Let’s rewind for a moment…shall we?

Almost Forever is my second full-length, independently released album. The funny thing is, I actually recorded two full albums in a studio with a producer when I was 13 and again at 17. They were collections of cover songs, but, let it suffice to say, I’m no stranger to a studio ;)

So, what happened in between?

Liminal Space happened in between. Literally.

Liminal Space was a deeply significant chapter in my life. One marked by challenge, uncertainty, and moments that felt completely aimless. I was miserably disconnected from my reality and the direction it was heading. I had made a commitment to someone that, deep down, I knew I shouldn’t have made (yes, that big commitment…just short of a lawfully-wedded-marriage). I felt like I had locked myself into a life that wasn’t mine, a life that looked nothing like the one I had once envisioned.

So, I made the big, scary, terrifying decision to implode it all.

I called the whole thing off. I quit my job. I gave up my lease. I let go of everything I had known for the past 13 years, in the hopes that something better was waiting for me. There was no guarantee, just a dwindling hope that things might eventually fall into place. That maybe…just maybe…my life could feel brighter than the dark depths I had convinced myself I was doomed to.

This album became my anchor through that liminal space. It was the phase of accepting that one door had shut, but still searching for a window.

I’ve been a musician my entire life, but I took a long break in the six-ish years leading up to this album. During that time, I found myself desperately searching for a way back to music. As life would have it, a few people wandered into my orbit who truly understood that reconnecting to myself and to empowered self-expression was essential to my healing process.

And they were right.

I am an extremely goal-oriented person. I’ve learned that when I make a decision and commit to it, my reality tends to fall in line. And when I decided to bring music back into my life, my reality followed even faster than I imagined.

I knew then (and still know now) that what I was creating wouldn’t be perfect. As a former opera singer, my disillusionment with the idea of perfection used to plague my entire being. Until I eventually let it go.

Because it’s not about being perfect. No. Being perfect is easy 😉

The real challenge is being courageous.

And she was. She was so courageous. She was terrified to be flawed, but brave enough to be honest. To be vulnerable. To be seen.

Now, in this new era of Almost Forever, she is still the same person, but in entirely new skin. She’s not better than Liminal Space--she’s evolved. She’s confident now. She knows what she’s capable of. She’s powerful.

Even if only in the eyes of the beholder.

But really…isn’t that the perspective that matters most?

Maybe the evolution is that realization.

She’s no longer stepping into herself.

She is here. Standing on both feet.

Ready to show up.

xoxo

-chiesa