Whewwww chile!

We are finally wrapping up 2020, with 8 days left of the year!

I spoke in my last blog post about my feelings and responses to what this year has brought me, and I have surrendered to it all- the highs and the lows.

What I am grateful and excited for is the Age of Aquarius we’ve just entered into, just two days ago. The Great Conjunction, where Jupiter and Saturn come into alignment (every 20 years), happened on the day of the Winter Solstice, for the first time since the 1600's! This new era we’ve entered into is definitely shaking things up, both personally and collectively! To give a little background, Jupiter and Saturn are quite the opposite in terms of functionality. Saturn rules over rigidness, limitations & responsibilities. Whereas, Jupiter’s generosity partners up with wealth, wellness, & fun!! The opposites have come into alignment for collaboration, which will challenge the rigid institutions that have no longer been serving us for a long while, and the collective energy is pushing towards more equity and less discrimination, more community and less isolation, more love and less projection of hate. The Great Conjunction also happened at zero degrees, which nullifies all that was, to provide a blank slate for anything that we want to cultivate moving forward.

All of this gives me energy and hope, as I continue to manifest my heart’s desires, going into this new year (and beyond), and I’ve honestly been feeling personally ecstatic about my intentions and manifestations for 2021 and beyond. I definitely feel a shift! Some projects brewing, upcoming releases, and overall dope content I have planned for y’all in 2021!

Speaking of content, y’all really showed me love for Ep1 of Between the Notes and Me! ‘A Lovely Day’ surpassed 1.7k views on my IGTV, and I even got a cute 600+ views on my new music YouTube page. I’ll take it!!

And with that said, I dropped Ep2 yesterday, which can be viewed originally on IGTV, and uploaded on YT (watch below)!

I had a blast composing this arrangement, and I’m not gonna lie, it was challenging! But I’m learning and pushing through my limitations as a vocal producer, and am growing through each project I show up for, and for that, I cannot complain!

Thank you so much for the support and love y’all are showing me on Between the Notes and Me, this is the tipping off point for so much abundance of my artistic gifts, and expressing myself authentically (no more hiding)!

---

I’m also now on TikTok, and yes I feel old, but I’m having fun!!

Snapper Dapper participating in the ‘festivities’

Lastly, I know the holidays can be a place of pain and sorrow for some, and that does not miss my consciousness. I hope that in sharing my musical gifts, I can bring some uplifting vibes and positivity into your sphere. I am leaning into the energy of a better future, with a new year, new administration, and the collective energy of equality so many of us are feeling and advocating for! I will see you on the other side in 2021!

Until then,

Kris

Hello!!

A still from Ep 1 of “Between the Notes and Me” Music Series”

Ok soooo, November went by so quickly, amirite? It was a whirlwind of emotions, anxiety, hope, fear, chaos, all of the things!

With the presidential election behind us, and already into the last month of 2020 (whoa), it seems like we’re almost at a ‘finish line’ of sorts.

I know that the start of 2021 doesn’t mean all the problems of 2020 will have gone away… Yet, there is some kind of hope, energy I feel that “it can’t get no lower than this,” which does give me a bit of hope that things will start to get better.

Navigating this year as a full-time performing artist/musician hasn’t been easy, especially since I’ve been out of work for the majority of the year, with no prospective incoming work to follow.

I will say I have honestly been so grateful for this forced stop. This pause. This opportunity to reset.

Yes, there were a lot of tragic losses this year, uncertainties, lack of support by our government, and full loss of hope by our current administration’s mishandling of the Coronavirus itself, but I cannot not mention all of the amazing happenings this year has brought and taught me.

I was able to face myself, without all of the distractions of everyday life and responsibilities no longer at play, and acknowledge and confront unresolved feelings, emotions, triggering experiences, toxic people, self-sabotage, and a plethora of false realities that needed to be unpacked, in order to fully heal and move forward.

