Michelle Sandlin - Punctuating Life

Dreaming Out Loud

May 10, 2013 By Michelle Sandlin Leave a Comment

I really wanted to write something awesome and post it on my birthday, which was on Tuesday. But as luck would have it, I was completely blocked the night before. I am rarely blocked, but when I am, I know better than to force it. Although, I have to admit that I painstakingly spent 2 hours doing just that. By midnight the night before my birthday, I had nothing but a few disconnected sentences that were anything but awesome.

So the next day, on my birthday, I decided that if I couldn’t write, that I could at least make a new drumming video. I was short on time, so my goal was simple: Do it as close to perfect as possible on the first take, make sure you look cool doing it, just in case your timing is a little off, or you drop a drum stick, or something, and post it to Facebook. Thankfully, I achieved both! I nailed the drum stick twirls, and the drum cover of “Headlights” by Morning Parade (my favorite song of the moment).

For your entertainment pleasure, I hope you enjoy my video, which now has a permanent home on YouTube. I ask only one thing of you. If you like it, even a little bit, please do me a favor and click the thumbs up button so that I will know. It’s a little thing, but means a lot to me.

Here’s the thing…

I love playing the drums! I know that I have a long way (a really long way) to go before I will be really good at it, but I am having fun.

Right now, I am dreaming out loud. I have never really done that before, or at least not to this degree. It is very freeing, and I highly recommend it.

I have spent my whole life dreaming quietly about “one day…” Now, I am finally seeing to it that a lot of those dreams play out in real life. That’s really the point, isn’t it?

I cannot stress enough that if there is something you have always wanted to do, don’t wait any longer. Just do it. You know, feel the fear and do it anyway.

Finally, the image at the top of this post is my new logo! It will be featured soon on my new website, which is in the final stages of a really cool redesign. I hope to be launching it within the next 30 days, so stay tuned…and keep creating rock star moments!

Filed Under: Drumming, Music, Punctuating Life, Writing

Feel the Fear And Do It Anyway – Part 2

April 16, 2013 By Michelle Sandlin 2 Comments

“Feel the Fear…And Do It Anyway” – Reviewed by Michelle Sandlin

This is Part 2 of my previous blog post: “Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway.” I had not intended on writing a Part 2 until I saw the popularity of my previous post (it was shared throughout Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter), and I heard from several of my readers that they were buying the book based on my review and blog post.

I figured that there was more to learn about the author, Susan Jeffers, and I wanted to see what other books she had written. So, I googled her, and quickly found out 2 very important things. First, she had written many books, and second she had passed away in October of last year. This immediately felt like a loss. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know her; it only mattered that I felt connected to her in some way through her book.

I found most of the information that I was looking for on her website including her “official and unofficial bio.” As I read through her life, I found other commonalities, thus deepening the connection.

Much like me, Jeffers had gotten married and had 2 children, before continuing her college education. For me, the academic path was as clear as it had been for Jeffers. I sought my Journalism degree, and Jeffers found her calling in Psychology.

But, it was the first sentence of her “unofficial bio” that drew me in. It read: “I think of myself as someone who seems to be constantly reinventing herself.” Wow, I thought…this is me! Then I thought again…no, this really isn’t me.

I am not constantly reinventing myself, although it may appear that way to the outside world. I am actually just taking the person that I am already, and following my instincts more, while being more aware of where I want to be, and where I want to go, and what I want to do, and what I need to do to get there.

Here’s the thing: I am basically finally acting on the things that have only existed thus far in the space of thought, and doing everything I can to make them a reality. Isn’t that the point of feeling the fear and doing it anyway?

The past 12 months have definitely been a time of significant self-discovery and growth for me. I have finally adopted the “it’s now or never” attitude, and I don’t want to let anything hold me back from achieving the things that I know I am meant to achieve and want to do.

Michelle Sandlin on Drums!

