What's up yall!
It's yo girl Whitney Sol, Pure Gold, Brown Ivory: Yo Soul Singa and Yo Brown Yoga Teacha!
Have you ever made a commitment to do something or be something?
I must admit I haven't consciously made many commitments in my lifetime, but deciding to pursue my music career was a scary thing to do. You hear stories about how artists have to starve in order to make it and I am not a believer in that lifestyle.
As a child, I knew that singing was the most freeing thing to do while playing outside alone. My voice projected so much that my cousins down the street would let me know what song they heard me sing. (RIP to Edwina: she always complimented my singing) As a child, I couldn't imagine how life as a singer would look. The closest example I had of a black woman singing her heart out was the late Whitney Houston. Let's call her Auntie Whitney from here on out.
Auntie Whitney was my example and I must say that I didn't want to subject myself to her lifestyle. After my 25th birthday, the idea of pursuing a music career started to become stronger. It was like a light that continued to revisit me, more frequently. The feeling was so uncomfortable and it was hard to shake the thought of being an artist. I didn't know the first thing about how to start and I didn't know how to go about doing it!
FYI: My father is a musician and I come from a family of singers (in the church, if you will).
I remember going on a date with a guy I knew for a few years in Atlanta and I told him about my dream of being an artist and traveling the world to sing. The way he looked at me discouraged me saying things like: 'Whitney you have to have a certain look in order to be an artist out here.’ I later realized that he was projecting the Atlanta shawty music industry life on me. I’ve even heard that ‘You are a little too old to actually pursue a music career.’
That's not my vibe at all.
At age 26, I made the choice to move abroad and teach English. I was tired of the box that I was trying to fit into in the USA. Moving to South Korea completely changed my life. The freedom from an environment that put me in a space of not cultivating my dreams was next level for me. I used that time to strategically create a music tribe. I lived in South Korea for 4 years and during that time I had the opportunity to connect with talented artists, musicians, perform LIVE, and travel around the country of South Korea singing. I learned that when you commit to something the journey is the most beautiful movement to create in this life.
I banked on myself and I made something that was far far far from my knowledge and reality. 2019 was the best year of my life. I remember connecting with a music old head in the Korean streets and he looked me dead in my eyes and said..."Never stop, Never give up on your gift." I smiled and gave him a sincere Korean bow accepting that as a sign to keep going, NO MATTER WHAT!
The truth is, I haven't even scratched the surface of my greatness. and I look forward to the journey of creating on earth. Whoever took the time to read this, do me a favor and never give up on your dreams. Whatever it is! You only have this lifetime to live and remember who you are. The journey is shorter than you think. Make everyday count.
The first step is to commit!