The shadow work was not pretty, cute, or easy, but I’m so grateful for the time to do the personal, inner work, in my isolation and solitude.

After an almost 7-year journey in NYC, the place where I started my career, I had to flee because of the pandemic, and came down to North Carolina to quarantine with my parents and Snap (my beloved cat). This can be seen as ‘unfortunate', but it was honestly the best decision I could make because none of the above would have happened on the level it has, if I didn’t have the opportunity to exit and ground myself in nature, in this way.

I brought my studio down here and set it up with the intention to create musical works during my sojourn, which I’ve fortunately been able to do, contractually for various artists/companies/projects, and for myself. I have been expanding myself, vocally, creatively, and production wise, and am really glad I’ve had time to hone my craft on a next level, and really solidify what type of Artist I want to be.

All of this has lead me to the premiere of my newest project, my IGTV series entitled, “The Kris Bliss Presents: Between the Notes and Me.”

“Kris Brooks covers her favorite songs with her personal style of vocal arranging and producing, a passion of hers that she wants to share to express her creativity, and spread her gifts joyfully through an arduous time of world crisis. Kris considers herself “The Music Lifestylist” ™️ ‘because everyday should feel as good as your favorite song!’ and uses The Kris Bliss ™️ platform to share her bliss, experiences, and education to uplift underserved BIPOC communities and other communities of color. Kris aims to inspire healing, engagement, wellness, and empowerment through music.”

I know we all arrive at certain points in our life when we are meant to, and I am glad to be in a place where I’m no longer downplaying myself, shrinking to fit, nor dimming my light. This is a new chapter of abundance, living fully and honestly in my truth, and I am so glad we can be on this journey together. I appreciate your engagement, support, and your overwhelmingly positive feedback that I’ve already gotten on this series premiere! My heart is full!

This is just the beginning y’all!

Until next time,

-Kris

I read a cover story interview ages ago of Kerry Washington, from the September '16 issue of "Self" Magazine. Her words resonated with me then, they still do, and I wanted to share:

"A few weeks ago, my manager asked: 'Do you feel like you're back? I feel like you're back.' She meant it as a total compliment, but we had this great conversation where I was like, 'You know what? I try really hard not to use that language, because it's not about going backward in life.' I think it comes from this culture of anti-aging, which is so not loving to ourselves."

"I've been really focused on not being 'back' to anything, but being the best version of myself right now."

This resonated with me so deeply, and it really challenged me to the way I've been taught to think, and the societal pressures women face, in literally every aspect of our lives.

I've always been a pretty adaptable person. Having grown up all over the country, I've had no choice but to adapt to new environments, the closing of chapters, saying ‘goodbye,’etc. I've never been stuck to one place, person, or thing. I've always taken things for what they were, and moved forward, unconcerned about the past.

Now, with that said-- I didn't realize that wasn't common-thinking until I was in college, when old friends would 'reminisce' about high school, and wish they could do it all over again, or wish they could go back to prom, or that they were the same weight they were in 2012, etc. etc. I never understood that type of thinking,  and to be honest, I find it to be pretty problematic, especially for women.

Why are we so focused on a time, that literally will never come back? Why not accept the place you're at now, and love on yourself as hard as ever? I know it's easier said than done, but ladies, YOU ARE ENOUGH. Lemme say that again-- YOU, ARE, ENOUGH. Your complexion is enough, your hips are enough, your heart is enough, your hair is enough. You existing is enough, and it is VERY powerful, while also VERY detrimental to a lot of these boxes and social structures that have been created to limit and contain us.

Now, I want to be honest and open up to you as to WHY I stopped blogging. When I got into blogging, it was purely on the intent of creative expression. I started my blog at a time when I graduated and couldn't find a job because, the market crashed. I was living at home, working as a waitress, and just living my unfulfilled life (smh lol). I created the blog for myself, to continue writing, as I had in college, and to talk about things I was interested in! I always wanted my readers to leave with something fulfilling, as I had seen loads of bloggers solely talk about their outfits with a Starbucks latte in their hand (hey, if that's your brand, then I ain't mad... But that ain't me).