It all started with playing the drums. Not that I feared playing the drums, but I feared that if I took it off my “Maybe One Day” list and actually did it, that it might not have the positive outcome I had always dreamed about. In the past, I always feared taking certain chances because I was afraid of a negative outcome, instead of focusing on the possibility of a positive one. That is not the case anymore!

Learning to play the drums has turned out to be one of the most positive things I have ever done for myself, thus fueling my motivation to check other things off of my list with gusto.

I am feeling the fear and doing it anyway!

Filed Under: Drumming, Punctuating Life, Writing

Feel the Fear And Do It Anyway

April 6, 2013 By Michelle Sandlin 4 Comments

One of the most ironic things to happen to me recently, was when I was asked by Worldwide ERC® to review a book for their April issue of MOBILITY Magazine. This was for a special section that they are calling, “Member Picks: Books That Make Us Better.”

So, why is this so ironic, you ask? It’s simple, I am not a reader! I have never been a reader! Don’t get me wrong, I have bought tons of books over the years, and downloaded samples of many more, but when it gets down to it, I just don’t have the attention span for reading an entire book. My mind wanders. I guess you could say that I start a lot of books, but I rarely finish any of them.

But, when this particular opportunity presented itself from Worldwide ERC®, I instantly agreed to do it. That’s because I knew exactly which book I was going to review and why.

The book was, “Feel the Fear…And Do It Anyway,” by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D. Not only was it one of the few books that I had actually read in recent years, but it was one in which the title alone had affected many fundamental changes in me. Reading that book had come at a very pivotal time for me, and changed many of my personal and professional strategies and philosophies.

The words, “Feel the Fear…And Do It Anyway,” say that anything is possible, and that it is OK to feel scared, but that feeling scared should never stop you from doing anything. It’s about hitting challenges head-on, and using your fear as a motivator for building personal strength. It’s a practice that I have adopted in all areas of my life, and one that works very well for me.

I am hoping that you may find a few take-aways from my book review, and that you might even consider reading the book for yourself.

The format of the book review was question and answers, which appear below:

“Feel the Fear…And Do It Anyway” – Reviewed by Michelle Sandlin

MOBILITY: The author of the book you chose describes fear as “crippling” and says it is often rooted in uncertainty about change and lack of a strong self-image. You seem like such a confident, flexible person—what made you want to read this book?

MICHELLE SANDLIN: Yes, I am a confident person now, but I wasn’t always. Several years ago I found myself at a critical crossroads in my career. I needed to make a change, and as much as I knew that this change was necessary, I agonized and struggled over it for months before finally pulling the trigger. It was definitely the fear of uncertainty more than the fear of change itself that was crippling to me at the time. Even as I felt the fear, I knew I had to do it anyway, and so I did. Shortly thereafter, I was given a copy of this book. It was serendipity. I had to read it.

MOBILITY: Give us a crash course on the plan for action the book outlines that can help readers unlearn their misconceptions about fear and replace them with strength and conviction.

Michelle Sandlin: The book explores the barriers that hold us back and the common fears that stand in the way of achieving our goals. The author says that by shifting our thinking, we can transform our lives. It’s really about empowering yourself and boosting your confidence level through positive thinking, which really isn’t anything new. It’s mind over matter. Fear is about taking us out of our comfort zone and the feeling of empowerment we gain in doing so. The idea is that each time you do something that is outside of your comfort zone, you become more powerful, and as your power builds, so does your level of self-confidence. Thus, each time you step out of your comfort zone, you are building more self-confidence, which causes the fear to diminish.

MOBILITY: What’s the one best lesson you learned from this resource?

Michelle Sandlin: I have learned how truly empowering it really is to feel the fear and do it anyway. I never let fear stand in my way of doing anything anymore. I see it as a challenge and hit it head-on. I want to have the power over my fears and not the other way around. As the book says, “All you have to do to diminish your fear is to develop more trust in your ability to handle whatever comes your way.”

MOBILITY: If you wrote a business book, how would you title it?

