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Hello everyone.
I wanted to reach out to my fans out there that continuously support me and have my back relentlessly throughout the years.
I am so grateful and fortunate for your dedication. Your time & devotion. Your kindness and understanding. Your patience and compassion.
I continue to work, create and deliver my best to you.
I wanted to share with you a few thoughts that come to mind when I think of you all and the constant love I am blessed to receive from you over time.
I am so happy and at peace in life and I only want and wish you all to feel the same and live that way too!
Looking back, it’s amazing for me to be here now, today, feeling so proud and supported on my entire body of work displayed- both personally & professionally.
It has been a tremendous gift to have been able to share my work on such a large scale with all of you around the world, who have supported and appreciated my efforts through all I’ve worked tirelessly in accomplishing, for so many years now.
You’re strength encourages me to continue digging deep and searching within myself to openly offer my heart & soul to you.
As you have for me at all times and in every stage of my life and career.
Thanks for giving me a home inside your hearts and within your lives.
Its my wonderful gift back I get from you.
Its truly inspiring.
And I live to be inspired.
Thank you.
I may get quiet at times, but when I do have something to say, I mean every word.
My thoughts are always with you and my creative process always stirring within.
I decided to share my thoughts with you at length and tell you openly how I feel.
What a fantastic journey we’ve been on- full of lessons and anticipating so much more new, exciting and amazing things to look forward to in the future!
Thank you for listening to my words.
Opening your hearts.
Giving back love.
Seeing beneath the surface.
Searching for the truth.
Digging deep. Within yourselves & within your minds.
Feeling and sharing with me your own stories, your own life struggles.
And how my music may have touched you along the way.
Overcoming the hurdles and staying true to yourselves and beliefs.
You’re my inspiration and a constant reminder why I continue to give my very best and open up my heart and mind so vulnerably to you and with the best of intentions.
Thank you for appreciating the body of work I’m creating over time.
Recent and new creativity has been freshly infused and inspired in me, and I can’t wait to share with you all of my new personal growth and discoveries.
I’m writing a lot these days. Inspired thoughts overflowing first thing in the morning, onset at the Voice, and on into the night.
Pen & paper always at my side. Like an old best friend- eager and ready to take it all in.
I like to be thoughtful and take my time. I can never force anything or rush something not ready. Quality has always mattered to me over quantity.
Living in peace and contentment is the greatest gift you can give to yourself.
Thank you for filling my soul with melody and song…lyrics and love…and giving me a safe place I feel comforted in being brave enough to always bare my soul and come from an honest and genuine place.
It does my heart proud to have such spirited, passionate people in my corner and for so long.
We stand the test of time.
We brave every storm and overcome.
You with me. We are one as a team.
I love my fans deeply.
And will remind you more often. ;)
I’ve heard you guys go to bat for me, speak volumes and continue to defend and encourage what I do as an individual.
You’re so strong and I do the same for those I truly care about & believe in.
Always remember…
Greatness and quality speaks for itself.
I never feel the need to defend my own work or myself. Or my purpose behind it.
We all serve our own purpose in our own unique way, and don’t always need to explain why we are who we are, love what we love and do what we do.
Having nothing to prove to anyone.
Just having contentment and peace within ourselves. That’s all that’s really necessary.
And feeling good about knowing we’re making the right decisions for ourselves, giving our best in all we do and can do, within the moment.
The most important judge of that, can only be yourself.
Music for me at its core, lives in a place rooted in an existence all of its own.
It’s an extension of someone’s inner raw emotion and imagination.
An honest and brave place of self-expression and connection to who they are as an individual.
It can be a form of escape, an outlet for an emotion…and a place where we can all come together and connect as one. It provides a kind of home in one way or another for us.
That’s the beauty of it.
It’s why we’re drawn in and inspired by it in the first place.
It’s easy over time to get sucked into the mental “business aspect” of it all and sad that we sometimes forget the true purpose and nature of it to begin with.
Music and an artist’s truth & identity cannot be defined on a chart or a ‘review’ or with an award.
So don’t be disappointed or think in vain if things like that don’t happen.
It’s good to care, but being rewarded by material things, isn’t why I remain in this business.
Money and fame have never been the sole driving force of motivation for me to achieve what I have.
It’s the love of creating, expressing & connecting with myself and others alike through music that has always spoke to my passion and drive to be in this business.
It’s a beautiful and special thing, getting to meet who you do along the way…other writers, talented vocalists and creative beings who share the same love of being inspired as artists- inspiring each other.
Simply because we can’t live without it in our lives.
To any aspiring artists out there, just remember that judgment systems where creativity is concerned, cannot truly define what’s actually good or bad or better than something or someone else.
It can be fun and entertaining at times, but everyone has their own identity and reason to be heard. It’s good for people to have opinions and a stance on art. Everyone’s story and intention is different.
But you can’t let someone else’s interpretation of it define who you are and how you feel about it.
