Change is the creative fuel!

Change is never as clean as it looks from the outside. I recently moved from Los Angeles to Bend, Oregon. I still love Los Angeles, but moving from Los Angeles to Bend was a big leap into a new phase of my life. It was a decision about what's right for me and my family, and it came with a lifestyle shift I'm still unpacking.

What I didn't expect was how much the outdoors would give back. Mornings look different here. Ideas show up on trails and by the river, not in traffic. Nature turns out to be a pretty good creative director.

The new Free From CTRL studio in Bend is up and running, fully kitted out. We're working with brands, entrepreneurs, and making new original series in the new studio, and I'm very excited about what we're creating.

Here's the takeaway for you: where you are shapes what you create. If your ideas feel stale, change one thing about your surroundings this week. It doesn't have to be moving to a new town or state. Walk somewhere new, work from a different room, step outside. Everyone is creative, and sometimes the environment just needs a nudge.

New Podcast Episode: Elliott Lawrence

Episode 6 of the Be Creative Be Free podcast is out now, and it's free to watch on YouTube and all video podcast services. I sat down with Elliott Lawrence, a bassist, singer, producer, and teacher, to talk about how musical creativity improves our world.

We get into the mentors in his life as he learned bass, why "the hang" is important, and how community gets you gigs. He also makes the case for not waiting on inspiration and treating songwriting with the respect it deserves as your craft. If you create anything, there's something in this one for you.

More soon. Go make something.
Be Creative. Be Free.

Brandon