Michelle Sandlin: That’s an easy one! It would be called How to Create Rock Star Moments. One thing that I have learned is that you don’t have to be a rock star to have rock star moments. I actually write about this all the time, and the idea of being a rock star in whatever it is that you do is ingrained in my personality. This is a book I am writing every day; it’s how I live my life!

Reprinted with permission from the April 2013 Issue of MOBILITY, published by Worldwide ERC®

For a link to the full article, please click here: Michelle Sandlin – Books that Make us Better.

Filed Under: Punctuating Life, Writing

Go Ahead, Procrastinate…Or Wait Until Tomorrow

March 18, 2013 By Michelle Sandlin 4 Comments

I am actually writing this from Starbucks. I have been having some Internet trouble at home today, so after a very frustrating morning, I decided to hit the road with my computer. I wasn’t sure that I was going to be able to be very productive or creative here, but as luck would have it, a change of scenery turned out to be just what I needed.

Even with all the noise and distractions all around me, this place is full of energy. And energy is always a good thing. I just wasn’t feeling that at home today, if you know what I mean.

My plate is so full right now that it is absolutely overwhelming. When I feel like I have so much to do that I don’t know where to start, I usually decide to do none of it until I have exhausted every other possible thing I could be doing instead. Yep, procrastination is a trademark trait of mine. I have always saved things until the last minute. But, I don’t consider it a character flaw.

Proactive procrastination isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For me it is all part of the creative process, and the end results are always positive.

I was never that person in college who started studying for an exam days or weeks before the exam date. Nope, I usually lightly studied until the day before the exam, then crammed. The same was and is still true with projects and presentations. If I know that something isn’t due for a week or two or three, I keep it on the back burner until it is absolutely staring me in the face, and always end up finishing it the night before it is due. It’s pretty common for me to pull an all-nighter. But again, it’s just part of my process.

And what about the results, you ask? Always positive! In college I always scored very high on my exams, papers and projects. And in my professional life, I always create a much better end result on those projects that were put together the night before a big presentation, meeting or event. Since I know that about myself, I don’t beat myself up for procrastinating anymore.

Here’s a little sneak peak into what typically happens. See if you can relate to this…

I turn on my computer, open whatever program I am going to be using for my project, then minimize that program and open up my Internet browser. From there my ADD kicks into overtime as I switch between things like my Facebook Page, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, watching drumming and music videos on YouTube, checking out the latest articles on Mashable, reading my BFF Cheryl Howe’s latest blog, checking out the latest music from my friend Bon Evans, shopping on Amazon, and general surfing around. (I think you get the idea). Then, before I know it, an hour (sometimes two) has passed, and it’s about 10:00 pm, at which time I start doing math problems. You know the kind: If I go to sleep by 1:00 am I will still get 5 hours of sleep.

Anyway, then I get busy…really busy. And when it’s late like that and quiet in my house, my brain kicks into high gear and I tap into all sorts of creativity. And somewhere around 2:00 am or so, I look at my finished project and think, “Ah, another masterpiece!” Then I go to sleep.

The fact is, if it didn’t work so well, I wouldn’t do it. But years and years of successful execution has proven that this is the correct process for me. And that’s the point really. It’s all about what works for you.

Here’s an analogy for you (my husband has an analogy for everything, so I thought I would give it a shot). It’s like taking medication. If you and I take the same medication, it might keep me up all night, while putting you fast to sleep. It doesn’t affect us both in the same way. I have to take what works best for me and you have to do the same for you.

So, are you a procrastinator too? Or do you start working on something the minute you know about it and finish it well before it’s due? If so, more power to you!

Filed Under: Punctuating Life, Social Media

Inspire and be Inspired

March 9, 2013 By Michelle Sandlin 2 Comments

Inspiration is a two-way street. In order to inspire others, you have to be inspired yourself.

