How my motto: “Make it an Adventure” helped me find my way back to singing

I grew up singing and loving to be in front of an audience. At the age of 18 I moved from my hometown of Madison, Wisconsin to Minneapolis, Minnesota where I studied music, theatre, and dance and performed professionally in the Twin Cities area.

See performing photos below:

Over time I slowly gave up singing and performing. But instead of talking about why, because it kinda just gradually happened, and if I were to sum it up it would be to say I was feeling really stuck… I’d like to instead share how I returned to it. Here it goes:

It wasn’t until I had kids that I started singing again. I noticed it calmed them and me. It was something I did naturally without even having to think about it. I’d make up little melodies and sing while getting my kids in and out of carseats on our daily adventures we’d take. Read how: The “Here We Go” melody saved my sanity as a mom 👈🏽 ps. (this is “members only” content.) Gain Golden Ticket access here

Life being a mom was hard. Very hard for me. But singing wasn’t. It came naturally. I’d sing without even thinking about it all the time after becoming a mom. Realizing this sparked something in me, and I got really curious. Why had I been hiding this gift of singing and performing, this passion inside of me away after it had been such a big part of my life for so long? It felt like I had lost it over time, but I hadn’t. It was just waiting to be lit up again.

I craved something more than just singing to my kids in the car. I hadn’t yet discovered what path I would take and had no clue where it would lead. I decided for the time being I’d trust my instincts, follow my heart, and look at it like an adventure!

Thus a journey began, or perhaps it started up again and continued, depending on how you look at it. I was on my way back to something I loved. Perhaps I had just been detoured for a bit? But where exactly would I go next? What exactly would I do?

To find my way I’d need a motto to guide me. A saying I could return to whenever I’d try something new or do something and wasn’t sure how it would turn out. After all, my life was already a handful with two young kids I was caring for full time.

I’d look at my life from then on like an “adventure,” and I’d be the lead character in it! This is how “Make it an Adventure,” my motto for how I want to move through life came to be.

Soon after adopting this motto, I remembered I had picked up a songwriting book at a used book store on a whim the year before. It was before my second son was born. I didn’t know what to do with it at the time, but all of a sudden I got really determined to find out if perhaps I could learn to be a “singer-songwriter.” Why not? I thought. I could give it a try. I loved writing, I loved music, and I could sing!

What an adventure it would be to find my way back to singing while learning the craft of songwriting. It wasn’t until after starting the Annie Lynn Club, and exploring things further that things really staring becoming interesting. Read How the Annie Lynn Club started

The motto: “Make it an adventure!” was working for me, I was having fun, and moving forward in a direction that made me want to keep going. Today, I’ve continued to explore, discover, develop and uncover new skills all while looking at it like I’m on an adventure.

I keep my motto “make it an adventure” front and center in my mind so I won’t forget to keep it fun and laugh at myself more often. I’m ready for twists and turns and ready for whatever is next. AND I hope to inspire others to do the same with their lives and pursue whatever lights them up too. Make it an Adventure!

I wrote “Laugh Until You Cry,” inspired by the challenges of the Covid 19 pandemic that started in 2020. Watch me play it on my front porch by clicking the video below or here (watch all the way to the end to see what makes me laugh during the filming!)

Would you like to try something new or return to something you love again too? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment below.