A Call to Arms for All of Us

Lessons from Twenty Love turning Ten.

Today marks the 10th anniversary of my album, Twenty Love. Unlike famous bands as Weezer, Rush, Old 97s, and others, there will be no anniversary tour for Twenty Love. But I figured it deserved at least a few words.

I remain tremendously proud of this record, and grateful that I captured this moment of my life in art.

For many of you who don’t know me, this was my first and only record. It was recorded over many months in 2003, and independently released on February 17, 2004.

The album is truly the blood, sweat and tears of a period in my life. I knew when I was making it, that I would always be glad I did. No one can ever take these nine songs away from me. Some of you creators out there know the feeling I am talking about.

So much that goes into the creation of something intimate that you believe in —whether it be a musical album, a business, a vintage of wine, a sculpture, a homemade French pastry, or any other immeasurable number of things.

The first song I recorded on my album is titled “You Are Here.” It talks about a moment when my soul called me out to step forward. In that same spirit, and in the name of Twenty Love, here is my call to arms for all of us today.

1) CREATE: In whatever form, and there are infinite. Express yourself. Let out the thoughts, ideas and emotions that want to come out of you, and through you. The world deserves to hear them, feel them, taste them, touch them, see them.

2) CAPTURE: Life happens fast, and within seconds of something happening, it is already being forgotten. And that which is not forgotten, is distorted in our memory. Take the time every so often to capture what you think and feel about your life. You’ll be glad you did one day.

3) CARE: If you are not challenged by your emotions from time to time, then you’ve probably stopped letting yourself feel them. Having Emotional Intelligence doesn’t mean you don’t feel. You can approach your emotions rationally, without rejecting them. Care about the life you live, and the people in it — especially when it’s scary to do so.

4) COMPLETE: We won’t finish everything we start, and there’ll be things left on the list when we die –- so just go out and tackle that big one. And by tackle, I mean do some work to complete it. Finish it! What’s stopping you? Whatever it is, I KNOW it isn’t bigger than the regret you’ll feel if you don’t do it. If it were, the desire would go away. So get to it!

5) CELEBRATE: You’re fucking awesome. Period. If you are proud of something, put it out there and let it shine. It is your celebration, regardless of what other people might say. Take it, own it, soak in it, and celebrate it!

That’s it.

Thank you 2003 Brett for what you cared about, created, captured, and completed. I celebrate you today! Cheers to Twenty Love, and all the creators out there creating!

P.S. For its 10th Anniversary, I have made Twenty Love available for FREE download. You can grab it HERE, along with a few bonuses, including the original press release and lyrics.

In addition, I have included six bonus tracks — a few of them never shared before. So even those out there who have heard the album, may be interested in a few “gems” from the vault.