I was recently catching up with a good friend of mine, Vicki Jackson, who I had not seen in several months. We have known each other for about 5 years and have shared some unexpected parallel life experiences. There is a definite chemistry that is underlined by the simple fact that we just get each other. No pretense, no bull shit (pardon the French), just mutual respect and support.. Randomly, she also shares the same birthday as my BFF Cheryl Howe.

Anyway, when you have a friendship like that, it is like therapy. You can talk about almost anything and there is no judgment. Instead, there are often new ideas and a renewed sense that what you are doing with your life is pretty cool. It’s validating and it’s inspiring.

It was just about this time last year, when I told Vicki that I was going to take drum lessons. With typical enthusiasm, she told me how cool she thought that was, and continued to ask me for updates, and even encouraged me to post a video on my Facebook Page. I was very nervous about doing that, but Vicki just kept telling me that it was really great, especially considering that I had only been playing for about 3 or 4 months at the time.

Then, when I posted my most recent video, she posted this comment on my wall: “Michelle says ‘I’ve decided to take drum lessons’ –Follow through is an awesome things! You definitely ROCK!” I loved that so much that I took a photo of her comment, and I look at it periodically when I feel like I need a little inspiration and encouragement.

Much to my surprise, I receive a lot of comments on this blog, my Facebook Page, as well as email messages and even phone calls from people simply saying that they find what I am doing to be inspiring. Sometimes it’s about my drumming, and sometimes it’s about my writing, and sometimes it’s about something else entirely. I never dreamed that anyone would be inspired by me. That is a heavy responsibility, but one with a very cool factor attached to it.

So, who inspires me, you ask? There is no easy way of answering that, as I find inspiration from so many different people, events, situations and sources. I have been inspired by family, friends, colleagues, industry leaders, innovators, musicians…you name it. You may recall earlier posts that I wrote about being inspired by Bruce Springsteen and Chrissie Hynde. I am also inspired by less famous musicians.

YouTube has been a great resource for me as a beginning drummer. I spend countless hours watching videos of drum covers and instructional videos. The two people that I like to watch the most are: Meytal Cohen and Jeremy Brinling.

Meytal Cohen has a great style and passion for drumming. When I watch her videos I feel inspired to take my drumming to a much higher level. She has this great smile that tells you that this girl is having a good time and loving what she is doing. She is not afraid of self-expression, which is something that I have recently discovered about myself too. If you are not familiar with her, check out this video of her “Misery Business” by Paramore drum cover.

As for Jeremy Brinling, he makes playing the drums look so effortless. He seems to have a natural talent, and I love his signature move, which he does at the beginning of each video as soon as he arrives on camera. I am not going to tell you what it is, because I really want you to watch his videos and see it for yourself. This is one of my favorites, because it inspired me to try and play this song too. It is “Headlights” by Morning Parade. His version is a lot better than mine, but I am getting there.

If you haven’t seen my version yet from January, here you go. I can play it much better now, but remember, I am still learning.

I am not afraid to put myself out there. I know that this video is full of flaws and that my timing is a bit off. But, I still see it as an accomplishment and a work in progress. I am also a perfectionist, so it is a little ironic that I would put anything out there that wasn’t absolutely perfect. Even I find that to be shocking! So, anyway, I hope that you will find some inspiration in my blog, and that you will leave comments and let me know who and what inspires you.

Filed Under: Drumming, Music

It All Started With a Typewriter

March 4, 2013 By Michelle Sandlin 1 Comment

The more I think about it, the more I realize that I have always been a writer. Truly, I think it all started with a typewriter, literally. When I was about 12-years-old my mom gave me her old manual Royal portable typewriter. You wouldn’t believe what they called portable back then. This thing weighed a ton and came in this heavy duty metal suitcase like thing. And you had to really use some muscle to push the keys down. There was no backspace or delete key. A typo was a typo and there was no easy way to fix it.

