songwriter – Sarah Faith

when you don’t feel like it

story tiiimmmeeee!!!

i woke up this morning at 6:45am with no alarm. that may not sound that early for some, but that is NOT normal for me. i am not a morning person – i don’t care what you heard. they lied.

honestly, my first thought? go back to bed. but then… i thought to myself… “i think you’re supposed to get up…” so i did.

it was a weird, inconvenient morning… i had a bible study group i had been invited to attend, but the night previous i did that thing where i “loosely commit” (“i’m gonna try and make it in the morning…” so non-committal…) so that i could have an easy out in the morning if i didn’t feel like going… we’ve all done it. c’mon, tell me i’m not the only one.

well. against my better judgment… i decided to just cut the crap, commit, and get my butt in the car. but i wanted to read more. but i wanted to journal more. i wanted to sit around more. i wanted to eat more. but. but. but. and then i got in the car…

as i was driving, i noticed there was an absurd number of cars that were on the shoulder with flat tires… and then immediately realized that was because there was an absolutely absurd number of Car-Sized Potholes waiting to do the same thing to me… i thought to myself, “maybe i should turn around. maybe this isn’t safe. i should just go home… where i can get back in my PJs and scroll the day away…. i mean WORK…. WORK the day away…” (we all know how this trap works…)

but i pressed on. despite my mind’s many attempts to get me to turn around, throw in the towel, and pack it in.

when i got there… i was met with an overwhelming sense of peace that i’m not really sure i can accurately explain. i’m usually not all that comfortable in the middle of a room of people i don’t know, but i sat down and struck up a conversation with a stranger instead. surprised the pants off of myself…

the dialogue that was in this room was nothing short of amazing. within 10 minutes of starting, i felt like i finally understood why pushing through all of my futile excuses and feeble attempts to stay home were worth trampling. THIS. this is what life has for us when we decide to push our boundaries and lean into our discomfort. it’s the goodness. the zest. the juice that is so worth the squeeze. these little nuggets and tidbits that we so easily miss because we “don’t feel like it.”

not only would i have missed some really good biblical inspiration, i would’ve missed the conversations with two of my friends that i don’t see often enough, which were absolutely lined with gold. humans were created for connection. and social media does. not. count, people. so stop it. it’s a cheap alternative. it’s like… the fool’s gold of human connection.

don’t get me wrong. i’m well away that i would’ve gone about my day just fine with or without this women’s group, that’s a definite. but i proved to myself that my own internal resistance was worth pressing into this morning. i showed myself there’s more to life than what i do or don’t feel like doing. there are great things in this life to enjoy if we’ll just lean in a little and take the leap, as mini or mighty as it might feel.

i’d encourage you to take note of your “i don’t feel like it” moments, too. are there things or situations worth pressing into? i truly believe that you may never know why you’re put in certain places – queue all the internal questioning i’ve done lately in my current self-care journey of selling shampoo while clinging to the original “plan” of being a musician – but you guarantee that you’ll never find out if you can’t even push through and show up. the people you could meet, the lessons you could learn, the beautiful accidents you leave space for… the list goes on – and it’s all hinging on whether or not you can get over yourself and lean in.

♥,
SF

what even is “too much?”

Firing this thing back up. Look out.

I’ve had this thought rolling around in my head lately – “what is ‘too much,’ anyway?”

It’s something i’ve been told many times in my life. It’s something i’ve felt for most of my life. And i’m still not quite sure i know really what it means. And here’s why.

Would we look at a child and say the things they’re interested in are “too much?” would we look them dead in the face when they told us what they wanted to be when they grew up (even if the answer was different from week to week), and tell them “yea, you can’t do that.” i would hope not. So why do we do it to each other (and ourselves) now that we’re grown? Does that really serve us?

I’m coming at this thought after being in my backyard scooping horse crap, as i often do… and thinking to myself, “how on earth does a girl get involved in so many things… and what sense does it make?” my guitar-playing, song-writing, shampoo-selling, clean beauty-caring, bonus-moming, relationship-doing, animal-owning self barely makes sense to myself sometimes, but why is that too much? Why do i feel the urge to make sense of it? Is it not ok to just be as i am?

Why do i worry when i’m making something for our beloved social media, whether or not it’s going to make sense to someone else or whether or not it’s “on brand” enough? Why do i worry and why do i care? And i’m positive i’m not the only one who struggles with this.

