Hello pocket world,
Happy Holidays to all who celebrate. You may have recently read my first super blog on Buddha Bar, where I dive deep into the artists behind each track. If you have any thoughts on the music you heard or the words you read, positive or negative, I’d genuinely love to hear them.This year, I started a passion project called Stay Tuned. It’s where I share how I’ve discovered music across time, the people I’ve met because of it, and the places those songs have taken me. Writing it brought me back to a version of myself I recognize deeply: the kid who didn’t try to be anything. She just was.
Music is personal. Sometimes a song feels like it’s shaped exactly the way your soul is in that moment, and that’s where connection happens. I love talking to people about what they hear, what they feel, and whether it hits us the same or completely differently. I don’t need answers. I just like asking. Anyway, I wanted to say thank you. It’s that time of year when the Green Goblin crawls down the faucet and tries to steal Christmas, and I’m feeling like a sentimental giver. So, happy holidays. I love you. I made you a playlist.
That’s right. It’s my very own Buddha Bar–esque playlist, titled The Zone. Two hours and thirty-six minutes of pure audio crack. Which is probably the kind of thing only people who’ve never done crack would say. Here’s the description:
“A Buddha Bar inspired playlist curated by me, Berly D. Chill out, work out, play cards, have dinner, walk your entire town, get chores done, do nothing. Either way, you’re in THE ZONE 🌀”
Thirty-seven tracks. A fantastic mix of artists I wholeheartedly recommend exploring deeper. Let me know if there are any you’d like to hear more about. I’ve been building this playlist since the summer, and I truly love it and listen to it often. There is so much great music in this list. I'm excited for you to listen to it.
The Zone — Click Here to ListenStay warm. Stay open. Stay in love with living.
Stay Tuned. XO
— Berly D
I love this: "those songs have taken me. Writing it brought me back to a version of myself I recognize deeply: the kid who didn’t try to be anything. She just was."
ReplyDeleteI too remember that feeling, that freedom. It's so difficult to find it again... or re-create it.. To shed any expectation of validation, conscious or unconscious, by anyone's else but you... but even at that early time, wasn't i looking for it???
I'll chat philosophy anytime! In the simplest of terms, everyone is different, but here's my two cents:
DeleteWho we are at our core, that "kid", is always a part of who we are. We never lose it; it just gets covered by the mask we present. Overtime, through various factors including learned behaviors, exterior circumstances beyond our control, judgements, fears of being perceived, etc. — we may bury parts of ourselves to fit with others. Could be consciously or subconsciously. As we get older, we can only hope that each and every one of us sees the value in not masking ourselves. When we release the mask, we see the value in being ourselves. Those that love us for who we really are, love the child we've always been.
Now, this may sound complicated, but bear with me.
Preface: Seeking validation, is not an essential on a physiological or safety level, but having a sense of connection, community, love and belonging, is. Community is the 3rd tier on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Validation has been stretched in 2 directions. 1) action of checking validity or accuracy, and 2) acknowledgement, acceptance, and showing understanding. In this case, we're talking about the second one.
All of that being said, validation comes in many forms, and sometimes we need a reminder of that: community gatherings such as music, art and sports, friendships, family, ancestral backgrounds and culture, etc. Seeking validation is really the search for a sense of belonging.
So, yes, at an early age you may have instinctively been looking for "validation" because we all do. It’s an animal, instinctual need. If you loved to swim as a kid, trying swimming again, and if you still love it, find an adult group. If you loved stamps, open your collection or start a new one. If you loved eating your grandma’s food, try making it. See where I'm going?
As a kid, I loved going to Tower Records or the library and picking out CDs just based on the picture on the cover (we didn't have phones to look up what they were then). This past weekend, I went to a record/coffee spot in the desert. I grabbed a CD and a record, both of which I know nothing about, and I immediately felt like a kid again. I was reminded that I love discovering music, because it's a part of me. I genuinely am excited by it, and it gives me that sense of discovery/adventure, whimsy and magic that many of us feel we lose as we age. We don't lose it. That feeling of being whisked away by awe doesn't come from the world, it comes from within US. Try not to look so hard for what is right inside of you, my friend. Thanks for your thoughtful comment.