EXCLUSIVE: Five Tips For Self-Care With Melita
Image: Megan Donnelly
With the release of her new single ‘Crystal Logic’, Sydney soul artist Melita reaffirms her commitment to being her best self while exploring new sonic territory.
‘Crystal Logic’ is inspired by Melita’s unwavering drive to prioritise her own needs and values by not being dictated by others’ wants and emotions.
Here, Melita offers her top five tips for self-care and self-prioritisation that have helped her maintain focus while creating new music.
Meditation
It was quite hard for me to get into meditation at the start; the intrusive thoughts win sometimes lol but once I got into the groove of it, I really started to feel its benefits. To me it’s like sweeping the floors of your brain and creating space. The chorus melody and chords for ‘Crystal Logic’ actually came to me during a meditation session. Sometimes you need to have moments of stillness to invite new ideas in.
Going on a walk with a friend
As someone who is sitting down a lot whether it be in the studio, at gigs, teaching etc I’m pretty bad at getting my 10,000 steps in. I’ve found walking with a friend to be a great way to exercise. It’s especially good if you get engrossed in some sort of meaningful conversation because then you get a workout and maybe even free therapy in one.
Minimising phone time
I know it’s tempting to start doom scrolling first thing in the morning, but I try to avoid this by turning my phone off before I go to bed or sometimes leaving it in a different room. We are simple creatures – if we make something slightly difficult it will deter us.
I know it’s hard in this content infested world and especially as a musician, there is a pressure to essentially be a content creator. I don’t love that that’s the case, but it really is the best free tool to promote your music, so I try my best to approach social media usage in a balanced way.
Honouring your boundaries / being able to disappoint people
As a people pleaser this is a difficult one to tackle but you have to realise your time is your most valuable resource and it is limited. Spreading yourself thin for others is a form of self-neglect. I think carving out the time to release music and record an EP shows that I had to exercise this.
If I’d said yes to everything that came my way (social outings, gigs, work offers etc) it would have been a stressful experience getting this to the finish line on time. If there’s something that fulfils you and brings you joy, it is the ultimate form of self-care to prioritise and make time for it.
Having a creative outlet/doing things for the pure joy of it
Having a creative outlet or even just having some time to be playful and free is super important. Sometimes, even as a full time musician, I can go through periods of monotony and routine. For example playing a lot of cover gigs with the same repertoire or being super perfectionistic and only working on music that will be released.
It’s important to remember to do things that aren’t just work related. In my case that could be writing a song for fun, learning a new song for the sake of it or having an open jam with friends – connecting with the simple things that made me fall in love with music in the first place.
‘Become What You Are’, the new album from The Daisycutters is available now via MADCAP Global Music, JB Hi-Fi and independent music retailers.