Anyway, this typewriter seemed really cool to me, and it didn’t seem to mind that my typing speed was about 12 words per minute, and the result of lots of hunting and pecking. Still, there was a very awesome power that came with the idea that I could take a blank sheet of paper and make it anything that I wanted it to be. It was the ultimate control, and it began to slowly tap into my creativity.

Today, as I stare at a blank computer screen, I get the same sensation. I let myself write in a fairly free-form way, with very little editing as the words start to flow from my head to my fingertips. For this reason, I have always felt that writing or being a writer isn’t a choice; it just is.

As I think back, I was pretty much always that kid who kept a diary and wrote in journals and notebooks. I have always been introspective. During my years of rampant teenage angst, I was more given to writing poetry and journal entries about how hard it was being a teenager. It was very “Rebel Without a Cause” kind of stuff, that turned out to really not be such a big deal. Just all part of growing up!

I have always been a writer in spite of myself. It actually took me until the end of my second year in college to finally declare myself a Journalism Major. Up until that point, I was still asking myself what I wanted to be when I grew up.

So, let’s fast forward to today. Here I am on the brink of something very exciting. I have just started freelance writing for the Houston Chronicle, and will have a weekly column with my very own byline and photo. It’s kind of my Carrie Bradshaw moment, only I won’t be writing about “Sex in the City.” I will be writing a column on “Relocation in the City.” (That is not the official title. It’s actually going to be titled: “On the Move”). It launches this Sunday, with a blog to soon follow, so stay tuned…

Lastly, if you are reading this blog in hopes of seeing a little drumming, here you go. I made this video almost 2 months ago, so there is already vast improvement in my drumming skills. I promise that my next drumming video will be posted in a more timely manner. Anyway, thanks for reading and thanks for watching! Cheers!

Click here to view my video on YouTube.

Filed Under: Drumming, Music, Punctuating Life, Writing

Mom Knows Best

February 17, 2013 By Michelle Sandlin 2 Comments

Mom and Me

My mother said that my last blog post was too long. Maybe she was right, but I thought my recounting of my ill-fated vacation to California was an interesting one, and I wanted to do it justice. The cool thing though about my mom saying that my last blog post was too long, is the fact that she is reading my blog with regularity! I love that! So, this post will be a bit shorter in her honor.

The point of today’s post really is to let you know that I am now on YouTube! It has been a goal of mine for a while now, so I guess I can check that one off the list. It will also give me an opportunity to showcase the drumming that I talk so much about on my blog (and elsewhere). As you watch, please remember that I have just been playing since April of last year. So, with that said, don’t expect my videos or my drumming to be professional quality, at least not yet. I see them more as a way of tracking my progress. I know that I have a long way to go as a drummer, but it will be fun to track my progress together.

The first video that I am posting is one that I made for a work project. My company had a YouTube contest back in November, and the object was to create a video about why we like working for the company. Mine took second place, although, had the vote been for creativity and talent, hands-down, I would have won. Instead the winner was decided by popular vote, and I am not yet very well-known at my company, as I have only been there about 6 months. Anyway, I put a lot of heart and soul into it, which I hope comes through as you watch it.

So here it is, my very first YouTube video. It is also my acting debut and my first time using iMovie. Please watch it, and you never know…it may even end up going viral!

Click here to view my video on YouTube

Filed Under: Drumming, Punctuating Life

California Vacation Over-shadowed by Shadow

February 11, 2013 By Michelle Sandlin 6 Comments

Me and the enemy!

I first met Shadow in September of 2011. It was a brief meeting, and completely uneventful. We posed for this photo, and that was about it. We later met in January of 2013 (2 weeks ago). It was this second meeting that was a pivotal one!

I have always been severely allergic to cats and typically avoid them at all costs. In fact, I now suffer from asthma that resulted from accidental feline contact about four years ago. That was debilitating, and knocked me on my butt for several weeks. The doctor prescribed a rescue inhaler, which is now a staple in my handbag. So basically, cats are my kryptonite!