Or break your spirit if it’s not heard or understood at the exact moment you want it to be.
I grew up being a work horse and entering this business- earning money since I was 7, having had many successes and always priding myself on my hard work ethic.
It was always embedded in me and was all that I knew growing up.
And now that I’ve gained a deeper understanding of myself and what I want out of life moving forward…I’ve learned what’s important to me is “not to be defined by my work ethic, but by the person I am and become through my work efforts”.
I know firsthand that having success alone, is not going to fill you up.
Looking back, I recall a few career highlights that are wonderful to have had the experience of, but at the end of the day, weren’t my happiest stages in life.
I am enjoying life now more than ever before.
And discovering new things and ideas every day. Just enjoying myself, my life and appreciating all my hard work up to this point.
As an artist and music lover myself, I enjoy that music & song is appreciated and felt a different way by each individual who listens to and digests it.
Sure, it’s nice to hear when it is appreciated or understood.
Awards and accolades can be enjoyable “moments” in time. And I’ve been fortunate to have had many great ones over the course of mine thus far.
They look nice on a shelf. And is fun to celebrate with those you love on memorable nights.
But as an inspired artist, it is also ok by me and I welcome others to question my work, be disturbed by it, sometimes offended or turned off.
People have opinions. It’s life. No matter what field you may be in.
Especially in an artistic, creative subjective format- where everyone sees art with different views.
It’s great and ok to not agree on everything.
That’s what makes creative work so exciting.
To be able to inspire and open up debatable conversation.
That’s what being a true artist is about.
I started that mission, creating Stripped and never looked back.
I had to be & express who I needed to be, regardless of what anyone thought or said.
And I still have stayed true to that belief and to myself.
As I hope for all of you out there as well.
Be fearless in owning who you are. No matter what.
You have to put yourself out there and take risks. Sink or swim.
You have to give things a try.
Provoke thought. Speak from your heart.
Live in the moment.
Experience and discover the growth within yourself that challenges in life gives you.
And appreciate that gift that’s only given through times of struggle and hardship.
Be patient. And good to yourself.
We spend too much time critiquing ourselves and beating ourselves up.
For the things we may not have, or simply haven’t happened “yet”.
And sometimes aren’t able to even be realized or recognized at this present time. But will.
Everything that’s meant to happen, does.
Appreciate the courage it takes to give yourself and put yourself out there in the forefront.
Not everyone can do that.
It’s easier to judge others from the shadows, projecting one’s own negativity within themselves, than to live out loud in the spotlight, taking on whatever may come your way in the moment.
May that be successful or not.
At least you can say you did it, and was courageous enough to live through it!
Be fearless enough to be a conversation piece.
Come from genuine intentions.
Speak your own truth.
Understand and appreciate your own journey- that only you yourself can, in your shoes alone.
I’ve never been one to shy away from anything I set out to do or feel instinctively in my life, based off of any outside public opinion.
Every great legend that I personally admire and has motivated me throughout history, has been fearless to stir noise and create some controversy along the way- but they survive the good and bad times.
They’re spirit never dies. And lives on.
For future generations yet to come along and appreciate.
Music never dies. We keep it alive in us.
My voice, I appreciate as a gift that allows me to help others sometimes find theirs.
That’s reward enough for me.
Makes the journey worthwhile.
And honesty to myself and who I am, all the validation I need.
Music is a blessing. Let’s remember that.
It is a complicated and rare multifaceted art form.
Inspired by purest of intention and emotion.
As always, thank you for accepting me for who I am. Being human- flaws and all.
We’re all made up of beautiful imperfections.
And many times much stronger than we think or allow ourselves to believe in the moment.
While commentary is only temporary.
The noise fades, while my song remains the same.
One to remember and I quote…
“We are beautiful. No matter what they say.”
Sending everyone an abundance of warm light.
Feel me in your hearts, as I feel you in mine.
Together, we brightly shine.
We stand the test of time.
Always have. Always will.
* An extra side note for the fans in facing certain obstacles life may throw your way…remember this.
The mirror in front of hatred, is always an ugly reflection of one’s inner self.
It’s a projection that stems from a place of one’s own issues with themselves.
But that’s not our battle. Others have to figure that out on their own. It’s not for us to take on.
Live life in peace and enjoy what you love.
Seek the good things that make you happy.
Listen to the people and music that make you smile.
What it is that inspires you to sing, laugh and dance.
Tune out what doesn’t, and the negative people along the way. They’ll always be there.
That energy is a waste of time. Life is too short to allow a second of it to slip away that’s not enjoyed. Surround yourself and apply your energy to the people who REALLY matter around you and to you.
Every day, we all have a greater and bigger purpose to live and good things to receive.
It’s our responsibility to ourselves…to those we care about and who care about us, to stay open and keep discovering the new adventures that await us.
I love you all.
Christina/ X.
