Hey there, and thanks for tuning in. New episodes of Acoustic Blend with Barrett Myers air the second Saturday of each month at 8pm Eastern on wbaa.org and are occasionally published on Spotify (note: you’ll need a Spotify subscription to listen to the full show, otherwise you’ll just hear snippets of each song). The updated monthly playlist is available here on your platform of choice1. This is a reader supported publication, and I am always grateful when you share, subscribe, pledge, help caffeinate, or communicate back whenever something resonates (just hit reply if you’re reading this via email or comment below in Substack).
As we enter a new year and hang a fresh set of calendars (one of my favorite new year practices) I find myself reluctant to trot out my usual overambitious resolutions and blast into achievement mode, tackling new goals. My soul is still processing the end of 2023, and (now) the ending of the season of Christmastide.
In years past I have waited until February to settle on any firm intentions for the upcoming year, and that feels right to me again this year. January feels like a good month to decompress, give my soul some space to catch up, and resist accelerating into anything new. It’s a liminal space of sorts, and in this moment I need hope above all else. I am sorely aware of this. I don’t feel particularly expectant for 2024 — I’m not ready for a new year, not after the blitz that was December. I need space to breathe and rest, and to assess how I wish to (re)engage with life.
Which brings me to a couple questions for you:
How is your soul processing the close of 2023?
What stirs in you as you consider the year ahead — the 2024 that is already tearing at the reigns and champing at the bit?
Is what rises up hopeful? I wish it was for me these days, and I doubt that I am alone.
In keeping with that theme, next Saturday’s edition of Acoustic Blend will explore hope — and I do hope you’ll tune in. If you’d like the full playlist as soon as it’s finalized, you can save it here on your platform of choice — those will be regularly updated with the current month’s playlist and I’ll send another note once this month’s hope-filled playlist is live, along with some additional thoughts on the show.
In the meantime I’ve found it helpful to revisit last year’s “Looking forward, looking back” episode, where in the introduction I describe some helpful tools for reflecting on the past year. My current favorite journaling prompts are: What do I want less of in 2024? What do I need more of?
Here on Substack I am considering publishing more poetry, creative writing, and perhaps some original music in addition to the regular monthly playlists. Creative space was something that worked well for me last year and I am considering ways to engage more deeply in that practice, while also growing my willingness to share its fruits with beautiful people like you. That, I trust, will emerge in February…along with a steadfast hope and slightly longer days.
My dear Apple Music peeps, looks like there are technical difficulties currently with syncing… should be cleared up in the coming weeks, so please check back! Also, if your preferred streaming platform is not listed here please drop me a line and we’ll see what we can do.