my music again.
It has been a very challenging time mentally since we found out our time was coming to an end at the Roxy. With it has come a wide range of emotions but overall I have been excited about the future and quite ok with leaving the craziness that came with playing at the Roxy every week.
Fear. That brings us to fear. Funny thing fear and what it does to us mentally. Can stop us in our tracks with just a few thoughts. The most challenging thing for me through this process is overcoming fear. I don’t have time to stop and take a break. I don’t know how I will pay my bills in another month. I am a single dad with two boys. Fear.
So fear is pushed aside and I work to believe in myself and what I do and so many people in the last few weeks have helped with that so much. People I have never met from all over the world. People who have followed me online for years, happy to see me back and creating. I want to say thank you to all and yourself because if you are reading this and have read this far down the page then you are included 🙂
I think I will stop now but I want to do more of this. More then likely it will be about what’s happening on the site and in my musical life but I like the idea of opening up in other areas. Specially if it might help others.
So thanks for reading and if you have been following along the last month and a bit you can see many changes happening and many many more to come. Very excited to share everything I know about guitar with everyone who wants to know.
Check out the new material:
Teague
ps. I have been Live Streaming on YouTube at least once a week and it has been a ton of fun. Come by and say hi! You can check out the times for my next stream here:
Guitar Time with Teague (Live Streaming)
Ok, lol that isn’t really the name of it but thought I would see what it looked like written 🙂