Every day I wake up and give thanks for the fact that I’m here. Not just here, as in alive (though I do that too), but thanks for the fact that I’m in Portland, Oregon. Sometimes I’ll express my gratitude on a jog or bike ride to whatever coffee shop will be making up my office for the morning.
From the digital to the physical world
One of the main reasons I decided to move to Portland last June, was that the city had a large concentration of bloggers, artists and entrepreneurs. Many of my friends and mentors live here.
It’s pretty incredible, looking back five months and remembering how much I admired the work of certain bloggers, how they inspired me and made me think about life in new ways. But they were distant– public figures, Twitter handles.
And now? Now many of these same bloggers and I work side-by-side at coffee shops, talk about our projects and passions, brainstorm, collaborate, go on road trips and occasionally even get together to play music…
How I spend my Friday nights
Tessa Zeng is a good friend of mine. She’s a multipotentialite. She moved to Portland around the same time I did, using WDS as a catalyst as well. We met through the blogosphere initially, tweeted for several months, and now we hang out most Friday nights.
Sometimes we brainstorm over tea and talk business or art, other times we watch/deconstruct Scream 4 for it’s brilliant look at the concept of “meta.” And sometimes, we even revive old scanner interests.
The duet
This is how I spent last Friday night. The Bach Double is a signature piece for any kid who studies the Suzuki method, so it felt especially significant to revive this one.
There are a few “lenses” you can look at this video through:
- Two bloggers, who know each other solely through blogging, meeting up in person to make art, and then posting that art back into the blogosphere.
- Two multipotentialites exploring childhood interests that have resurfaced. (Remember when I announced that I’d be re-exploring the violin? Here’s proof of my follow through. 🙂
- Two musicians who grew up in different countries, had different life experiences, but speak a common language (or two).
Finally, congrats to Tessa on her blog launch today!
Your Turn
How do your digital and physical worlds blend together? Have you ever felt as though you spoke a “common language” with someone?
Awesome to see you having such success, Emilie. 🙂
Congrats on getting to a place where you’re surrounded by awesome people, you can pursue your interests, and you’re excited about life!
Thanks Annie! It definitely feels good to accomplish my goals, but I’ve been on this path for a while now, and the journey alone feels pretty incredible.
That was so cool! Loved it!
Best part about blogging might just be the connections we make with others… finding people that share our interests/ passions.
With that, I would agree. 🙂
That was like a concert in my living room. You two are awesome. 🙂
Thanks C.C. 🙂
Yes! Yes yes yes!
Fucking brilliant & beautiful.
Thank you, Ev’Yan! Maybe we’ll give you an in-person concert one day. You might have to pull out your keyboard though…
I’m sorry, all I can think about is the awesomeness playing through my speakers.
I have my first violin lesson on Saturday! I’m super nervous and super excited!
I love the connections I’ve made with people through blogging. I guess it hasn’t meshed with the physical world yet though.
Ouu have fun! That’s so exciting. Are you doing Suzuki method or something else?
Let me know how it goes!
Yes Suzuki method :] I’m so excited! I’ll keep you updated 😀
This is absolutely beautiful! Grateful that you live in Portland Emilie. We should jam sometime. 🙂
Thanks Jonathan! We absolutely should jam. (Try to convince your wife to join us too. 😉
Man this community rocks 🙂
Beautiful!
Love this post, thank you for sharing your friendship and common interests.
I appreciate how the blogosphere compliments “real” life. It’s just another way to have a conversation and find like-minded folks or those who can open my mind even more as I explore.
Yeah, the blogosphere really enhances our connection and the pursuit of our passions. I love it.
ahhh!! The Bach double!! It is my FAVE.
You guys did a beautiful job… it is NOT an easy piece 🙂 Makes me so happy to witness some Bach lovin’ on the blogospheres…
Woo! Thanks Simone!!
I love Portland. I need to make a trip out there again. It is indeed definitely one of the most entrepreneurial & outdoors city.
Indeed. Hit me up when you do!
The music and vibes speak for themselves. Thank you so much for this Emilie + Tessa. Beautiful.
Thank you, Jason. You’re awesome.
How great is it that you’ve got friends that share so many common interests!
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got local friends that I hang out with. Tonight is even guys poker night. But if I start talking about blogging and goal-setting and ways to focus on challenges I don’t think I’d have much reciprocation.
Sometimes I feel like I’m out in this space by myself (other than any connections I’ve made on the Internet)
It’s really cool that you’ve got friends to hang out with, and of all things, jam on violins! Color me jealous. =)
Tim! Fantastic comment man, I bet it resonates with a few here.
I’d like to say that if you’re posting here, you ALSO have cool friends to hang out with.
I’m confident everyone here welcomes you with open arms and would love to connect, whether digitally or in person.
And where you can find one, you can find more.
Jonathan invited Emilie to jam with him in person in the comments above! What started out online can easily move to physical meetings, believe it!
It was 100% intentional. When I was living back home in Montreal, I felt exactly the way you feel. I had/have great friends, but they weren’t on similar life paths. We couldn’t talk blogging, strategy, multipotentiality in the same way as I can with my Portland friends.
I moved across the continent to get that, so it’s not really luck at all. I do feel incredibly fortunate though!
Yay! I love your lenses, Emilie, even if they sometimes induce me to watch bloody horror movies I wouldn’t touch in a million years otherwise, haha. Thanks for posting this + for the shoutout, too 🙂
& thanks to everyone who’s watching/commenting! Emilie is awesome to jam with in-person, in case you haven’t guessed already. If you haven’t done so already, I really encourage you to reach out to other bloggers/multipotentialites in your area and do this laptop-to-life thing already! It’s definitely worth it, and could change your life (or at least your weekends…)
Yea yeah! Looking forward to our next duet! xox.
First of all: You both are shredding. That rocks. Second, can we make it a trio?
😀
Hells yes! Actually I’d love to do some bloggers chamber music…
I believe that was the last tune in Suzuki Vol….4? 🙂 Oh yes, I am a violin child in “rehab” hahaha. It made my transition to playing Brazilian mandolin pretty natural. And although I still have my violin and probably some old books lying around, you two would play circles around me, I’m sure. But I’d still be up for a local Portland music jam 🙂
Oh hells yes! Lets hook it up. And you’re right on, those violin skills are completely transferable. I picked up the guitar when I was 16 fairly effortlessly. Screw sight reading (which us suzuki kids tend to suck at), you don’t need it! It’s all about the ear.
And 2nd violin is the last piece in book 4, 1st is the last piece in book 5. 🙂
Ahhhhh yes, now I remember. Funny thing is I feel like I’m pretty good at sight reading, particularly for the Brazilian choro style of music I play now. Must have been all those years of chamber orchestra beating it into my head. It’s playing by ear and improvising that I’m finding difficult and retraining my brain to get “off the page”.
Tessa and Emilie,
Thanks very much for your great recording of a great duet of Baroque and modern interpretation proportions. The smiles, bows, and laughs at the end are priceless! I was listening, and then surprised and had to watch and listen again.
Congratulations on writing and putting together this concert for us, who are connected through visits on your website! Hopefully, you will be encouraged to do more of this stuff again.
I, myself, am torn between Bach and Beethoven, and then, for those brave enough to visit my “Beethoven” blogger website that I optionally shared with this comment, maybe it doesn’t really matter, except if someone really enjoys making and appreciate music and blogging and life.
Thanks for the inspiration and please keep in communications…
Aaron
How I wish I know how to play violin.If my kids will be one day interested in playing that musical instrument, I will surely allow them.