About halfway through each year, I usually find myself evaluating what I refer to as my “progress on the path” – a spiritual, mental, and physical check of how I’m doing on my individual journey, and what I’m contributing (good and bad) to those closest to me and to the world at large. It’s always a daunting and humbling process, but if you want to leave this planet knowing you’ve made a positive contribution wherever possible, I think it’s vitally important to do this sort of introspective check-up. My recent 40th birthday has made this process more meaningful, because in recent years, it’s become much less about me and my desires and more about the needs of my family. 

When I started PlanetSoul.com in January 2007, I did it to promote the indie soul artists who I love and respect immensely, and expand on the SoulTalk audio interviews that I’d been doing since 2005. Unfortunately, the endless hours and energy required to manage and maintain the website, interviews, net radio station, artist submissions, eStore, contests, the weekly 2-hour local radio show, MySpace profile, etc. and then promote it all meant very little of me was left for my husband and two young children. As much as I loved the music and having a vehicle like PlanetSoul to promote it, days quickly turned into weeks and months of not existing in the present and enjoying my primary gig as a wife and mom, but instead constantly working to maintain it all. And the fact that the time I was putting into the site wasn’t contributing to my family financially made matters worse. Of course, I didn’t create PlanetSoul for the money, but I also didn’t anticipate the costs required to develop and maintain it and the lack of revenue it ultimately generated. 

So I’ve had to make the difficult but necessary decision to entirely refocus my energy on my family and put PlanetSoul.com on hiatus. Consequently, I’m now a familiar fixture at my kids’ elementary school, both as volunteer and substitute teacher. In the Fall, I’ll be looking into a new career as an elementary school teacher and spending some time volunteering for the Obama campaign (yes we can ). I’m excited about this new chapter and how it will benefit my family. And who knows? Perhaps I’ll hip some kids and voters to a little indie soul.

As I prepare to leave for a vacation with my three favorite people (see above ) this week and go “offline,” I wanted to take an opportunity to thank all of the indie soul artists, radio, media, and website folks, promoters, publicists, managers, and others who’ve put their hearts (and in most cases, their money) into this indie soul movement, and have provided so much encouragement, support, and inspiration to me as I tried my best, like them, to promote and share this music we all love. Thanks a million to Craig Chapman, Chai Footman, Detrel Howell, Pam Nichols, Chris Rizik, George Littlejohn, Selina Robinson, Elsa Lathan, Silawn Lewis, Mike Kitchen,  Brandon Felton, DJ Sean Sax, Soul Jones, Son of Soul, John Dean, SOBO Magazine, Jodine Dorce, Francis Jaye, Drake Phifer, Terry Bello, the PlanetBloggers, my online fam (Pink Room Fam at lalahhathaway.com, Rahsaaniacs at Rahsaan Patterson’s Yahoo! Group, the ERFs at ericrobersonmusic.com, eVangelists at vanhunt.com, Bravebirds at blisslife.com), and of course, artists like Rahsaan Patterson, Lalah Hathaway, Eric Roberson, Van Hunt, Adriana Evans, Angela Johnson, and countless others who inspire so many with their one-two punch of artistry and hustle in an industry and economy that’s endlessly challenging. (Sidebar: please check out SoulTracks.com’s fantastic new article on indie success and PlanetSoul.com’s new SoulTalk interview with indie soul artist on the rise Ra-Re Valverde.) 

Thanks again to all who continue to create, support, and promote the music – the world is better because of your contributions and passion.

I’d like to end this lil’ diatribe with a classic from Sade – an artist/goddess I’ve been missing something terrible lately . This groove right here completely describes how I’m feeling at the moment, and hopefully, how I’ll feel for the next 40 years.  

Please take some time this Summer to savor the sweetness and warmth of the season and may we all remember to Cherish The Day…every day.

With love & gratitude from my soul,
-D.
xoxoxoxo