Motivational Music, the Massively Cheesy Edition

So I've been working on a new "About Me" page for my author blog and for a new author website that I've been setting up, all in advance of RoboNomics becoming a featured story on Wattpad. And while I've written out my story, it has taken on a definite...hard-headed tone.

For some reason this made me think of the various Motivational playlists that I've shared with you in the past. And it also put me in mind of the very large blind spot that I intentionally had in sharing those playlists. That is, I didn't want to admit to listening to some of the most ridiculously corny songs when I need a motivational pick-me-up.



Maybe over-the-top songs about obtaining one's goals are required once you've decided to pursue a career in the arts. Reading, training, learning and practicing. Drafting and revising and line editing -- all of this takes time. So much time that it's hard to keep my 'eye on the prize'. And so once in awhile I have to indulge. I have to remind myself why I'm doing this. I need obvious lyrics and bad instrumentation to knock me over the head with my original intention.

This is how I build my own support system. In a world full of trolls and haters, I don't troll or hate back. I just listen to cheese-ball songs! :P

Just for Fun Friday!

Currently loving on this song! :)



Maybe it's strange to feel this way about a song that so peppy, but I just love it. I love it for reasons of self-reflection: that reminder that I need sometimes of refining (and self-defining) what the "Good Life" entails. Does having "Mountains of Things" really mean that you have a good life? Are expensive consumer goods like cars and gold watches and diamonds, etc., just a way to distract me with bright, shiny objects from actually finding real fulfillment?

To heavy for a blog about inspiring music for writers? Bah! It got me to write about this questions, didn't it? :P

Just for Fun Friday

Well, despite my cold getting worse (ugh, summer colds. Be gone, illness!), I'm pulling a Proust. So I've got a Just for Fun Friday for you. Another musical friend from years returns:

It was probably a pal in undergrad who first introduced me to Meshell Ndegeocello. Or maybe it was Audiogalaxy. Anyone remember that? Anyways, her music is unlike anything I've heard before or since. Amazing, inspirational, what else is there to say? Okay, time to take care of myself. Also known as, sleep time!! :P

Just for Fun Friday

I was sitting in my car the other day, waiting on my love who was running on errand. I turned on the radio to this song and instantly loved it. I Shazamed it and found out the track heralds the return of my old dear friends, Silversun Pickups. Wheeee!


So good. So happy. :)

I also love when I find bands that seem to evolve with me. When I first heard "Lazy Eye", I was obsessed with it. But I don't listen to that song much these days because I'm not in that emotional place anymore. But "Cannibal" just so corresponds with where my head is these days, I'm pretty sure it's going to become my new obsession.

Music for Journeying

Having recently completed a move that included a journey across part of this continent, I thought I'd focus on songs that make me think of journeying.

There have always been stories of traveling in all world literature. And much has been written about how journey stories are metaphors for a human's journey through life -- traveling from major life event to major life event rather than from place to place. I, for one, have yet to write my own big journey story that I have on my back burner. But in my life, I've always moved around. In 33 years I've lived in 9 different places. I haven't seen much of the world, but I have seen much of this continent we call America of the North.

So it might not be surprising that I am inspired by songs about traveling that have a definite folksy-country vibe. Here are just a few of these songs, starting where I started this journey: in the Wilderness of Manitoba.

And then of course there's Johnny Cash's "I've Been Everywhere" which is like a musical North American travel bingo. Of course, this move we crossed only a few of the places in the first verse off the list! Two provinces: Manitoba and Ontario. Six states: North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. And we passed through numerous cities: Winnipeg, Grand Forks, Fargo, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Baraboo, Madison, Chicago, Flint, Sarnia, London and Toronto. It was a long trip.

But I've realized that this enjoyment in travel, or rather, in moving from place to place is not a joy shared by many. I'm a rare breed: someone who likes moving. I've noticed that there are a couple members of my extended family who have that wanderlust, but beyond our family I don't know too many people who actually like the prospect of moving every few years. But it's something that has marked my adult life. The last time I lived in one place for a long time was between the ages of 3 and 17. Since then, I haven't lived in a city for longer than 3 years at a time.

So I've thrown in a few rambler anthems into this mix. If you're going to write a journey story, I hope you find that these songs give you some inspiration!

Also, be sure to enjoy the video for "Hopeless Wanderer." That one took me by surprise with its silly secret. :)

Just for Fun Friday

Hey kids! This week, I'm posting a super hit. Why? Because this song totally gets me super nostalgic.

I wasn't going to post the official video. Sometimes I'll avoid posting the official music videos if I think they are boring or just don't really adequately capture the spirit of the song. And in this video, there is definitely a lot to be bored about. Namely, random chicks with lingerie stuck in their butt cracks.

****TANGENT ALERT****

On the topic, I've never been quite sure why naked or half naked chicks is still in 2014 seen as edgy or pushing the envelope. Do you know how many naked chicks I've seen in music videos, in movies, on TV, on the internets in my lifetime without having sought those images out? Even time they cut to a scene of some girl in her undies, my vision actually blurred from the deep ennui I felt. BORING!!!!!

****TANGENT OVER****

However, I had to post this video. Because the particular summer that it reminds me of -- back when I was 21 ( don't ask me what year that was -- let's just tell you it was this millennium at least) -- one of the friends I went around with actually raced cars in his spare time. So on top of the song reminding me of that summer, parts of the video do as well.

It was a summer to remember. Of summer of dance clubs every weekend, of cottage parties, of unending parties. Sure, some really messed up stuff happened that summer. A couple things to me, but mostly really weird stuff around me. But more than the things that happened, it was the feeling of that summer. A long, hot summer between years of ungrad. Hasn't my entire life from that point to this been just an endeavor to recapture that feeling?

RoboNomics Book II Soundtrack

Hey all! As promised, I've put together a soundtrack for RoboNomics Book II over the past couple weeks. From my perspective, it's as though you can trace the broad outline of the plot through these tracks. That's probably impossible, however. You will have no way of knowing what's going to happen in the story from just listening to this music.

However, might a fun exercise to try and guess! :)


At least it's not as long as the RoboNomics Book I soundtrack! Hope you enjoy it!