I need this now...Ira Glass

Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

I am not really fighting my way through FAWM, I am enjoying it....But if I start reading other peoples lyrics or listening to their songs, I start to doubt myself....The good thing about this songwriting challenge is that it doesn't leave much time to think about others because you are too busy writing the songs and recording them and networking on the Fawm site....


Here is my page on the Fawm site...I think you can listen to the songs without signing on to the site...
These are demo songs...not fully polished....quick!  one a day for me!   and on a very very simple (compared to some !!) iPad app, not a proper recording studio...

/Fawm Cynthia Wolff

A brand new Fawmer is a Fawmling.

Portrait of a brand new Fawmling.

I have signed up for Fawm, which stands for February Album Writing Month.  It is a songwriting challenge that invites the participant to write 14 songs in one month.  This is quite a monumental task for me to take in hand, seeing as I have only just started to write my own songs and am very new to the actual recording process. I think. however, that this will move me forward into becoming a better songwriter.

The challenge begins on February 1st.  I have already signed up for a "skirmish" which means you have to write a song within one hour of opening time...Yikes!  I do feel that this will be nothing but a win-win for me...it will propel me forward and get me past fear and procrastination.

I have already connected to some real nice folks...Fawm is a lot like the blogging community.  They are kind, caring people with similar interests and goals.   I have had a lot of my questions answered by total strangers, people who have taken the time out of their busy schedules to contact me -some who I hope in time will become friends.  You can also collaborate with other songwriters...something I would love to try, but due to my limited recording facilities and file sharing 

ability with the program I am using, I shall have to wait until I get the hang of Garageband.

 Garageband, which is built into my computer is a maze...really difficult...I haven't even been able to record my music...  Wish I could.  I did manage to make a pretty freaky Techno Trance song which is a bunch of loops, sounds and me singing like a banshee, with lots of echo and effects...Kinda Kool!  But for this challenge, I will be using a simple app on my iPad called Spire.  It records 4 tracks and ought to work just fine for me at this stage of the game....it is, after all, about the writing of the songs, so the production of the actual recording, at least for me, is not as important as finishing the challenge, meaning getting those 14

songs written. 

So if this sounds interesting to you, you have until February 1st to join in.

If you want to keep up with my writings here is the link to  

My fawm site

I Want to be Adored

After many years of dreaming, practicing, writing, throwing away and trying again, I have written a song that I finally had the courage to get professionally recorded...

My friend Jay Perris was kind enough to invite me to his recording studio and after spending a day

recording, mixing, laughing, sighing and crying we came up with a song I wrote a week ago called

I Want to be Adored....I have a dream...a big far fetched crazy nearly impossible dream of being accepted at The Holiday Music Motel songwriters week coming up in February called Love On Holiday.   To do this I have to submit orignal songs.  I Want to be Adored is my first submission...

I really jumped off the ledge into the unknown this time...I opened up an account on Soundcloud...I made my "album cover"!!  I just kept at it, one step at a time...when I got frustrated with the music I switched to working on the cover.   One tune down, two more to go...

Have a look and a listen.

UPDATE!!!!   I HAVE SINCE RECORDED TWO MORE SONGS WHICH NOW APPEAR ON MY SOUNDCLOUD......

I want to be Adored-Songs from the Edge of a Faultline

Happy Veterans Day

My father Lt. Col Henry J. Wolff

Lead Navigator B17 Flying Fortress

World War II  

War Hero and My Hero

Love and miss you so...

Long Beach Open Studio Tour

Long beach open studio tour kept me so busy making earrings that I didn't even post it here...
Had a really time...GeriatriX got to play on Sunday and that was very cool...
Realized I had no interest in promoting my jewelry...I did' even hand out cards...Music seems to be my main thing now...
I did have some nice sales however and to some very nice people...Husbands buying their wives a little something....
No Pics...I was too busy....

The GeriatriX

 I am in a ukulele group with a couple from the Long Beach Ukulele Club...An old friend of mine jumped on board to play bass with us and his contribution has added so much...Nothing like a seasoned bass player to take things to another level...
Here is a photo of us playing at Fox Coffee House, a cool little place that conveniently opened up at the end of my street...Open Mike nights on Thursday and Saturday got us our first taste of performing.

