Can I Ask A Question?

I need to ask an important question. Unfortunately I don't have a lot of followers on my blog, actually I don't have any. *sheepish smile*
But, on the slight chance that you, YES you might be reading this, I would like to ask you this question in hope that you will be able to comment with an answer.

How do you stay motivated?

When you start out on your race, plans, goals, dreams or ideas, HOW do you stay focused and motivated and keep going? Could there be tricks to stay the course? Is there ways to stay strong and not become defeated and give up when the goal seems just out of reach and so far off or when you feel just too damn old?

I would love to hear some of your ideas on what helps you to stay on your game.

Diva M

Which Way Now???

I'm a little stuck on what steps to take in my life.
My desire is to be a full time musician.
Financially it's not the easiest thing to do as you have to be very well known, selling lots of merchandise, and gigging at the she she poo poo, high-end venues and events.

2009 I was working a j.o.b., actually I was working for two to make full time work. December 4th I was let go from the more substantial one. (It wasn't the best environment anyway)but it has left my pocket book very empty and now the bills are beginning to pile up.

A few other things have changed in my home as well. The mister has recently 'retired' from work and will be receiving a disability pension as he is unable to work from the medication he takes to battle cancer. (this is a whole other blog)
Once his payments kick in, it 'sort of' allows me to not have to work full time at a j.o.b. which also brings the possibility for me to focus on crafting my music, writing, and the idea of traveling to other cities to perform.

Just after Christmas I had obtained a second j.o.b. but felt the learning curve strain, and the stress of the pending cancer wouldn't allow me to continue.
Since then I have had other job offers and opportunities to work other j.o.b.s. My dilemma is that I don't want to give up the possible freedom of being able to work my music business, and allowing me to make money as a musician.

BUUUUUTTTT THEEEEENNNNN on the other hand, a good paying j.o.b. would bring financial relief to our home, and allow for us to do and have... and have and do.
My pastor told me to take baby steps... but, baby steps into what??? my career or into a new j.o.b. I just don't know... hummmmm
I think I should take a N.A.P!

Diva M

Be the Grasshopper Let the Masters Teach!

I'm on a new quest to learn and understand more of how to utilize the internet to promote myself as a musician.

I have my website, facebook pages, twitter, utube, myspace(s), a couple other promotional sites and my favourite... my reverbnation site. reverbnation/maureenwashignton
If I could encourage musicians with any of these sites, reverbnation would be my first choice to start.
On reverbnation, the features (which are free)are wonderful, super resourceful, and extremely user friendly. It is a musicians dream for a website as it helps promote your career allows you to network with musicians and fans, creates electronic press kits and it tracks everything that you do... instant resume.
I love their stats which keep track of each musician in the reverbnation world. Today I am #1 Locally, #1 Nationally and #29 Globally. My goal is to get into the top 25 global, which will be done by increasing fans, music plays, and communication with my fans.

Much of what I have done via internet promotion has been trial and error and mostly just stumbling along....
I've realized that I have stumbled on a couple of gold mines!! and in turn, I am enjoying little mini master classes with two wonderful people.

Derek Sivers (founder of CD Baby)http://sivers.org/ sign up to his blogs... they are crafted and inspiring.
Honestly just google his name and read, watch and learn anything that you can.

Ariel Hyatt http://arielpublicity.com/
Sign up there, and then watch her many informative videos here http://www.youtube.com/user/ArielPublicity

it's the age old saying... don't reinvent the wheel... just watch and learn how it is made and watch your career grow!

Diva M

I'm baaaack

Yes, it's been what, two decades since I last wrote? Well time for a change and time to start blogging regularly. Apparently blogs are a good way to communicate and to help keep track of all the changes that happen in ones life. Yes, I knew that, as did you. But I wasn't keeping close tabs on all the thoughts and things I was doing.

2009 has been a busy one for me, and here we are at the end of it.... whew... what happened to the time?

