A New Approach

Happy Friday One and All!

As many of you are preparing for a relaxing (or jam-packed) weekend and enjoying the end of your hectic work week, I am right in the midst of mine! Between this Thursday and Sunday I will work a whopping 43 hours before finally setting into my new weekend (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday). This weekend, although unbearably hectic, is the last one of its kind for the time being! Starting next week I’ll only be working between 25-30 hours between Thursday and Sunday.

This last month has not only taught me how to better manage my time (since there is such little free time anymore) but showed me exactly what I’m made of. After starting my new job I have been working harder and faster than I ever have at any point in my life. For the most part over the past 4 years I’ve held jobs where I just have to sit or stand around for hours. This is the first time where all three of my jobs force me to be on my feet constantly for multiple hours without breaks. I have been building up my endurance and stamina and also working out SO MUCH MORE! I’ve found that if I don’t work out on a daily basis and eat balanced meals I physically cannot function in the ways that I need to.

So much is on the line over this next year that it puts an enormous amount of pressure on me. However, as many of my workouts have proven to me, pressure and stress is just another activity that forced you to rise to the occasion. If you would have told me a year ago what I would be doing this year I would have run the other direction screaming at the top of my lungs!

I have been working my tail off, not only to pay the small mountain of bills that greets me with a snarky smirk each month, but to further my career which I now have to be much more creative about!

These activities have forced me to think out of the box when it comes to looking and creating new opportunities for my career, finding ways to balance my schedule without losing my sanity, and live the life that I have always dreamed of.

Am I doing it perfectly? HELLS NO! Am I trying my best? Most days!

What I’m trying to say is that I’m working on documenting the good and bad of my days and then figuring out how to minimize the negatives and strengthen the positives for the future. Take today for example: it’s a quiet morning so I COULD HAVE slept in, watched Netflix, neglected my exercise, and hung out with my kitten. Instead I got up at a reasonable time, practiced, worked out, played with the kitten some, ate a good lunch, and am now forcing myself to sit down and figure out my game plan for the next week!

I even got a daily planner so I can better organize! How’s that for adulting?

So what can y’all expect from me as we propel into October?

• Many new gigs (and different ways to connect with me via the interwebs)
• New photoshoots and a different approach to my image than you have seen before
• BRAN’ SPANKIN’ NEW covers and videos, which I am INCREDIBLY excited about
• More dad puns? Still working on that one, but I’m sure I’ll figure out a way to make myself awkward and put forward my best dad jokes for your listening pleasure~

 

Gratitude List:

1) Mentors – HOLY CRABCAKES! Where the hell would I be without the constant help of my family and friends who constantly reaffirm what I need to do and help me think outside the box!

2) Caffeine – Sweet Jeebus am I thankful for this one! Although I’m attempting to get good amounts of sleep, for those days when it just doesn’t happen I have my best friend caffeine to pick me up~

3) My friends – even with my crazy-as-duck schedule y’all are still reaching out to me and finding ways to hang out out despite my three days weekly window where I can do ANYTHING

 

I can’t wait to show y’all this new side of NatanYael! I’m working my tail off so that I can present a new united front to all of your lovelies out there~

Love Y’all!

NatanYael

Adulting 101

Hello NatanYalites!

Many of you have followed my journey over the past couple of months and watched my transformation from ignorant starting artist, to complete train wreck, to semi responsible adult. It has been a wild roller coaster of a ride and now that I look back on where I was one year ago I am completely astounded!

A year ago I was in what I like to call, my irresponsible burnout phase. After 8 consecutive semesters of school I had been living the life of a graduate for around 5 months. Completely exhausted and utterly over trying I spend that time partying, not doing my work, and having one hell of a time.

However, no matter how good of a time I made for myself I still had to come home at the end of the day and wonder why I felt so unbelievably empty inside. There was no reasoning for it in my mind.  I had gotten into the school of my dreams, made it through 2-1/2 years of pushing through obstacles and was now living the life of the reckless 21-year-old that I had always dreamed of. Whenever I started feeling depressed about my life choices I reasoned it with the manta, I am 21 years old! I deserve to be an idiot for a while after all of that hard work!! So I continued my decent.

Last December, as many of you remember, was when the shit hit the fan. I found myself dealing the consequences of my year of partying and had to come to the hard truth.

That I was INCREDIBLY depressed and unhappy with my life.

Why was this? I was living the “dream” as I thought in my mind and I had fantastic friends to support my addictions and poor life decisions. I finally came the conclusion why I was so miserable:

I had forgotten my voice.

Over the next nine months I committed myself back to my music, my health, and my heart. And let me tell you this: Although I have put on the illusion that everything has been wonderful and only going uphill from here, these last nine months have honestly been the toughest in my life.

I have never had to make such life changing choices, put myself at such risk on a daily basis, and made myself get out of my comfort zone each day like I do now.

One year ago I had a job that made me miserable, health that left my devastated, and habits that would only lead to financial ruin, depression, and anxiety.

I now sit in control of my domain. I have my own apartment, work three jobs to keep myself going, work my ass off on a daily basis to promote shows and write new songs, and work on healing myself.

I’m not going to say that everyday is a success because there have definitely been the days where I truly hate myself again. However, I can say that my bad days are 10x better than my “good” days of last year.