We’re in a world where we have to make sense to others, and that’s a problem to me. The only person i really wanna make sure i make sense to is myself and the One that created me. And what kind of daughter would i be if i looked my Father in the eye and said “i think you made me too much… i think i like too many things, and i really think i should tone it down… mostly because of what other people think and say.”

That sounds especially ridiculous when typed out in black and white.

If the fact that i pursue songwriting as a career but also have a passion for clean beauty but also love animals and have a bunch of them (including three farm animals in a subdivision) but also am a bonus mom and also love Jesus and also am pretty vulnerable and about the things that i’ve been through in my life and also have a great relationship to top it all off is too much, well, i guess, as politely as possible…. Go find less…?

Sure, it’s a lot to juggle sometimes, but if i’m being honest, i wouldn’t trade it. And if there’s anything in that list that i’d look at and say, “yea, that’s not worth the time it’s taking up in my life. Not worth the space…” then i guess i’ll cut it. But for now, there’s nothing in there i’d like to go without.

What made us so concerned with the portrayal of ourselves we put out into the world, anyway? Why do we even have this “instagram vs. reality” thing? Why do we spend so much time curating, perfecting, beautifying? And who says it has to be so unilateral? Or else it might “confuse” people… and you “can’t be successful” if you’re too confusing… if it’s wrong to have a rich life full of many beautiful things, then screw it, i don’t wanna be right. And that’s my final answer.

Last time i checked, no one got mad at Instagram for starting off as a photo-sharing platform and now being a full blown video editing software. No one is upset that TikTok started out as a place where dancing videos were your ticket to fame but now it’s a glorified child of Amazon. We just go along with it and figure it out, glitches and all (am i right??). Things ebb and flow and change all the dang time. Things start out as one thing and morph into another, they add, they progress, they diversify. So why are we so reluctant, even scared, to do that for ourselves? Why is it seen as a weakness to be interested, involved, or good at “too many” things?

Frankly, I’m over it. I’ve wrestled with the thought too many times for too long. I’ve wasted too many minutes trying to figure out how to present myself in a way that makes sense to y’all. So here it is in a nutshell. For today anyway. Until i add or subtract something.

Hello, i’m Sarah. I’m a musician, mainly songwriter and guitar player, and i write songs about my life – both the wins and the losses. Because of this journey i’ve been on, I care a little extra about my health, both mental and physical, and i think there’s a lot we can do for ourselves in those departments to make sure we’re setting ourselves up for success. I’m a big fan of my family, a lot of my family has fur and four legs, but i’m especially grateful for the humans. I’ve got a relationship that’s much more than i deserve and two (bonus) kids i never thought i’d have.

Yep, it’s a lot. But it’s a lot to be grateful for. I guess it’s a little like my liberal arts education…. Well-rounded.

photo credit: the incomparable Alisa Thayne <3

yea, but…..

September 18, 2020 by Sarah Faith

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americana music, confidence, country music, female musician, meaningful music, music for healing, music with purpose, musician, nashville musician, new music, original music, sarah faith music, songwriter, vulnerability

just saying… i’m trying like hell to cut this phrase out of my vocabulary. the “yea but”s are gonna keep you from doing the things you’re put here to do. i don’t know a single person who has time for that.

i cannot count how many times i’ve been talking to someone and either i’ll suggest something to them that would be TOTALLY AWESOME, or they suggest something to me that would be SUPER AMAZING, and both of us kill the idea with a “yea, but….” a situation comes to mind where a friend of mine just wasn’t pumped with how things were going, and i simply presented the possibility of a change and i got a bunch of “yea, but”s in return. “yea, but i need the money. yea, but i don’t know where to start. yea, but it’s scary. yea, but what if it fails.?”

those are just a few that popped into mind immediately. they came up pretty fast actually because my “yea, but” muscle is a pretty dang strong one. the only thing is… my “let’s do it anyway” muscle is stronger.

i caught myself just this week – i was trying to make a decision and i heard my mind coming up with all of these “yea, but”s – a bunch of BS, fear-filled worries, really. i know that when they’re all rooted in fear, their credibility isn’t that great. so… i’m writing this as a notice that “yea but”s don’t rule my life, and they shouldn’t have a say in yours either!

here’s another example – i’ve been in way too many relationships where “yea, but”s steered me wrong. i should have left long before i did, but i kept thinking, “yea, but what if i’m wrong? yea, but what if he can change? yea, but i’m not perfect either. yea, but just one more chance.” and each and every last one of those statements kept me in a toxic relationship that wasn’t serving me or helping me become my best self. i’m thankful to have learned the lessons, but i’m not gonna keep learning them the hard way, and i’m not gonna keep wasting time on “yea, but”s.

