Livingonthebside

05/08/2025

Something happened recently that really made me pause and think... 💭

Someone who's immersed in music every day reached out to share that when they try to use music for emotional support, their analytical mind immediately kicks in. Instead of feeling comforted, they end up critiquing and dissecting. Their musical sanctuary has become stressful.

If someone so connected to music can struggle to access its healing power, what barriers might we face as music lovers?

Maybe it's:
🎵 Feeling overwhelmed by too many choices
🎵 Being too exhausted to know what we actually need
🎵 Our minds staying too busy to let music in
🎵 Needing quieter approaches than what's typically suggested

I'm diving deep into research on this and creating new content, but I'd love your wisdom too.

What's your biggest challenge when it comes to using music for emotional support?

Drop a comment or send me a message - your quiet wisdom matters more than you know. ~ B 💜

28/07/2025

I'm quietly exploring some new collaborations in my chapter 2 of Living on the B Side.

Nothing flashy. No big launches. No pressure but aligned energy and fun to explore.

I am putting this out into the Universe inviting others into my space, to see if we can weave our own magic into each other’s (work) zones.

I work with introverted creatives and emotionally tired souls, helping them reconnect with themselves through music, reflection, and quiet tools.

If you have a community, audience, or project that aligns — or you’ve been curious about collaborating in a way that feels on the quiet and introverted side — I’d love to connect.

This could be a guest post, a shared freebie, a soft bonus in your group offer, or something we dream up together.

Fancy having a no pressure coffee chat to see if we can come up with something that feels good?

Send me a DM me or take a peek at my Collaboration Kit if you’d like to know more: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12Mf8EzIe6m1wIaHkb5HBDaSDCzTqSg-b/view

21/07/2025

{New Guest Interview}

In this episode, Julie from Canadian choir Luminous Voices shares how collaborating with First Nations composers has shifted the way they make music — from learning Cree songs by heart to singing outdoors on the land. A conversation about cultural respect, quiet reconciliation, and the power of music to connect us in ways words never could.

You can listen/watch to our full chat here: https://livingonthebside.com/echoes-of-the-land-singing-language-reconciliation-through-music/

and on all major podcast platforms. 🎧

21/07/2025

Do you know about my two eBooks that I have created?

Jamming Through Journaling is a music-inspired journaling guide created for quiet souls who want to reconnect with their emotions, creativity, and inner rhythm — without pressure.
Inside you’ll find 15 soulful prompts that blend reflection and music to help you explore your past, honour your present, and imagine your future — one song at a time.

and

5 Little Known Strategies to Enhance Your Emotional Wellbeing Through Music shows you five unique ways to use music as a tool for emotional balance amidst your busy life for emotional balance, self-reflection, and daily mindfulness. Perfect for introspective individuals and quiet souls who love music.

If you are interested, both are AUD4.50 each and available here:
https://ko-fi.com/livingonthebside/shop

Or maybe you know someone that could benefit from them? Please share the link with them. 💜

I've opened a shop. Come take a look!

19/07/2025

What if meditation doesn’t have to be still and silent?

In this reflection post, I share how music helped me find calm when traditional meditation felt out of reach. A soft reminder that presence can come through sound, not force.

Link to post: https://livingonthebside.com/meditation-for-the-restless-when-music-becomes-your-entry-point-to-presence/

18/07/2025

Just this week I got reminded about a song that I haven't heard in ages. It was released in 1997 to be exact.

Oh the memories this song has brought up in me; younger me preparing for the yearly Zurich Street Parade, nights of dancing and being fully in the moment enjoying the night lift in clubs and parties. Experiencing life with my friends in such a free and fun way.

How this made me smile. But it also made me feel a little sad that I probably won't experience music (and life) exactly like this again.

Music truly does that.

Do you have a song that takes you back? What would you say to that version of yourself?

(this is not a photo of me at the Street Parade, those photos will stay safe in one of my photo albums 😜)

15/07/2025

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆?

Let me try and put it into words, although this is something I tend to feel more than explain (introvert over here!).

For me, music journaling is not writing in a journal with having music playing in the background. It's all about using music to evoke emotions that you didn't know how to grab or reach with words alone.

It's about not using your brain, leaving out that part that overthinks, doubts, edits or even forgets, and let the sound/music take over and allow you to move into a space where you can simply be.

Often times, a song can bring up something you didn’t even know was there and all of a sudden you are writing about things that you did not plan, like memories and feelings. This then leads to clarity. And THAT is the beauty of it.

It's not about creating or aiming for a breakthrough, but to be in the present moment and letting things unfold as they need to.

You can also use music as a bridge to get you started when you want to write but nothing seems to happen.

For me, using music to journal has allowed me to look after myself and my emotions, helped me reflect and feel more grounded.

It really is a wonderful way to find yourself again.

Have you ever tried to use music to journal? If yes, what song has unlocked something for you lately?

08/07/2025

Let the Music Lead Your Journaling

Ever sit down to journal and feel… blank?

Staring into space, not a single word or thought coming through?
I’ve found that when the pages stay empty, music can be a gentle bridge between what I feel and what I need to express.

That’s why I created this carousel — to help you find a journaling style that matches your current music mood.