A couple years back, our political climate started to shift majorly, and as tensions heightened between the police and the Black & Brown people being targeted (being more exposed by the media and social media/online avenues each day), I wanted to use my platform to express my anger, my concern, my disappointment, and engage with my readers and fellow bloggers on how they felt. Things were happening at an increasing rate, and I didn't even have the photo stock to post as frequently as events were happening. Because of this, I took to twitter. I feel like twitter is the place you can go tf awf and I was expressing, projecting, engaging... I even took to my personal FB account to do the same as well. And in that time, I was seeing my fellow bloggers (POC's & NON-POC’s) continue to post about their lattes, and their outfits, and their basic days (no tea no shade), without a whisper as to what was happening in the world that they were living in!

I found this hella confusing and disappointing, and it really turned me off to blogging. I found it to be such a fake world of women and men thirsty for clicks, endorsements, and followers, without a consciousness of humanity and lack of responsibility to use their platform to actually engage their readers, outside of their need to selfishly project the perfect imagine of themselves, omit of what makes them human- their emotions, their beliefs, their concerns…

I unofficially left blogging because I didn't want to be associated with these people, and this online world that we've collectively created... I do believe language matters and words matter, and to have a platform online, I think it is vital to have intention when writing; seeing that the bigger bloggers literally had nothing to say, turned me all the way off.

I still don't see that voice in blogging, and I actually unfollowed a lot of people in the blogsphere because of this. I'm back to be a voice, as I have been on my twitter and Instagram, and will not bite my tongue any longer on this platform, that I originally fell in love with, those years ago. I've had some amazing things happen since my last post, at the end of 2014. I've gone on a world-tour with Sam Smith and Stevie Wonder. I've performed on nearly every major day and evening show in the US (multiple times, with various artists), performed at the Grammys, sung with some of my favorite artists, including John Legend and Mary J. Blige. I've seen parts of the world that I prayed about visiting, and met people and had experiences I will never forget!

I've also had some lows, like terrible money management, having to go back into the hustle of being a server at a restaurant (because I wasn't able to sustain myself solely on music work). I would ask my self everyday how much longer was I gonna allow myself to stay in this place (working in a restaurant will take you out, even if it's one where you're making great money like I was), and just feeling the sense that I was losing myself creatively and getting lost in the concrete jungle. I also feared that I was gonna look up and three years  have passed me by, and I'm still here slanging chicken parm and pasta pomodoro. Getting off of a world-tour and assimilating into the more traditional work-force was hard. Hard for my ego, hard for my emotions… I at first, was able to sustain myself for awhile off tour-earned money, but then it got too hard to do-so. Working in the music industry, gigs come and go. There are also dry seasons and really popping seasons, as there are months that I was trying to figure out how to juggle all these gigs, and months I had to make sure my phone was working, because it was as dry as a tumbleweed!

Fortunately, I’ve been able to find a bit more balance over much trial & error, and when I left the service industry (for the second time), I told myself, it was for good.

As Kerry said, "...Trying to be my best right here right now... Looking to the present and the future, and looking forward to changing and growing and becoming, instead of how I was in the past." I am committing to myself, committing to using my platform to spread love, my music to express my passions and interests, to highlight amazing women creatives of color who don’t get the recognition they should, to talk beauty, skincare, self-care, and wellness… Talk politics and current events, and everything in between! Our interests lie in many avenues, as we’re multi-dimensional women, ok! We can spill ALL the tea! Ha!

 The truth is, I miss connecting with you all here, and I am making the commitment to be open and honest, talking here about real things, real life, and providing this site as a safe environment for you to feel comfortable in doing so as well! I hope that you will stay on this journey with me, as I share my life as a professional musician, a woman, a Black woman, and most important of all, a human being!

Best,

Photos by: Stefan Jakubowski @stefanoboski