Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel

Personally, this whole corona virus situation has left me distressed and despaired. I’ve been reading the news in a constant and almost obsessive manner, and I believe no one can truly avoid the continuous Facebook posts full of doom and gloom.

Like a lot of other individuals, this global pandemic has affected my mental health, as well as my music and writing careers. Gigs cancelled, work opportunities withdrawn, travel plans and meetups cancelled…let’s just say that these past few days have been a wonderful concoction of disaster. However, as cliche as it sounds, I’m truly forcing myself to see the light at the end of this tunnel by trying to reignite what I’m passionate about. I invite you to do the same.

If you’re living abroad or away from your family and childhood friends, give them a call. Thankfully, the technology that’s available nowadays allows us to connect with individuals who live far away without having to spend tonnes of money and effort. If there’s a book that you’ve been dying to read, sit on your couch and read it.

If you’ve always wanted to learn how to play an instrument, but you didn’t have the time to do so, now’s the perfect time to hit Youtube and all those online lessons available, and use that poor guitar that’s been patiently waiting in a corner for years without being strummed.

If you’ve been procrastinating when it comes to writing that apology letter or reconnecting with someone who you’ve burnt bridges with, now’s the time reflect on past mistakes and construct a better future.

To sum it all up in one sentence – let’s use this delicate time to remind ourselves to live and love passionately, and to reflect on how finite our time on Earth is. Stay strong; you’ve got this!

Floating between two worlds

Let’s make one thing clear. These ‘worlds’ may not necessarily be two different physical spaces. Do you feel that the persona you’re known for at work, and your identity outside of the workplace, are entirely different? Or maybe you’ve managed to build up an entire online persona that is miles away from how people who know you in the non-virtual world would describe you. Heck, you don’t even know which one you can confidently call your ‘true’ identity.
The migrant experience surely tests this notion. Migrants have to navigate between two different sets of cultures, mentalities, rules, regulations, customs, and whatnot. They are quasi-outsiders in a liminal zone, trying to find a comprehensive identity that is the sum of these two separate experiences. They are trying to foray into a brave new world, while, at the same time, attempting to find a sense of familiarity in the smallest of things. It’s no easy feat.
Before anyone starts commenting or debating the migrant experience, I sincerely invite you to spend some time reflecting on the incongruencies and the conflict of identities present in everyday life. Maybe that confusion can serve as a spark that ignites the flame of empathy for the individuals around you who are striving to create a new life for themselves.

Sealed with a Kiss: A Letter from your Manic Pixie Dream Girl

Dear broodingly soulful young men,

I am applying for the role of ‘manic pixie dream girl’, which I saw advertised online. I believe I’m the perfect fit for this highly coveted role!

First off, I certainly do fit the image of the woman of your dreams. I change my hair colour every other Tuesday, I love berets, dungarees and Doc Martens shoes, I buy all my clothes from charity shops, I’m a proficient ukulele player, I’m a sucker for indie flicks, I’ve got a weird, exotic accent and I’m a proud vegan. Furthermore, I also work at a cafe, but I secretly want to be a writer. I’m spontaneous and curious, and I tend to move around quite often. Often times, I find myself hopping on a plane to the other side of the world on a whim.

I can guarantee that I’ll do my very best to turn your dreams into reality, and to be as professionally nutty, quirky, impulsive and shallow as possible. I’ll hide my own dreams and ambitions, supporting yours instead. I’ll adapt to any role. I can be the touring musician who you occasionally sext with online. I can be the Tinkerbell to your Peter Pan. I can be the squealing fan who supports your talents. I’ll shower your life with sparkles, disappearing when you’ve discovered the joys of life.

Attached you can find my CV. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Love,

Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl

P.S. You can also send me a postcard…’cos why not? I just love the quaint concept of a postcard!

Chasing Ghosts

Hammock – Then the Quiet Explosion

I have to admit…these last two days served a moment of deep reflection about where my life is heading. I’ve also reflected about the ghosts of the past – i.e. past memories, people, thoughts and places that I’ve found myself revisiting in some way or another, whether literally or metaphorically. It has made me realise how this one simple word – past – is the ultimate Pandora’s box of ‘what if’s,’ regrets and nostalgia.