if we only get a certain number of times around the sun, and we don’t have knowledge of what that magic number is, i think we owe it to ourselves not to waste it on “yea, but”s. personally, i’d rather spend time finding out if the fears are legitimate than living paralyzed, never able to learn anything at all. if you choose a direction, you can always change it or pivot it or shift it or whatever. if you choose to do nothing, and are terrified of the fork in the road, well, a stopped car doesn’t usually have much direction or make much progress.

it’s all our choice, though. we get to Choose!! this is all why #ChooseYourLegacy means so much to me – it makes me So So sad to see people stopped dead in their tracks because of all these “yea, but” statements they can’t get off their mind. i’ll boldly state that i am Choosing not to let “yea, but”s rule my life. i would love to know what obstacles you’re facing that need to have their power taken away!

♥,
SF

SARAH FAITH’S DEBUT SINGLE USES HARD LESSONS FOR GOOD THINGS

May 29, 2020 by Sarah Faith

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americana artist, americana music, before you, debut single, female musician, independent artist, nashville musician, nashville songwriter, new music, original music, sarah faith, sarah faith music, singer, singer songwriter, songwriter

Listen Now!!

Sarah Faith, a Michigan-raised, Nashville-based (Dickson, Tenn.) singer-songwriter, is dropping her debut single, Before You, to the music world. Having relocated to Middle Tennessee mid-2019, Sarah brought with her a past filled with family addiction and abuse as well as battles with anxiety and depression. With optimistic intentions of creating a bright future, Before You provides a powerful, upbeat head start, giving listeners a taste of the vulnerability and authenticity to come.

Growing up with a single mother who struggled with addiction, Sarah Faith was exposed to mental and physical abuse at a very young age. As a result, she developed mental health issues of her own, but always found a way to fight and make the best of her circumstances. “My music is infused with my story and where I come from. My goal is to prove that it doesn’t matter how crazy your family is or how dark your past is – you can overcome it and use all of those things for good outcomes.” Sarah describes her musical style as a genre-bending mix that draws inspiration from a diverse musical background including classic rock, alternative, and Americana. Vocally, she is inspired by the likes of Jennifer Nettles, Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow, and Grace Potter.

Before You released on all major music purchasing and streaming platforms on May 29, 2020.

About the Song

Why did you write this song? Where did it come from?

This song is very personal to me. It’s written about the dark outlook we sometimes get on relationships before meeting our “person.” It’s actually a very true story, even though I’m not sure we intended for it to be from the very start of writing it. Personally, I had all but given up on the concept of a successful relationship, much less marriage, and this song talks about that a little bit. I had a grim outlook on the world, and I honestly thought I’d be better off alone than continuing the fruitless search for a worthwhile partner in crime.

Originally, when we sat down to write this tune, we were thinking of a fun Friday happy jam, and I think we still came away with that, but it ended up being really infused with my story. Maybe that’s why I love it so much – it’s fun and catchy, but still really personal for me and uses my story as part of the overall message.

What does this song mean to you? What do you want listeners to take away from this song?

This song makes me smile every time I play it. It’s really the beginning of my “happy” with my husband – he really did randomly walk up to me in a bar with those pretty blue eyes and change my plans. I know it sounds crazy, but it was definitely the epitome of “when you’re not looking” and “when you least expect it.”

I guess I’d like to just give people hope that those two cliches actually are true – or they can be. I was in no way looking for a relationship, but out of the blue, my person came along just when I felt all hope was lost.

How would you describe the sound of the song to someone who hasn’t heard it before?

As an artist, I truly believe in blurring the lines between genres as much as I can get away with. I grew up on a sort of weird mix of classic rock, 90s alternative, country, and pop music, plus I was involved in choral music so there’s a good bit of classical influence mixed in as well. Sonically for this single, my vision was lots of guitar and lots of drums. I’m super inspired by The Lumineers and Grace Potter, among a bunch of others, so I really wanted to pull some roots, Americana, and vintage sounds out of this tune. I think overall, that’s where I feel I fit in as an artist – mixing a bunch of things together that feel good and hopefully sound good too!

eight days left.

