I’m moving to California (eventually)

I’ll be moving to California in a few months, in pursuit of a new lifestyle and to build a creative life there. 

The idea has been gestating in my unconscious for many years, but only recently inspired by a very painful breakup that occurred this past spring. 

Out of grief from that experience, a spiritual calling emerged. While I’ve been motivated by a creative calling for the past five years, my spirituality has lagged. I started going back to church a few years ago, to re-establish a relationship with God.  But the breakup really catalyzed a change in me. 

I turned to God because I realized I had no choice but to. I had misplaced my spirituality in a woman. And when that woman left, a terrible void opened up inside me. I had to replace that void with a connection to the Source of my creativity - a spirit I don’t claim ownership of. It was a gift given to me, gracefully, by a higher power. 

This all leads to Los Angeles, which I’ll be moving to in the Fall. It’s going to take more a bit more time than initially expected, but it’s going to happen. I’ve taken my deliberate time with the idea, really weighing the pros and cons. I’m glad I have, because it’s led me to a more grounded decision. I have many reasons to move there - personal, professional, and spiritual. And I’ve spent time really deeply considering those reasons, namely to avoid moving across the country on an emotional whim. 

 I didn’t want to move out of some emotional reaction to the situation I found myself in DC. I want to be moving towards something, not running away from something. I’m glad I’ve taken my time to consider exactly what those things I’m moving towards are:  the expansiveness of life in California, more artistic opportunities, a slower, more chill way of life, the beauty of its geography, and simply just a change of scene. And thankfully my day job enables me to continue earning a living in California as I continue my artistic pursuits. 

In my deliberation, I came up with a list of things I’m considering as I make this transition: 

-Move with the idea that “this is an experiment, I’m going to see what happens.”

-Move with the expectation that nothing is going to happen for me unless I initiate action and put things in motion. The rest is up to God. 

-I must take my spirituality with me, wherever I go. It will serve me, regardless of where I live. 

-Go with the expectation that my craft is my craft, and it will improve at a rate determined by how hard I work, how open I am to improvement, and how much I can expose my work to a sophisticated audience.

-Ultimately, my work has to reach larger markets to really “make it.” Those markets exist in 3 places in the United States: New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. All roads lead to those markets, inevitably. Living in one of those markets increases the probability of actually selling in those markets, because living there = exposure  = connections = opportunities = sales. 

-I try and remind myself that life isn’t guaranteed. My time on this earth isn’t guaranteed. It could all change in a moment. I must walk with that in mind, in balance with everything else.