This coming year is a time to focus on building my music career... yes Houston we can re-build it, er, should I say build it... we are not in a 're' mode yet.

hummmm so what to do, where to start? I have no idea.

I'm doing what I can to connect with other musicians to ask them (what works)questions and to figure out how to get my name out there.
for sites,I have my...
website maureenwashington.ca
reverbnation (which I love)reverbnation.com/maureenwashington
facebook
facebook pages maureenwashington fbpages
blog (newly adding)
Youtube site maureenwashington on youtube
CD Baby site maureen washington on CDBABY
4 MySpace site (only one listed)maureen on myspace
Twitter Maureen on twitter
and a new one which I think would be a good place for me to try to connect called NUMUBU
The name is a bit odd, but it might be something to get involved in.

The goal is to reach out to as many people as you can so that you build up fans.. and people who like your music and are willing to buy it....(that's another story)

so what else is a girl to do to get her name out there in the Music world???

Diva M

What now?!!

We are now coming to end of October and I figure that I should be well on my way to healing! I'm sure it's rather premature, but I 'feel' just fine, unlike my other surgeries.
But where the main entry and gall bladder exit wound is, it's pretty swollen. So i'll give it more time.

I try to rest and on days when I can wear my super woman under-ware (control top) I do. But there is still soreness and a little bulgie thing. UG!

I had difficulty with some adema 2 years ago, and have been taking water pills for it. Things had drained down, but there are some days where I see my ankles puff up. So I figure being in the medical field, I would up my dose. Hey, what do you know? it worked! That became my system.

The last little while, due to stress I was noticing that I was needing to take 2 every day, which meant I ran out of them very quickly. I went to my Dr. got a new prescription, dropped it at the pharmacy and they refused to fill it due to the fact that I should still have some from the last prescription. I explained that I sometimes take 2 on my Dr.'s approval. The pharmasist said I would need a letter from my Dr.s office confirming this.... ok.. a bunch of crazy rigmarole and a VERY INCOMPETENT secretary at my Dr.s office; I got the approval but with my Dr. saying I only needed one.

Now due to running out of the pills, I was already beginning to retain water as my weight started to creep up about 6 pounds! I haven't been eating the best, nor have I been walking etc... i'm a sloth right now... anything I have to do quickly I do it holding the top part of my bulgie tummy.

So I figured FINE. I'll take just one. The next day, I took my one pill, next day one pill... 3rd day saw my weight up another 3 pounds but I took JUST ONE pill. Day after that 8 pounds!!!!!
WTF! I am now 18 pounds heavier.....kept doing the one pill for the last 5 days.... no decrease.... but no increase... but 18 POUNDS..... aaaaaakkkkkk!!!!!
I've gone back to deciding on my on amounts!

Diva M

Now, Where Was I?

I was moving and shaking and making plans before my family was hit by cancer. Then 3 weeks later was my gall bladder surgery. All is seeming quiet right now as healing is taking place.

Now, where was I?

I was making plans to record a new Jazz and Blues CD.
It still is a plan, but it will take a little longer as I can't save any money until we are back on our feet and working. Or unless some -one makes an investment, or I find a sugar-daddy or win a lottery that I don't play. Regardless I will have a CD in the next year or two!
I will be getting back to the plans shortly. I just needed to write something to remind me where I was!

Diva M

Surgery 101

After 13 years, I finally decided to have my gall bladder removed.
The little sucker had bothered me long before that, but with the pregnancy of my 5th child 13 years ago it was in full force and giving me alot of pain, which resulted in plans to take it out. I didn't want to risk the pregnancy. It stayed put.
Through the past 11 years I was fine, not one attack just the odd... 'ahhh, I don't feel so great'
In that time I have had added a few notches of "other" surgeries under my belt
Appendectomy: which was unnecessary I might add.
Not that this was a surgery but from the unnecessary appendectomy I ended up with a pulmonary emboli (blood clot) in my lung afterwards which makes me susceptible to blood clots every surgery I have, which makes susceptible to death.... but we are always susceptible to that. The recovery time from the blood clot was about 4 or so months.
And, a Hysterectomy which resulted in a long 4 month recovery as the incision was not healed and was growing on the outside (proud flesh).
I had had previous surgeries but i'm only counting the ones since my last child was born.

