“Give me songs to sing and emerald dreams to dream, and I’ll give you love unfolding.”
(Jim Morrison)

This piece is a journey into a world of wonder and beauty, with a linear structure that guides the listener through a dreamy atmosphere. The standout feature of the track is a prominent marimba melody that runs throughout, adding a unique and hazy texture to the piece.

EMERALD

In honor of 20 years of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits unforgettable moments from her conversations with iconic musicians Kaki King, David Lee Roth, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Michael Stipe, and the Indigo Girls. Through their stories and songs, this special episode reflects on the meaning of a creative life and the artists who have shaped the sound of our time.

20th Anniversary celebration with iconic musicians Kaki King, David Lee Roth, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Michael Stipe, and the Indigo Girls

Home explores the space where nature and urban life intertwine. Growing up in the suburbs, I found beauty in both worlds: my late grandfather's garden, where he passed on his love of flowers, and the ambient sounds of traffic that became the soundtrack to my everyday life.

This piece weaves together marimba, double bass, and delicate bells with a blackbird I recorded on my phone and the distant murmur of passing cars. It's thoughtful, intimate, and reflects the layered textures of a place that shaped me—where birdsong and traffic are equally home, and where I find home when I sit down and simply enjoy the moment. 

Instrumentation: Marimba, double bass, bells (music box), field recording (blackbird), ambient traffic sounds

Master by Stefan "Kahsay" Woldekidan

Buy track at Bandcamp

HOME

Have you ever struggled to write a novel or screenplay, to paint a portrait, or to launch a new business?

In this first episode, Steve and Shawn discuss why creating art is kin to waging war, and they name the one universal monster we all face. Luke Skywalker faced it, Odysseus faced it, even Einstein and Mother Teresa faced it.

Steve shares the forms in which that enemy has appeared in his own life—and in the lives of other artists.

The War of Art Mini Course, Part One

In part one of The War of Art Mini-Course, Steve and Shawn named Resistance as the universal enemy fighting against all of us.

In part two, they present Resistance’s playbook. 

Resistance appears when we try to realize our dreams, just like shadows appear with the sun. 

If we start to write a novel, Resistance’s shadow form will tell us it’s awful. If we try to launch a new restaurant, Resistance will tell us that the food tastes horrible. If we’re trying to lose weight, Resistance will tell us we can’t do it, we’re not good enough.

By learning Resistance’s playbook, you will learn to identify Resistance within your own life.

The War of Art Mini Course, Part Two

In parts one and two of The War of Art Mini-Course, Steve and Shawn introduced you to Resistance and Resistance’s playbook.

In part three, you’ll learn how Steve and other artists have overcome Resistance. 

You don't need to buy a product in order to fight Resistance. All you have to do is change your mind. Flip the switch. Go from amateur to professional. Bob Dylan did it. Michelangelo did it. Hemingway did it. You can, too.

Steve and Shawn share the differences between the amateur who is paralyzed by Resistance and the professional who slays Resistance at every turn.

The War of Art Mini Course, Part Three

In parts one through three of The War of Art Mini-Course, Steve and Shawn defined Resistance, its playbook, and the mindset needed to slay it.

In part four, you’ll learn how the Hero’s Journey can help you fight the battle against Resistance.

When Resistance comes calling, we have to tap into our inner Jedi knight or Greek Hero or lost little girl from Kansas. 

On the hero’s journey, we see, we experience, we suffer. We learn. By applying the hero’s journey to our own lives, we fight Resistance just like Luke Skywalker, Odysseus, and Dorothy.

The War of Art Mini Course, Part Four

This is the final part of The War of Art Mini-Course

You know Resistance, its playbook, the mindset needed to slay it, and you’ve learned the importance of applying the Hero’s Journey to your own life.

What’s left? 

Where the Hero’s Journey ends, the Artist’s Journey begins. 

You’ve returned from training with Yoda, fighting evil witches and flying monkeys, and resisting Sirens and surviving Charybdis. 

Everything that has happened to you up to this point is rehearsal for you to act, now, as your true self and to find and speak in your true voice.

Now you have to do the work. You have to put your ass where your heart wants to be. 

Steve shares his own experiences with the Artist’s Journey to close out this final portion of the mini-course.

The War of Art Mini Course, Part Five

GODDESS MEDITATION. 

Photo by Connor McSheffrey on Unsplash

GODDESS MEDITATION

Light I Dark I Dreamy I
Drummer I Artist I Founder of Mindful Drumming I

EMERALD

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