During my winter visit to Rome with my boyfriend, who is a skilled photographer with an eye for the unexpected, the quirky and the special, out of the blue in the middle of the city we spotted this carousel. It hit me in the gut because I could see myself in this carousel. I have also spent a large part of this winter in a sort of hibernating, in a waiting position, where several bumps have almost stolen my optimism and creative spirit. I was like the horse on that merry-go-round, standing still, frozen in one position, looking out towards the light, but only dimly aware of the contours on the other side.

 

If it wasn't for my fantastic and supportive boyfriend, my wonderful regular 'playmates' (musicians) and my producer Flemming, who ultimately made things fall into place, I would probably still be in a waiting position. But now it's sprouting! Just like those daffodils, we know we'll see before we lknow it.  In a little while, the play and creative power will finally break through again, and new songs will find their way to you!

 

In two weeks, I will go into the studio with producer Flemming Bloch in Mindless Studio, and with my lovely 'dream catchers' – Jonas Pfeiffer on bass, Henrik Nielsen on drums, Mikkel Bramsen on keys and this time with guitarist and songwriter Mikkel Rørbæk. We will be recording four of my new songs, which I am looking forward to releasing over the next year.

 

And as I look at the picture of the horse on the merry-go-round, I remind myself of this important quote by the American writer Kurt Vonnegut:

 

"The arts are not a way of making a living. They are a human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well, challenging or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake! Sing in the shower, dance to the radio, tell stories. Write a poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward; you will have created something!”

 

It's time to let the music and the stories sprout - and let the carousel roll again!