only eight days stand between me and release day. i’m VERY excited – i can’t wait for everyone to hear what i’ve been working on, thinking about, tweaking multiple times, listening to probably about a thousand times, dreaming about, and completely pouring myself into. this song means the world to me, and i think the largest reason is because it’s the beginning of many many more.

it’s the start of my purpose. it’s the first time i’m addressing the world and letting the universe know i’m here for real and ready to be used, ready to serve, to give my heart, soul, stories – really ready to give all of myself to leave this place a little better than when i came. to help people put into words things they can’t themselves understand. to really spread the message that just because you come from a mess doesn’t mean that you are a mess. you can have a dysfunctional past without the necessity of a dysfunctional future. i truly believe these things, and i’ll keep repeating them over and over again, reaching as many people as i possibly can.

i always said if i impacted one person, all of this would be worth it – everything from the good to the bad. for all the times i was going through stuff with my family, with my mental health, with everything that comes from being a child of an alcoholic… it was all worth it – so worth it that i’d do the same thing over and over again. when i’m asked what the one thing is that i’d do for free – my answer is undoubtedly share my story. looking back, i spent so much time trying to act like everything was fine, trying to fit in, be the hero, take care of everything, when all i really wanted was to tell people how confused i was and how much of a toll my home life was taking on me. all i wanted was someone to understand my confusion. shit, i’m still confused sometimes and my mind is still caught up in where i’ve been now and again. the difference is now i know where i’m going and i know there’s a greater purpose, so it helps with some of that confusion.

where am i going? i always love talking with people about this. i was chatting on the phone today and i could feel myself get really amped at this point of the conversation. for me, this isn’t just about making pretty music and laughing and having an easy life. my journey as a singer-songwriter is about doing things i never thought i could do. saying things i never thought i’d be able to say. seeing things in a way i never thought i’d see them. i thought i was hopeless, useless, and pointless, and as i continue to wake up to the dreams inside my soul and start looking at them as not only possibilities, but outcomes, everything shifts. everything changes. the shit show that i used to drown in becomes a platform that holds me up – my weaknesses become my strengths.

can’t wait to have you on this journey with me. it’s about to be one amazing, unbelievable, unapologetic ride.

♥
SF

in the midst of overwhelm.

May 11, 2020 by Sarah Faith

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americana artist, americana music, country music, independent artist, nashville musician, nashville songwriter, new music, singer, singer songwriter, songwriter, up and coming artist

i swear…. sometimes i feel like i’ve taken enough deep breaths to fill a dozen oxygen tanks and none of them seem to make me breathe any easier. i get to the point where i feel so stuck in my own head that i get WAY past the point of even caring that i got there in the first place. it’s like i’m sitting in a straight jacket of self-doubt and i’ve lost the interest in finding a way out of it. so i’ll just sit there. because eventually something will come along and let me out – free me from…. well… myself, really.

i was doing some mindset work earlier this morning, and i had woken up in a funk – i do that from time to time. by time to time, i mean a few times a week… sometimes more. sometimes less. i just don’t like mornings all that much, okay?!?! sheesh…. but i was doing some mindset work dealing with self-compassion, and i just Was Not Feeling It…

so i stopped doing it. because know what? part of loving yourself is knowing your own limits. part of loving yourself is giving yourself a break. part of loving yourself is knowing that the work will be there later, or even tomorrow, and it doesn’t have to get done right this very minute. part of loving yourself is loving yourself right where you are in any given moment and caring about yourself enough to know you’re enough. whether you feel like doing what you’re doing or not, whether you’re wearing sweats or real clothes, whether you ate lunch or not, whether you’re rocking the same messy bun for the fourth day in a row, or you’re full face looking fly – you’re just enough. no matter what. it’s okay to just be you and be enough just by the sheer fact that you’re alive and a part of this world.

“what would it take to believe you were made for more? and what would it look like to see this place up in smoke? these temples made by man, made with human hands. temples made with broken dreams and the stories that keep us in.”

^ that’s part of a song i wrote that came to mind when i was thinking all of these things this morning. like, what will it take for me to believe that i was made enough, i was made Just Like This… not by accident. not by some fluke. not flawed and messed up. carrying some baggage, yea maybe, but so is everyone else. so whether you’re killing it today, or getting by, i want you (and me) to know, you’re (we are) enough. and we’re gonna take these temples that we’re confined by and just frikin’ torch them, okay? set fire to them and watch them go up in smoke.

check out the video below if you wanna hear the tape from the day i wrote the song – “temples made by man.”

♥
SF