🎵 Feeling calm and grounded? Try classical music and a simple mind-dump journaling session.
🎸 Feeling raw and reflective? Folk or indie might help bring more insight to the surface.
🎧 And if you’re into K-pop… maybe it’s time for a colourful, creative journaling burst.

Each genre brings a different energy — and your journaling can follow that rhythm.

🖋 Want to try this for yourself?

I’ve created a free mini guide called A Quiet Jam — with 3 gentle, music-inspired journaling prompts to help you get started.

🎶 You can grab it here: https://bit.ly/aquietjam

I’d love to know — what music do you journal to most? Or which genre are you curious to try?

02/07/2025

Have you ever created something that came to you during a moment of crisis and despair? Something that you know is special but can't grasp the enormity of it yet?

This is what happened to Rick DellaRatta when he wrote the poem ''Jazz for Peace''.

Little did he know where it would lead him and the impact he is making.

From one written poem to over 850 charitable causes worldwide supported.

This is the incredible work Rick does and I tried to capture some thoughts on our conversation we had for my podcast 'Living on the B Side' in a blog post.

You can read it here: https://livingonthebside.com/rooftop-to-global-harmony/

And if you feel called, let me know your thoughts...

30/06/2025

A few months ago, this idea to create a BTS-inspired project came into my mind — something that would honour both their music and the voices of Australian ARMY.

I wasn’t sure if I could do it, if I had the time and energy to pull it off.

I left it on my mental shelf… maybe next year, if things settled a bit.

But the pull was strong — and this year felt special, with all the members completing their military service.

After a few in-depth conversations with friends, I decided to follow that inner nudge.

And I’m so glad I did.

It truly became more than capturing stories of others impacted by BTS and their music.

It became a way to process, reflect and reconnect – to my own creativity, emotions and a quiet permission to not follow the usual path.

Honestly, it helped me breathe again in a time when everything felt heavy and overwhelming.

In those quiet moments working on it, I was reminded — music is so much more than background noise.

It’s my companion. My guide . My mirror.

You can see the result of trusting my gut and doing this project here: https://livingonthebside.com/bts-project-june25

What you’ll find there, among all the beautiful contributions, is actually a form of journaling with music.

It is a surprisingly powerful way to explore what’s underneath, hiding often in plain sight.

And if you’re curious to try it for yourself but don’t know where to begin, I’ve created something to help.

I have a suggestion for you – try my new eBook Jamming Through Journaling.

It’s not a solution, but a starting point.

Guided by music-themed journal prompts, it opens the door back to your curiosity and the start to support your wellbeing.

You can get a sneak peek with 3 free musical prompts here: https://bit.ly/aquietjam

Or grab the full eBook here: https://ko-fi.com/s/623653defe

Because life isn’t about doing things the “normal” way (what even is that?) — but about finding your own way – one beat, song, page and moment at a time.

25/06/2025

Not all journaling has to be several pages long and full of deep thoughts....

You might believe that to do journaling 'properly', you need to sit down every day for a long time and fill up pager after page with your thoughts.

Wrong!

Sometimes all you need is to press 'play' to your favourite playlist, and then let music take over the pen.
You will be amazed of the outcome when you let music guide you and allow yourself to tune into that one song or playlist that you just can't get enough of.

This can be a few sentences, for one song or the whole playlist or for how long your thoughts, feelings, experiences, etc. keep flowing through your being through the pen and onto paper.

Next time you feel you want to journal but the pressure of 'how many pages' comes up, put your favourite tune(s) on and let the music do the writing... 🎵

Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash

23/06/2025

Min Yoongi - not only a musical genius but also a deeply caring human being.

In his absence over the last 2 years, he not only completed his mandatory social worker service in South Korea, but also worked hard behind the scenes with experts and health professionals to create the 'Min Yoon-ki Treatment Center' for the treatment of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder on the first floor of Jejungwan. This center will support the mental health of children and adolescents through language, psychological, and behavioural therapies, and will operate various programs that link clinical and research.

Again, the power of music is so huge here. More and more people can see this now and with the support of artists like Suga, more people can benefit of getting support to become the best versions of themselves, and in the process we can all learn that not one brain functions the same.

Reading this news story fired me up.

Why?

Because I love that music becomes so much more than background noise, but a way to truly connect with oneself, tap into areas of ourselves that can be hard to reach and also allows us to learn how our brains tick.

You might wonder how you can start this music self-discovery journey?

I will share some ways and tips moving forward on exactly how to do this, even if you feel time poor and feel currently overwhelmed.

For now, I am celebrating this exciting news and hopefully more people take notice of the healing power of music in more ways than we currently know.

Link to original article:
https://www.kmedinfo.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=90909&fbclid=IwY2xjawLFyqJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFtaVZTaFpSN3hxaEZTYTd4AR4Zw6s5nINhC6mk8sy_vN5eLCcZNXm777gZPF0SbkAZZxWbT_hZ_x2e-J1vjQ_aem_y-Q-quNB9f8wys_IGuSVsg

세브란스병원과 방탄소년단(BTS) 슈가(본명 민윤기)가 자폐스펙트럼장애 환자의 치료와 사회적 자립을 지원하기 위한 전문 치료센터를 설립한다.세브란스병원은 23일 제중관 1층에서 자폐스펙트럼장애 소아청소년 치료를 위한 ....