4 years ago I started to have the odd attack which would lead me to the hospital to be injected with some sort of great narcotic to help me pass the time and ease the pain a bit. Again it was time to remove the gall bladder but due to my unusual past recoveries I had decided to just hang on to it and honestly I didn't have the time in my life to take off to have a lengthy recovery or blood clots.

This past year I decided to go for it, but after only after certain singing engagements and festivals, so some time in the fall.
They would be doing a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which is an easier surgery. To remove the gall bladder they would use 4 puncture wounds in the belly as apposed to a 6-8 inch cut on the side.
There was a possibility that they wouldn't be able to use the laparoscope on me due to scarring from my past abdominal surgeries and my body size, but Dr Cunningham would give it a good try! He felt that due to my weight loss and new health routine I was a great candidate for the laparoscope and he also felt my recovery would go along much better than it had done in the past. I was hopeful.

Our family has been in a cancer trauma for the past 4 weeks and I've been the big girl to hold it together. Just before my surgery people would ask me, "are you scared?" "Nope, I'm just fine"
Well Monday morning I woke up in a complete panic! I text a few friends to tell them that I was freaked out and to say a prayer. I shake it off and with my best stoic face I head to the hospital. Once there in my hospital gown and hooked into an I.V. I begin to get weepy. I start to panic and can't decide if I should puke, have diarrhea or just go home as they wheel me into the O.R. holding room. Laying there I heard the nurses talking about an anesthetist who was late, not sure if it was mine as I was in a line up of 5 other patients waiting to be cut open for other reasons.

As I'm being wheeled in she arrives and either she hadn't read the instructions or someone didn't inform her that due to my blood clotting condition I would need a heparin injection before surgery which she was not doing, I'm not paying attention to this either. I'm still in my crazy panic mode (trying to think how to get off the table) and begin to cry. The nurse concerned with my tears asks if this was my first surgery I say no my 5th and explain that I don't want to take 6 weeks plus to recover and I don't want a blood clot. This alerts the anesthetist and she then reads my chart and then runs out to get the medication. She comes back and begins putting in my I.V., and because she's trying to work too quickly the drug is hurting like a hot damn up my entire arm, I'm complaining. She asks is it hurting as she is tapping my hand, (as if that's going to help) while the nurse is putting the mask over my face to knock me out... I'm now angrily saying YES... MAN... GEEEEZZZZE THAT HURTS tap tap tap ALL THE WAY UP MY ARM... GEEEEZZE tap tap AHHHHHH. I'm out.

I wake up with no searing pain across my tummy from a large incision and then what appeared to be the Dr. saying everything went great! I realize it was a great success and that I'm not going to be sick anymore! Every time I open my eyes they end up looking in different directions kinda googly eyes.
The recovery room is rather empty and the recovery nurse and I begin to chat it up. She gets in trouble when it begins to get busy we both roll our eyes as we were having a great conversation. I tell her I wish I could give her a hand! ha! But I'm not quite in the best condtion to help...

An hour later I'm back in day surgery hanging out there and asking for a warm blanket every 15 or so minutes. I wasn't cold but I LOVE those blankets, I am sure I ended with about 5. I knew I should have been sleeping but just couldn't seem to let myself go out. They get me up walk across the room and then they call for my ride.

Once home I rest in-between watching u tube videos with my kids and conversations. My girlfriend arrives in the evening and we chat until about midnight. I wake up at about 3 am and begin talking with her again. I was too excited about the great surgery etc.
The Fella calls out from the other room... "STOP TALKING AND GO TO SLEEP YOU HAD SURGERY TODAY!"

I drifted off for a bit......

Diva M