OK, now that you have the background on my cat allergy, I can tell you about my recent California vacation…

I always look forward to going to California, no matter the reason and no matter which part of the state I am visiting. Seeing the Pacific Ocean has a mellowing effect on me, and immediately calms my thoughts, my nerves and my pace. Seeing the Pacific Ocean gives me renewed perspective and helps me recenter when things get a little crazy.

I had looked forward to this trip for a couple of months, particularly because I was going to visit my BFF, Cheryl Howe. It had been a year since we had last seen each other, and we were both counting down the days until my visit.

Finally the day had arrived! I boarded the plane early in the morning and took my seat in First Class. This is not the typical way that I travel, but this was a treat, courtesy of my airline miles. A Bloody Mary or two later, my plane touched down in San Diego and Cheryl picked me up at the airport. We had an awesome day together in La Jolla. We ate lunch at George’s at the Cove overlooking the ocean, sipped Cosmos (our signature drink whenever we are together), and caught up on life.

George’s at the Cove
La Jolla, CA

We spent the afternoon doing a little shopping before driving to Cheryl’s house. We entered through her back gate, where I was greeted by her two dogs, Texas Jones and Jenny. They were both very happy to see me. Tails were wagging, and little dog smiles formed on their faces as I eagerly petted them. After several minutes, they calmed down, and something else caught my attention. From the corner of my right eye I noticed two green eyes staring at me. Oh no…it was Shadow! I was face-to-face with my enemy!

I gave her a look, and she gave one right back at me. I didn’t have to say anything. We both knew…a line had been drawn in the sand. I knew I had to stay away from her, and I hoped that she would respectfully do the same. But no, instead she was thinking: “Game on!”

A couple of hours later, I could feel Shadow starting to get to me. My throat was getting scratchy, but I was still determined that I wasn’t going to let her win. I had waited too long for this trip, and tomorrow I was going to feel a lot better. Right? Not exactly!

The next morning I woke up to the sound of my own coughing and grasping for air. Yep, I was having a little asthma attack. So, I reached for my trusty inhaler, took a couple of puffs, then headed for the shower. The fact that it was raining and very humid outside didn’t help matters.

I am not going to take you play by play through each day of my decline, but suffice it to say that for three days, there was no escaping Shadow and her crippling effects on my health. Everywhere I went, there she was. Then on the last night, when I was feeling the worst, I decided to go to bed early. I was quarantined behind closed doors in my own little shroud of hand sanitizer, with an air purifier running at mach speed, and most of my belonging sealed for my protection in Ziploc bags.

At one point in the middle of the night, I heard her. She was at my door. She was meowing and clawing at the door trying to get in. I even saw her paw swiping underneath the door trying to open it. I buried my head in my pillow to drown out her cries, until finally she went away.

As the sun came up, I quickly jumped into the shower, called a hotel, then packed my suitcase. I was getting worse and worse. I felt so bad, because Cheryl and I had really looked forward to my trip, but all the fun had been overshadowed by Shadow. It was so foggy outside that I could hardly even see the ocean that I loved so much.

Sunset in Carlsbad, CA

Just about the time that I arrived at the hotel, I noticed the sun starting to peek through the clouds. I at least made sure that I had a room with an ocean view. After a long nap, I woke up just in time to see a gorgeous California sunset through my window.

When the sun rose the following morning, it revealed an incredibly blue sky. I was able to enjoy the view for a few minutes and take a couple of photos, before leaving for the airport. I was heading home a day early. Unfortunately, this had been a California misadventure.

As I sat on the plane (again in First Class), I thought to myself that this had really not been a total disaster. The night before, Cheryl had reminded me of how our friendship was like a marriage, and we were going to have good vacations and bad vacations together, but there would always be a next vacation together. She was right! We have been best friends since we were 12, and have an unbreakable bond and friendship that has many times transcended all time and space. And our next time together is actually just around the corner…I will be heading to San Diego in May.

As for Shadow the scary poltergeist, who relentlessly stalked me for three grueling days until finally driving me away…well played!

