Sun setting from the 5 freeway on my move back down to LA.
I'm humbled and moved with gratitude for all of you who took the time to read my post on reflections of 5 years spent learning and growing at SoundCloud. Thanks, too, for making it to the bottom of the post to subscribe to these letters that I’ll be sending out every now and then. As a reminder, they'll contain a random assortment of words, tunes and bits and pieces across the Internet that inspire me and/or spark vulnerability, courage and self-love. Thanks for joining me on the wave.
Takeaways
Publicizing my experience illustrated to me how important it is to share personal perspectives in one’s own words. Sharing personal stories enriches existing connections and opens up room for new connections to emerge. I had certain outcomes in mind but didn’t expect some of the reactions that the post ended up receiving.
I’m proud of my courage. Over the past few years, I never put out anything personally written into the web, largely led by fear. Acknowledging and journaling about my fears of failure and rejection overtime helped. Reminding myself that fear was preventing me from expressing my own creativity gave me the push I needed to challenge myself to find out how far I could leap without being too concerned with where I’ll land. Fears will inevitably continue to crop up, but we learn by doing, right?
From LA to the Bay to LA
I’m officially back in LA now. I harbor a mix of emotions. Everything feels familiar, and decompressing has been a blessing. On the other hand, there’s a lot I’m readjusting to–being back at my folks’ place temporarily (cue Busdriver lyrics "I can run the world from my mama's house"); needing to get a car soon (I haven’t consistently driven in 10 years); and learning to find balance among all the activity and energy that buzzes in this city. It feels like I’m going through adolescence again in a way.
I’m grateful for how much I’ve been bent, shaped and grown by the Bay Area in the last 10 years though. Saying goodbye to the Bay in my last week especially was heavy and bittersweet. Oddly and maybe sadly enough, my impending departure sharpened my ability to be more aware of the present moment. I tried to capture and store all the images, moments and associated feelings in my head as clearly as I could–studying the unique architecture of all the homes and buildings sprawled across SF a little closer and savoring final laughs, cries and hugs with loved ones.
Transitions
Goodbyes and transitions are never easy. Throughout these past few months of dealing with feelings of change, there were certain songs that resonated with me strongly, whether in lyrical or musical form. I’ve compiled them into a playlist here.
Artists featured:
Daniel Caesar, Childish Major, Dave B, Kenny Segal and Busdriver, A.CHAL, Max Wonders, Isaiah Rashad, Free P, Tilla, Jay Prince, Raury and Falcxne.
Question for you: What are some of your memorable songs you associate with times of transition or challenges you've experienced?
In support of...
If you’re based in LA, come out to support Tiffany Gouché’s headlining show with live band at The Echo on Monday, September 26. Growing up in a family of musicians in Inglewood, Tiffany Gouché is a true musical talent. Soulful, authentic sounds this way.
My friend Melissa is opening New Women Space in Brooklyn, a dedicated project and community event space for women. She's launched a Kickstarter to get things shaking, so please help support if you can.
That’s it for now. More random bits to come next time. I welcome your feedback and thoughts, so hit reply if you feel like it.
Thanks for reading. ‘Til next time,
Jane