This little band of ours is a lot of fun and the people who are involved, Jeri, Mike and Gerald have made our little group a joy...

The Monarch Butterfly needs your help

I spotted this little cocoon near a vent on my house

I kept a close eye on it...

Then one morning I saw this

A darkening and the faint image of orange wings!

Within minutes this happened!!

slowly pulling itself out of the cocoon

found its way to a Milkweed bush

Full beautiful splendor 

This was an absolute joy to watch...

and now you can have this happen in your own backyard!!

Please plant milkweed in your garden ....

The monarch butterflies need it for their survival..

You will be so happy that you did...this is something you can share with your children and grandchildren...Help to teach them the wonders of nature...and the miracle of birth..

I am enclosing a link...read all the information..it's so informative...then

 get some FREE SEEDS to fill your garden with

color and to save these beautiful creatures.

Here is the link...the butterflies and Beatnheart will love you

milkweed plants

A Fabulous $50 Giveaway

The wonderful people over at THE GREATERGOOD SHOP and Novica are promoting their new GreaterGood shop and are offering you, my readers, a $50 gift certificate.

At THE GREATERGOOD SHOP every purchase you make gives back to a
worthy cause, at no extra cost to you! Each of the
cause-related websites partners with non-profits
and provides support through many
different easy actions.

A portion of the purchase price of each item you buy
goes to your choice of these important causes...

You can decide where your money goes by selecting from various categories within the shop.

How about ANIMAL RESCUE?  one that is near and dear to my heart..   Purchases here have funded the value of more than 450 million bowls of food for rescued animals!

Or RAIN FOREST   everything you buy from this section helps saves and protects the Rain Forest...How awesome is that!

WORLD HUNGER   Purchases here have funded the value of more than 820 million cups of food for the hungry!


  Take a look at the fabulous clothing options in the Apparel section.  Of course I gravitate to shawls...

one of the many amazing shawls

Just think you could get this for your very own while helping a worthy cause...


In case you are not familiar with THE GREATERGOOD SHOP, this fabulous shop sells handmade items made by artisans all over the world.   This provides a opportunity for them to make a living at doing what they do best, make glorious products that are not only quality merchandise but shopping here is a win-win situation for all of us..

HOW ABOUT THIS PEEK A PURR SWEATSHIRT??

And now with the new sister store, you know your money is going to a good cause.  Every purchase helps people, pets and the planet..YOU CHOOSE where you want your money to go.

   Maybe someone in your family suffers from  ALZHEIMERS...Shop in this category and your purchase gives much needed dollars toward research of this horrible disease.. Purchases here have funded over 185 hours of Alzheimer's research.

HOW ABOUT  LITERACY?
Purchases here have funded the giving of more than 187,000 books to children in need.

Or this...perfect for a chilly night by the fire

In this fabulous new shop you can find clothing, jewelry, gifts, pet items and more..

I  love these bright colored mitts!

BRIGHT COLORS HAND WARMERS

HOW ABOUT another fabulous category of merchandise?  HOME DECOR

how about this cool mug?

or something for your sister?

SOMETHING I FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT...

TELL THE WORLD HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT IT ON YOUR COFFEE MUG

Help save the planet by using these cups instead of plastic throw aways!

You can even get pet supplies....

Wouldn't this Herbal Healing Salve be something you would want around the house for those unexpected emergencies?

I am so excited about this new store...  I love to spend my money here!  So please help spread the word about this fabulous new venture 

THE GREATERGOOD SHOP

Go to any of the links and pick something fabulous out...something you want to win!

 LEAVE A COMMENT AND TELL ME WHAT YOU WOULD CHOOSE SHOULD YOU WIN...

THAT'S ALL  IT TAKES TO BE ENTERED INTO THE GIVEAWAY!!

One lucky person gets  a $50 gift certificate from THE GREATERGOOD SHOP...It could be you...

This contest will remain open until March 15th midnight.

Beatnheart...