Filed Under: California, Punctuating Life

Taking the Social Media Experience Off-line

January 31, 2013 By Michelle Sandlin 4 Comments

Carlsbad, CA

So many people never actually meet, much less get to know, the people they are connected with through social media. I am no exception, but as of late, I have been conducting my own social experiment based on actually talking to and meeting some of the people that I am connected with online. (Don’t worry, I am doing this safely).

In particular, I am taking the time to talk to and meet some of the people who really take the time to engage with me, whether through Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, this blog, etc. And, as a result, I have found a few kindred spirits.

Anh Nguyen is one of those people. You may recall one of my recent posts entitled: “The Magic of Social Media,” in which I described an event I attended that had sparked a tweet-off between me and a handful of the other attendees. Anh was one of those tweeters, and our social media engagement didn’t end there; it began there! We have continued to socialize online and suggest groups and followers to each other, as well as suggesting each other to our own followers.

This had worked very well, so a couple of weeks ago, we decided to take it off-line and scheduled a meeting at Starbucks.

Here’s how our meeting went…

After the initial niceties, we quickly uncovered the small world that is Houston, Texas and all of the people, organizations and companies we knew in common. We had been involved in several similar circles for many years and were amazed at how such a seemingly random connection had revealed a multitude of similar experiences and somewhat parallel career goals.

Anh also shared with me that she too wanted to meet more people off-line. She said, “It’s great to meet people off-line that I have gotten to know online.” Few people actually do that, and we were both on the same page about how cool it was to have set up our meeting. It was an instant success!

As our conversation went on, Anh shared some different tweetups that she has been active in, and suggested that I join in on a few of them and see what I think. Admittedly, I haven’t yet done so, but I definitely intend to! Soon…

Anyway, we talked a lot about social media, and how it has been so instrumental in developing strong professional relationships on a more personal level. We also talked about the impact that all of this has had on our own personal brands, and the success that we have each enjoyed as a result.

Since our meeting, we have also tried to send new business opportunities to each other, and have continued to foster our connection both on and off-line. It will be interesting to see what the future holds now that we have taken the extra step of connecting off-line. It has certainly added a significant additional layer to what could have been a somewhat superficial online only connection.

As I continue to conduct my social experiment in taking the social media experience off-line, I encourage you to do the same, but of course in a very controlled safe way. And if you do, please come back and tell me how it went.

Oh yeah, let me explain about the completely unrelated photo at the top of this post. I wrote this in Carlsbad, CA over the weekend, and this is one of the few photos I took while I was there.

(Teaser: Next post will be about my recent California misadventure, so be sure and subscribe to my blog or come back soon to read all about it!)

Filed Under: Punctuating Life, Social Media

Inspiration Through Social Media

January 20, 2013 By Michelle Sandlin 4 Comments

Welcome to my first Blog post of 2013!

I have a lot of things that I want to talk about, so it was difficult for me to pick just one to start off the year. Then it occurred to me that 2013 is really just a continuation of many of the things that were put into place in 2012. There were lots of new starts and changes that provided me with renewed momentum, direction and inspiration for doing the things I truly enjoy. At the top of that list of course is writing and playing the drums, both of which have a prominent place throughout this blog and my other social media outlets. As a result, I have connected with some very interesting people who have inspired me and been mutually inspired through the use of social media.

The best example of this is the recent connection that I have made with Bon Evans, an up and coming musician in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. We connected very randomly when he found me on Pinterest, which led him to this blog. That was back in November, and we have remained in weekly contact ever since.

Bon Evans

What was the connection and what keeps us connected, you ask? That is simple. The connection was through a mutual love of music and writing. He likes my writing and I like his music, so we have used our social media influence to help promote each others’ activities. And it is working! We have also discovered a lot of similarities between our paths and some very random coincidences that have kept it interesting. But above all else, I think we really inspire each other. When he asks me when I will be posting again to my blog, it reminds me that there are actually people out there who are reading this, and who like what I have to say, and look forward to my next post. That is not just inspiring, it is motivating!

