RISE+SHINE

{braving places and things and ideas}

Pinterest inked

I'm just shy because that's who I am. I am ashamed of me because I can't do {that} well.

I can be shy or be a rocket ship - just depends on my mood. I'm not ashamed of me.

Why? Should I be?

Flamingo It!
say Bye-bye to the flock of pigeons

Flamingo It!
walk with Curiosity

Flamingo It!
Soar in the journey

Flamingo It!
give Negativity its Burn Notice

Flamingo It!
choose to follow my Dream

Flamingo It!
live life in the Moment

A re-balance of life, destination, and the journey of HERE
{A Place to Be Brave. To Try New Things}

ME, MYSELF, & I

I am a recovering shy + shame. Flamingo It! is about my love of music and my love/hate relationship with performance. To be my authentic self, celebrate the ability to play music, and share it with the world - my vision.

a Daring Greatly attitude: One Foot in front of the Other - it’s not about aging, relationship status, experiencing tragedy, overcoming adversity, coping with deaths, and life in general. It’s about becoming without hiding, pretending, or selling out for dollars.

I am finding out how God builds and changes circumstances in order to make me strive for my best. It is never too late to start again.

Rise + Shine

Words my father said every morning to my sister and I.

My passion is music & art production and performance.

Travelling from the Dream to the Come True.

It’s possible with a bit of faith and footwork.

I didn’t get HERE because I am brilliant or smart. I have been inspired by many other artists who walk ahead of me HERE on Substack:

Beth Kempton

- an amazing author with words from her heart of calmness, encouragement, and grace,

D. Michele Perry

- the founder of The Wonder Habit who inspired me to start ‘Sketching Horses for 100 Days’,

Nikki Carr (Artist)

- a true master equine artist who I am blessed to have been a participant in her 7 week oil painting realism workshop,

Deborah T. Hewitt

- a warm and loving author here on Substack who I call my friend, and

Emily Male

- with her ‘Generosity of Spirit’ - all who I thank for encouraging me and befriending HERE.

OUT WITH THE OLD. Established in 2020, my online site Ruby Road US was built to host a musical community focused on music and performance with courses offered to co-create flash mob-style virtual videos. A grand idea, but not quite me.

2024 has been a transitional year for me: My 4th Turning {Artist/Crisis}

A NEW THING. 2025 is about the music and about playing and about combining my passions. All of them.

{Focus} + {Heart} = {Daring Greatly}

This entire year has been spent exploring my creative passions. I felt that I must choose between Art or Music or Writing. I thought I could only have ‘One band, One sound’ to stay sane and productive. But the struggle turned into a war when I chose to paint over music practice or forgo journaling. This is not an unusual struggle for artists who have several passions.

Let me introduce you to someone I greatly admire and count as my music friend and mentor from Perth, Australia: Nicola Milan - musician, illustrator, sharer of singing and songwriting tutorials- HERE on her YouTube channel.

She is a genius! Nicola shares her research of identifying Passions + Hobbies + Interests to help those of us who struggle in deciding the Where and the What and the When to place our creative energies:

All the Best! Until we meet again!