Hello everyone. The tide is turning. THE TIDE IS FLIPPING TURNING. I am soooooooo happy to say. The first half of this year was a lot of work to just get things going again. Starting point ’nothing in my diary’, so let’s book a load of venues and do everything myself to get people in. Become a jack of all trades marketeer, events organiser, needs must or else that’s it vibe. It hasn’t been easy. It’s done my head in many times this year.

BUT, and a lovely big fat BUT it is. A juicy big fat BUT. It’s all been worth it, and people are starting to book me now and do the work with me of getting people in. Lovely opportunities are coming in, and I love that it’s because of who I am and the way I am with audiences when I sing. I feel like my name is getting out there and I’m really enjoying the connections I am making with people, and that doing things in my way (I really want to uplift people) is beginning to really work.

It’s still a lot of work and I am still not out of the woods but I am feeling so much happier. All I’ve ever wanted deep down is to be singing for people and doing my mission and it’s been like banging my head against a brick wall sometimes, so now I can see things starting to unfold I’m just flippin’ happy from it. Yes, more yes and another big fat high five YES!!

Next Saturday I have The Last Night of the Proms at The Piece Hall. Sold Out. The Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra. Around 2000 in the audience. I’m buzzing at the seams to get up there and do it. Picking my ballgown up from my friend later who has been altering it for me. I found it brand new for £40 in a charity shop in Holmfirth. I have no idea how that will feel to see so many people out there enjoying themselves and creating a massive buzz.

I’ll be chatting a bit to them and it will be ‘come on everyone, get your phones out and wave your lights in the air’ kind of thing. Very nice too that is really is a Yorkshire thing. Great venue, singers based in Yorkshire, orchestra based in Yorkshire. Nice to bring things back to our roots. Can you tell I feel excited?

I think one of the nicest feelings is to be asked back when I sing somewhere, especially when I have organised the initial event and then people come to me and say what’s your fee to have you back (and I don’t have to do the flyer drops, or sort out the bar, get it out there). What matters to me more than anything is that people go away feeling good, that they’ve enjoyed it and they would come again. What better compliment is that? A couple came last night who came to see ’A Spoonful of Julie’ in Edgworth. They live in Preston and came to Grassington to watch me last night. I love that.

I get lovely feedback all the time, and I’m trying to create a win, win thing for everyone. The venues, the audience, and me, so we all walk away happy with it. A sense of us all working together. I liked The Octagon Theatre last night in Grassington, because when I was chatting to Cathy, the lady who let me in the building, she was telling me it’s not run for profit, but they are there to serve the community with lots of different events. Love that. Wouldn’t it be great if they could all work like that? I do hope places can survive with everything going on, and that we don’t see lots of places having to close. I even made a joke last night and said ‘come to my concert, it’s cheaper than staying at home and having your leccy on.’ A joke and a bit of banter but also not funny either. People are being squeezed more and more and it’s really NOT right because it will have a knock on effect to soooooo many things and it just honestly shouldn’t be so difficult to have the basics in life when there is enough money and resources for everyone. Little rant over.

A little highlight recently (one of the many) was singing for County Court Independent Living Facility in Halifax.

I’d just come back from my hols (we had the most glorious week in Cornwall when the weather was amazing. Lots of easy beach times and just simple but the best stuff with Jon and his little boy. Luckily I have a friend who lets me use her place to stay there), and I sang for the first year anniversary of the Living Facility. It’s just gets you right back on the ground, humble, for the people, this is what it’s all about, when I saw the reactions on faces. You can’t put a price on that, it’s got ‘real deal’ written all over it. I did a picnic/opera event for Queens Sports Club too in Halifax, and last weekend for Turton Tower, and then last night in Grassington.

I didn’t have much work on in August but I was ok with that. I know things are going to get busier (my gut tells me), and I took the chance to have a holiday whilst I could. It was my birthday too so we stayed camping on a goats farm and I got my yearly chips and peas (luckily found a good chippy) and we sat on a bench on the farm watching the sunset with a bottle of champagne given to me by a lady I used to help out every week in Todmorden during lockdown, who gave it to me for singing for her. She recently passed on (only early 70’s) and I have lovely memories of Val so I did a cheers to her too. I’m not really a presents person ( I don’t really need ‘stuff’), but I want to create lots of memories. The connections I’ve made with people as I’ve gone along.

Soooooooo, some new things have recently come in. I am thrilled to be singing for Spot On Lancashire later this year in 3 venues (The Barlow, Edgworth Saturday 29th October, Longridge Library, Preston November 2nd and The Boathouse , Lytham St. Annes on Friday 11th November). I’m also at Brighouse Arts Festival on October 21st, Halifax Minster for Healthy Minds December 9th, Handel’s Messiah (Not done a Messiah in years) with Saddleworth Male Voice Choir December 17th, The Circle, Bacup (beautiful Church space now as a events venue) on November 6th and Notton Village Hall have asked me back near to Christmas. I’m going to update my website with details this week. Work is coming in for next year, Grassington have asked me back, I’ve got my ‘A Spoonful of Julie’ on September 30th in Todmorden (who made lockdown singing happen for me), and venues are interested for next year too (just organising some more). My music teacher from secondary school got in touch too yesterday asking me to sing with a brass band. I’ve wanted to do that now for a while, so I’m going to call him later today. All I’ve wanted is to be singing and doing what I want to do for people. I know I’ve said it already in this blog, but it really is just as simple as that. I was saying to a couple of audiences recently that over the years I’ve done lots of side hustles (love how the Americans say that).

I’ve washed up in restaurants, worked on checkouts, order picked in factories, delivered pizzas, worked in a chippy (not so bad for the free chips), busked, cooked in a community centre, and each one has really helped me to live and keep going, but I’ve NEVER GIVEN UP with my singing, and I never will. I’ve never lost sight of what I want and the calling from my soul too. When others have said to me ‘why don’t you do something else?’ it’s been like ‘worse thing you can say really’. Never. End of that convo.

Let’s see what the future holds now. Let it all unfold. One thing I am happy that I have learnt this year is to take time off and have a personal life. Have a holiday. Take mental time off. Not push for things. It’s helped me to be a lot calmer on the inside and more balanced and I want to go from the ‘needing to survive’ place in my head that I had been in for years, to the ‘do your thing and it will all just come to you’ place, and it is doing, and it does work, and from having a better balance I can give more to people I sing for, so it’s win, win really. I’ve learnt a lot this year and my time is coming. I’ve waited years for it, but it is, and I’m excited and happy to feel that it is brewing under the surface. Bubbling away. It’s not about where I’m singing, it’s the joy of connecting with people and uplifting them that makes me feel good, and my motivation.

I have a lovely man to walk my path with me now too. Nearly a year together. So many lovely times with him too, and happy to be building a life together. A nice way to end my blog. Have a lovely day everyone.

www.iamnicolamills.com

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