So where do I go from here? Forward and upwards with any help! I’m not scared of the fears that plagued me last year and I refuse to let anyone or anything take advantage of me again. I feel stronger than I ever have before and even the less successful days are blessings in disguise.

 

Gratitude List:

1) Shows: keeping me on my feet and making me more productive everyday

2) Support: it keeps presenting itself in different avenue each day and I am constantly grateful for it!

3) Love: for myself, my kitten, my friends, my family, and my music

 

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Love,

NatanYael

 

Business Savvvvvvvvvy

Greeting NatanYalites!

I have returned to my regular Saturday slot and I am so thrilled to see all of your lovely faces! Much of my life has shifted into a much more adult-like format over the past two weeks. For me, this has been a welcomed change, but also a very tricky balancing act.

I have always excelled when given a structured schedule to follow. It’s not that I cannot function when life turns willy-nilly, it’s just that I have a much more difficult time being productive if I don’t have a list of goals to accomplish throughout my day. Since acquiring my latest job I am now working between 45-60 hours a week from my three combined jobs. This is where the balancing act begins. I now have to figure out how to balance those jobs, promotions, social media, practicing, and other music career related tasks, eating and exercising right, having a social life, and spending time with my new kitten who needs GOBS of constant love and attention.

Let’s just saw that some weeks have turned out better than others! One of the benefits I have found of having to balance everything is the fact that now I have to compartmentalize and stay to a structured schedule. The few moments that I have at home are now dedicated to eating, social media-ing, kittening, and practicing. This has seriously cut down on my Netflix time which is honestly a good thing because I was wasted a LOT of time!

I just got off the phone with one of my musical mentors to discuss how to take the next step in my career. Now that I am self managing I have to constantly wear my business lady hat and make sure that every move that I make is benefiting my career. Long gone are the days of throwing shit to the wind and hoping that something will catch without putting in much effort. I am about to make some very big steps and changes to career which, although hesitant, I am ready and willing to take!

One of them is filling my plate up with different projects to keep me busy while I am gigging as a Solo Artist. Some of these projects you will see first hand by the end of the month, and others, you’ll just have to stick around to see what unfolds~

It’s very difficult to becoming unbelievably overwhelmed with it all and I have definitely had moments over the past couple of weeks where I have felt utterly useless and helpless. The important lesson I have learned from all of this is that no matter what life throws at you, you just have to accept what you cannot change and work your ass off to make a difference where you can.

Everything is one step and a time and I am so thrilled to know that I am finally on the right path and now that I am, absolutely NOTHING can stop me unless I let it.

Here’s the next couple of months and the AMAZING journey I am about to embark on!

To my fellow artists, what is the most difficult aspect of balancing your busy lives? Comment with your thoughts below or some say hi at Honey in Minneapolis this Tuesday at 9:15. I’ll be performing alongside Gaby Castro, another incredible singer-songwriter!

 

Gratitude List

1) Music Mentors – If it weren’t for all of you supporting me and helping me through those absolutely devastating times I don’t think I would be in as good of shape that I am in!

2) Busy Schedules – Keeping me on my toes and making sure I stop wasting my extra moments~

3) Aragorn (my kitten) – My little bundle of joy who shows me what this beautiful world can offer

 

Love,

NatanYael

September Shows GALORE!

Good Evening Everybody!

For the longest time I watched my friends and peers in utter AWE as I saw them piece together their musical lives. For me, lining up a number of gigs seemed not only impossible, but unrealistic in my current stage of life. I had no songs to perform, TERRIBLE, CRIPPLING stage freight, and not enough confidence needed to keep a crowd listening to me for any more than they were physically required to. Through all of my teenage years I watched in envy as my friends got amazing musical parts in plays, incredible shows that helped them make a name for themselves on the scene, and solos during school performances that I would have given my right arm for.

Well now it’s MY time to shine!

As cheesy as that over-used cliche is above, the statement still rings true. I have been waiting for the day where I set up NOT ONLY an individual solo show, but a number of shows that incorporate everything that I love about the music industry. This month I have been given the UNBELIEVABLE gift of being able to perform at Honey nightclub in Minneapolis for not only one show, but three!

I will be performing many of my solo songs including my debut single, Snow, which you can listen to below:

I am also delighted (and a little terrified!) to start debuting some BRAND NEW MATERIAL along with new originals AND new covers!

But the BEST part of this show is that I get to share it with all of my friends! I’ll be performing with a TON of my favorite local Twin Cities songwriters who are also my very close friends~ Make sure to give them some love before coming out to see us in September!

Here are my upcoming show dates:

 

September 9th — 9:15-11:00pm

Special Guest – Gaby Castro

https://www.facebook.com/gabycastromusic

 

September 14th — 8:30-11:00pm

Special Guests – The Floating Perspectives

https://www.facebook.com/thefloatingperspectives

 

September 22nd — 7:00-11:00pm

Special Guest:

Laura Johnson

https://www.facebook.com/justcallmehugomusic

Cappie

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cappie/1494565530789477

Rachel Kline

https://www.facebook.com/rachelklinemusic

Can’t wait to see all of you lovelies there!!

 

Have a wonderful night all of your NatanYalites!~

 

Love,

NatanYael