So, I want to tell you a bit more about Bon Evans now, as I think that you will find his story inspiring and his humble attitude about his musical accomplishments very refreshing. His first EP was just released in December 2012, and he describes his musical journal as “Fresh out of the gates.” That is quite like my own description of my recent passion for drumming. Anyway, Bon was kind enough to humor me when I asked him for an interview, so here are a few of the highlights from our online interview.

Why did you get into the music biz at this particular time?
I was born into a musical family, but I was never encouraged to learn or play. In fact, I was discouraged from getting into music, in high hopes that I would pursue a reliable and safe career path. Last year my mother went in for thyroid surgery and it was a very emotional moment in our lives. I came home to take care of her and the day before surgery she overheard me singing and playing guitar. She asked her husband to go into their home studio with me to record what she had heard. The surgery went great and she was back home healing in no time. From that initial recording I was inspired to write and create my own music. I know now what I was meant to do and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to do it.

What drives you to keep making music?
Passion, determination, and the realization that every single person has a true purpose in life. I am very thankful for the opportunities that I have been blessed with and I have no intentions of squandering them.

Who inspires you?
There are many people who have inspired me along the way. George Carlin, Tom Green, Sarah Harmer, Leonard Cohen, and John Hiatt all helped me in one way or another. Learning to accept things that make me who I am and expressing it in everything that I do. Personal inspiration in my life comes from my mother and my grandfather. My online connections have also been a great source of inspiration. Just a simple chat can go a long way sometimes.

How would you describe your musical journey?
Fresh out of the gates! I started singing, writing and recording in September 2011. I hit the ground running and plan on running for a long time.

Who would you compare yourself to musically?
The first obvious one is Jack Johnson, more so for the similar style in which we play the guitar. It’s kind of a slap technique. My fans have also said that my music has a “great vintage Cat Stevens” quality to it. I would like to say Leonard Cohen. I recently saw him live in Kingston and the entire performance was right up my alley.

Tell me about your dreams and goals in terms of music?
My goal is to keep making music that I can share with the world. That’s an achievable goal. My dream is to write and create music for movies and shows. Since I was a boy, I have been an avid movie watcher and feel that when I write music, I am actually writing it to a soundtrack that I have not heard or seen yet.

What’s something that people would be surprised to know about you?
I have only been writing and playing music for a little over a year now. Can’t wait to see what next years progress looks like.

What artists and bands are on your playlist right now?
The Lumineers, Foo Fighters, John Hiatt, Alabama 3, Tom Jones, Jack Johnson, Leonard Cohen, Sarah Mclachlin, Sarah Harmer, Jason Mraz, Loudon Wainwright III, Tragically Hip, Neil Young, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Zakk Wylde…so many others.

What advice would you give someone just starting out and wanting to produce their own music?
I say GO FOR IT! Veterans in the music industry will usually tell you otherwise. But I am young and naive, so go for it! The last thing you want to say 20 years from now is “I could have been a star, if only I had tried.” So get out there and try it! Explore, experiment and enjoy the musical mysteries that will haunt your every day!

Where can people find and download your music?
They can find me on Bandcamp and Reverb Nation. They can also check out my website: TuneIntoBon.com

I hope that you enjoyed this introduction to Bon Evans and that you will check out his music. I also hope that this blog post will inspire you on some level to do the things that make you happy, or to try something that you have always wanted to try, and to leverage your connections. I am most touched by the comments that I receive on this blog and through Facebook and Twitter when people tell me that something I have said or done inspires them in someway.

Finally, I wanted to close with this photo. It is just a reminder of the journey, and the fact that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and that we sometimes pass and are sometimes passed up by others, but that the road always continues on… (Yikes, I hope that didn’t sound like the ramblings of Brad Pitt in the Chanel No. 5 commercials!)