I’d always enjoyed making “art,” in other ways (eventually I’ll stop cringing when using that word to describe the stuff I create), but I was so singularly focused on music that I assumed if my songs weren’t good enough to capture folks’ attention, then there was absolutely no way my photos, stories, or designs could do so.

In the year after releasing my fourth album to little fanfare (and the existential crisis that ensued), I started to realize something: I was really, really proud of what I’d created. Lining those four CD cases next to each other (yep, cds), I didn’t think about how many copies they’d sold or streams they’d generated; I wrote, produced, recorded, released, distributed, promoted, and performed all of that music — in many cases alongside my best friends. And for a moment, that was enough.

And if it was enough for the music — if it wasn’t about seeming cool or professional or more successful than I really am — then why not share the other stuff?

I am not a professional musician. I am not a professional photographer, artist, designer, or writer (well, kind of — my day job does include a lot of writing). But I create stuff. And I hope something among the stuff I create resonates with you.