How many times do you personally look back at your past, and wonder what could have happened if you had pursued that relationship, chosen that career path, moved to that place, did not do those things…

On the other hand, what if you try to pursue those past ‘what if’s’ now, in the present moment? Would you find that you’re still compatible with the one that got away? Would you find that the career path that you had dreamed of in your youth is still valid and compatible with your present self? Would Paris still fulfil the person you are now?

These are the ghosts of our past…ghosts that are still haunting us as life forces us to seamlessly move from one day to another, and years and experiences mould us and change us in unimaginable ways. How can we liberate ourselves from the ghosts that float in our shadow, reminding us of what could have happened differently, when we fleetingly glimpse at our changing and hardened faces in shop windows, each and every day?

Alas! I wish I had the answer to that one!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

David Bowie – Changes

Safe to say that it’s been a week of personal changes. Changes are daunting, scary and a little bit exciting…but mostly scary. Here’s a list of tips and tricks which I find useful when I have to deal with particularly stressful times.

• Take time to reflect. Many a time, when you’re rushing from one thing to another, you really end up losing yourself and not taking the right decisions.
• Drink a lot of water.
• Check in with a friend… personally this particularly helps in my case. I lost count of the number of times I called my friends this week, but it definitely helped to ease my anxiety.
• Rest, rest, rest. Taking a well-needed nap does not mean that you’re wasting time from doing something else. It simply means that your body needs to recharge a.s.a.p!
• Make a list of things that need to be dealt with according to priority. Do not overwhelm yourself by trying to do everything at once.
• Eat clean and anti-inflammatory foods. It’s scientifically proven that anti-inflammatory foods are not only beneficial to your physical health, but also your mental well-being. More about this over here.
• Most importantly, Acknowledge change and see it as an opportunity for growth.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Haven’t written here in quite some time. Do you know that feeling when you’re constantly bombarded with work that you have to finish, and decisions that you have to make? Well, safe to say that March was that month for yours truly.

We’ve all been there. What’s more… the twenties are supposed to be the period in everyone’s life where a lot of changes happen at once (or so the world says). One day you’re in one particular place, the next day you’re in another (both literally and metaphorically). One day you feel like your life is a complete mess, the next day some miracle happens and you’re okay (at least for some time). One minute you’re stuck in routine, the next, everything’s changing so fast you don’t even know where you’re heading.

On the last day of March, let’s make a toast to the turbulent twenties. Let’s hope I manage to learn a thing or two after all this decision-making!

The Art of Letting Go

February is definitely proving itself to be an interesting month. From birthdays to Galentine’s and Valentine’s, February is teaching me a lesson in the art of letting go.

During the second month of the year 2019, are you learning to let go?

From a personal standpoint, this month has been a steep learning curve. For starters, my birthday almost brought on an age crisis (‘Oh-where-has-my-childhood-gone type’)…this mere number that seems to have so much importance…at least if you let it control you and your perspective. Galentine’s Day made me reflect on the women in my life… the ones that inspire and challenge me, and also the ones that proved themselves to be a toxic nuclear meltdown. Next came Valentine’s Day – a day so highly revered by multinational corporations as a money-making machine, yet instead of harbouring this sentiment this year, I viewed it in a light-hearted manner, and took the time to appreciate the key people in my life.

If I could sum up my February in a few words, ‘the month of letting go’ would definitely be a good fit. Letting go of toxicity. Letting go of vices. Letting go of personal faults that have long been undealt with. Letting go of the past. Learning to take care of and appreciate my body for once. I wish I could master the art of letting go, but at the same time, I now realize, that like every other artistic discipline, it requires time, patience and dedication. Let this be the start of a beautiful, new chapter.

The Naked Truth behind Talent Competitions

Currently listening to – nothing

After viewing all the hatred and bias directed towards the winner of a certain singing talent competition in my native Malta, I couldn’t help but wonder, are we truly encouraging youngsters today to flourish creatively, or are these so-called ‘talent competitions’ doing more harm than good?

