Spotlight, Starlight, Daylight

I recently came across a life-changing piece of advice I wanted to share with you.

I’ve really been enjoying diving into the topic of creativity in recent videos and newsletters. 

Writing songs and making music have been one of the great joys of my life. If you’re reading this, I imagine you’re the same. 

But sometimes we can lose our way. What once brought great pleasure and meaning doesn’t feel quite the same anymore. 

I recently watched a Ted Talk by James Williams, a former Google strategist turned writer, philosopher and Attention Economy expert.

James Williams believes our attention takes three forms –

First – our Spotlight. This is a narrowing of your focus for a specific, immediate task – making a sandwich, or cup of coffee, or tuning your guitar.

Second – our Starlight. Starlight is a broader focus on achieving longer term goals – i.e. over the next year, I want to write an album, or a book, or set up my own business.

Third – our Daylight. This is the broadest form of attention that lets you consider who you are and why and how you have picked these longer term goals in the first place. How and why do you actually want what you want? Why do I want to write an album, or learn an instrument in the first place?

In the modern world, all three are under attack, but it’s the loss of our Daylight that can lead to the biggest problems.

James says that if you lose your Daylight, ‘In many ways you may not even be able to figure out who you are, what you wanted to do, [or] where you want to go.’

If we don’t know who we are and what motivates us, we can feel lost, distracted, and unmotivated. 

Creativity, drive and deep thinking are very fragile, and easily interrupted by tasty, sugary hits of junk distraction.

But we all need to take time to replenish and nourish our Daylight and Starlight. 

I think this is genuinely one of the most important things I’ve learned recently. When the to-do list is urgent, longer-term, deeper thinking is easy to put aside.

So, as we approach the end of the year, I want you to ask yourself – Why do you actually want what you want? What set you off on your path in the first place?

I’d love for you to write in and tell me.

As for me, I’m trying to reconnect with the person I was the first morning I woke up with a brand-new guitar in my room, my first. I just couldn’t believe it was mine. That love for my instrument has shaped my entire life. 

I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But I will be making more time for Daylight in my life.

Mary x

(P.S. I’ve been travelling quite a bit recently – thank you to everyone who has written in, I love hearing from you and will respond as much as I can over the next few weeks.)

Independent Artist of the week: Robbie James Logan from Ayrshire in Scotland has just released his debut album Burn the Jacket, a mix of folk storytelling, rock and a dash of grunge. Why not give him a listen!)

🎸*Come see me on my UK TOUR!* Tickets here 
24th Sep 2024 – The Cavern, Liverpool
25th Sep 2024 – St George's, Bristol
27th Sep 2024 – Bush Hall, London
28th Sep 2024 – The Castle and Falcon, Birmingham
30th Sep 2024 – St Luke’s, Glasgow
2nd Oct 2024 – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
3rd Oct 2024 – The Portland Arms, Cambridge
4th Oct 2024 – The Joiners, Southampton.
All shows followed by meet and greet. It would be wonderful to say hello to you.

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