Let’s take a look at the very root of the problem. First of all, these talent competitions are owned by multinational corporations, whose aim is not to expand the creative careers of young people, but to milk as much cash as possible from desperate youngsters who want to be ‘discovered’. Furthermore, we are fostering a mentality that promotes unhealthy competition, instead of encouraging and investing in young people’s creative output and giving them the tools necessary to take care of their mental well-being in tough industries such as the music industry. Instead, a lot of young people today think that the only way they can ‘make it’ is to take part in these competitions. What’s more, music labels prefer investing in artists who are already famous via these reality shows, rather than striving to discover and invest in developing artists who are truly trying to work hard on their musical output in an organic manner.

I am particularly disgusted by the way the public is trying to pit two teenage female contestants against each other. This brings another bigger issue into focus: the mentality of pitting women against each other, and tallying them up, rather than encouraging more women to involve themselves in the arts. It is a classic case of online bullying, with the aim of putting young women down and making them doubt themselves… crushing them into pieces and destroying their self-esteem. It is truly disgusting to watch how a country that portrays itself as progressive in the eyes of the world, is still largely bigoted and so easily duped by public displays of a Hunger Games-like manifestation.

Oh My Malta…how can we all still be so blind?

Why unemployment doesn’t completely suck

Currently listening to: The Parrots – Soy Peor

So I started 2019 unemployed. Many people would absolutely baulk at this idea – associating it with a tonne of things: laziness, the problem with Gen Z, etc. Others would use this fact to smirk and prove themselves right when saying that a degree in the humanities doesn’t lead anywhere. In a society where the spirit of late capitalism reigns supreme, and where your salary seems to define what you are and who you are, an unemployed individual is expected to almost play the ‘sick role’ in society.

However, I viewed my unemployment as an opportunity to reflect on what I really want to do in life…an opportunity to spend some time indulging in my passions and actually doing things that have long been delayed, including:

• Spending more time on my musical projects.
• Kickstarting a possible path in writing and starting this blog. I’ve been writing in a creative manner all of my life…however after a series of unfortunate rejections, I never found the courage to write publicly until now.
• Starting a de-cluttering campaign (see my second post).
• Going through some major life-changing episodes with a clearer head.
• Discovering and exploring the world of freelancing.
• Finding the time to catch up with some long-delayed appointments.
• Nurturing my mental well-being.
• Spending some well-needed dates with myself.

I guess every cloud has a silver lining…and while unemployment leaves a dent in your pocket, I believe the key is to appreciate it as a window of opportunity for self-development, and not to perceive it as an in-between phase lost in a frenzy of panic, CVs, and interviews. Who knows, maybe unemployment can be the key to finding your next passion in life, leading to something truly worthwhile, after all.

To swipe or not to swipe? That is the question.

Currently listening to: La Femme – Runway

The modern phenomenon of dating apps has stopped being a phenomenon at this point and is now so ingrained in normality that it’s like expecting that everyone has a social media profile or an email address. Yet, how are dating apps affecting our daily lives and psyche, and is the digital persona more important than your ‘offline’ persona nowadays?

I have always been divided about the concept of these apps. The immediate gratification offered by a simple swipe often leads to a lot of disappointment afterwards. Useless messages and exchanges, the occasional uninvited photos, the meetings that never come to fruition…it’s safe to say that it’s an endless cycle. We can compare it to a ‘window-shopping’ exercise for potential partners… like going on Amazon or eBay to purchase something thanks to a simple ‘Search’ button.

However, are these digital personas turning into a marker of social status? After watching the Black Mirror episode ‘Nosedive’, I couldn’t help but wonder whether dating apps are the new social credit system in the dating world; where people are ‘disposed’ of if they don’t get enough swipes or likes, and where the constant pressure to keep up a trendy digital persona leads to inner conflict. All that seeming plurality creates a tonne of expectations…and a hell lot of dating fatigue.

So what’s the moral of this story? It’s easy to judge and say ‘Delete all apps, and do it the old-fashioned way’, however, I believe that that comment is very misleading since one cannot reverse back to how things were. On the other hand, I would say that at a point, it would be useful to remind ourselves that our own self-worth is not based on any social credit system and to truly invest in our self-worth. A recent post by The Artidote states that ”Inner peace is the new success” and this is totally applicable to the inner turmoil that can be caused if the imposing digital persona and social credit pressures aren’t taken with a pinch of salt. In the end, no one can truly judge you in a few seconds by a few photos and a stupid caption…it takes so much more to discover the inner core of a person than this.