Photos – RuthBlake.com

Yes yes lots of important things to think about, b

Yes yes lots of important things to think about, but first... Have you ever wondered what I'd look like as a man?!!! .
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#ruthblakeasaman

Met a magical new friend to watch the sunset with

Met a magical new friend to watch the sunset with us yesterday at Cley Hill 😍 Reminds me so much of the dragon, Falkor, in Never Ending Story!!! Anyone remember that?!!! .
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#saluki #salukisofinstagram #lurcher #dog #dogsofinstagram #sunset #cleyhill #falkor #neverendingstory

Recording two new songs (Love Again and River of m

Recording two new songs (Love Again and River of my Tears), au naturale in the woods with my beloved Elia and my old friend and sound engineer @bencappsound. That's au naturale = acoustic in nature 🌳 not au naturale = naked 🙈
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2m away at all times, obvs. #lockdown
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Air raid siren interruption (totally normal of course) had the added bonus of encouraging me to get my phone out and say hello to you guys! I'm generally a bit pants at that - by the time a fun moment has been had, the moment for the camera always seems to have passed! I always marvel at people capturing good moments on camera. On the one hand, I generally prefer to just be in the moment. On the other hand, it's nice to let people know when I'm doing nice things. As you can see, I couldn't even wait to finish eating before making a start here. #Presentingskillz
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Don't miss the #crayfish getting his own back on Elia for being rudely removed from the water! Nb No crayfish were harmed in the making of this video 🦐
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Watch this space for new musicy things, coming soon ✨
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#ruthblake #ruthblakemusic #newmusic #live #recording #inthewoods #loveagain #riverofmytears #lockdownstudio #lockdownrecording #original #music #frome #whattod#thingstodointhelockdown #airraid #siren #nofilter #lovenature #bytheriver

A conversation . PERSON 1: . The Book of Job I t

A conversation
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PERSON 1:
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The Book of Job I think says there is nothing new under the sun, and at the going down of the sun there will be weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. I forget the last bit, I think the sun will last a bit longer. One of the lessons you learn over a longer life is that human society has always had a dark and destructive side and that, however much one generation might achieve, the next is always capable of taking it apart. Knowing what people are capable of means some of us could work our butts off trying to save the planet whilst others sit back and wait to collect. We might agree the planet needs saving but achieving any kind of agreement on how it's likely to be is almost impossible, if not the rock we founder on eventually.
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PERSON 2:
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For me, what you are talking about here is cycles. Creation and destruction go hand in hand, like birth and death, day and night. One cannot exist without the other. The sun rises every morning, despite the fact that night will always follow. It does not give up in despair. To decide not to bother creating, living, repairing, growing etc because we know that things will ultimately come apart again, or somehow be destroyed, is basically despair. But the opposite of despair is hope, and it really just depends from which side you look at it. And it's not to say that one perspective is more true or valid, but simply to ask, which perspective is more healthy and constructive in this moment? Which brings more joy and peace to my heart? To trust that the sun will always rise, or to despair that we will always fall back into shadow?
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The most essential thing to remember when considering this is not that we must tolerate the bad in order to enjoy the good, but that what we see as 'bad' is somehow essential (though sometimes beyond our understanding) to feed or create the 'good' . The lotus is used as a symbol of this - a beautiful flower that grows out of the mud. Without night , day is meaningless and in fact would become a lifeless torment. We look at a forest as a sublime living ecosystem, but within the forest everything must die, all is continually... (cont in comments)

People of Instagram and beyond! Will you join me i

People of Instagram and beyond! Will you join me in making a music video to warm and inspire hearts at this unique time in history?!🎶📹🎶
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For all those looking for something to do that has the capacity to be fun, creative, meaningful, useful and connected to others (whilst appropriately far away)... This may be for you ❤️
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Some of you will know I'm currently recording a song called Brave Ships. It really sums up what I want to communicate to the world right now, and so I'm itching to release it as a single. I've been planning a video, an important aspect to carry the song into the realms of YouTube etc, and a tool to emphasize and support the message of the song. Like most of us, Queen Corona 👑 made dust of my original plans!! But all is not lost!! Out of the ashes, new blooms be blooming .. So how can I make a video without people gathering together? That's where you come in. .
The video will be a montage that shows firstly the myriad challenges, fears, and vulnerabilities of this time, and then to progress by showing images of generosity, community spirit and acts of kindness, creativity and ingenuity, both large and small, silly and serious, including playful and creative ways that people are turning this situation into something positive. I know you're all doing some cool stuff, whether it's spending more time with children, making instruments out of melons, remembering how to do that thing you love, or helping your neighbour with the shopping, I want to see it.
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So this is my request to all those willing. I need video clips to make this work. Firstly , ONLY FOOTAGE THAT'S YOURS, THAT YOU GIVE ME PERMISSION TO USE in a public video. If you send it, I assume permission is given. I will edit them together to create the final video.
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I'm looking for what people are dealing with right now and all the different responses you're coming up with - short clips that illustrate what you're feeling (lonely, fearful, anxious, angry, curious, creative, calm, excited, confused, silly, connected, disconnected, etc), or practical things that you're dealing with (faffing around with gloves and masks, trying to home school kids,
- continued in comments...

Join me on Monday lunchtime (9th March) at St Step

Join me on Monday lunchtime (9th March) at St Stephens Church on St Stephens Street in Bristol. I will be playing solo from 1.10-2pm, free entry x
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#ruthblake #ruthblakemusic #live #music #gig #concert #singer #songwriter #bristol #whatsoninbristol #freeconcert #lunchtime #church #ststephenschurch #guitar #folk #folkmusic #acoustic #solo #indie #independentmusic

Look at this juicy lineup for my first festival of

Look at this juicy lineup for my first festival of the year, Glastonbury Calling 2020. I'll be playing at Hawthorns on Sat 29th Feb at 1.15pm. If you don't know the other artists, they really are worth checking out 🎶
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I love Avalon and I feel grateful to have lived there and to have felt the support and magic of that land. If you're not local, it's such a unique part of the UK. The home of our magical King Arthur legends; the townsfolk proudly partake in the pagan celebrations of old, breathing new life into them and into our own sense of connection with our ancestral inheritance and our connection to each other and the land. In return, the land still speaks. Perhaps that's why so much great music is born there!?And guess what? Lots of it is being showcased at Glastonbury Calling on 28th & 29th Feb 😉 .
It's not a camping affair so don't worry there's no need to freeze your delicate parts off... Come down for the day or stay in one of the lovely B&Bs, and come and listen to me sing songs songs at Hawthorns Hotel, 1.15-2pm on the 29th ❤️ Weekend and day tickets available from https://www.ethertickets.com/
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With @glastonburycalling
@imprintsuk @mattowensmusic
@licebristol
@patternpusher @nolovelost @alesundmusic @lazydazeband
@theliabilities @karlficarottasolo
@steve.henderson.754
@stonecoldfiction @brokenbonesmatildaband
@whitelionparade
@gotchemistry @fonzyandco
@house.of.commoners @lastonehomeofficial
@flyyetifly
@themodelfolk @eviecosgrove_music @mirrorgrinnstagram
@noviolet @chinabears
@duncanbatey
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#ruthblake #ruthblakemusic #livemusic #newmusic #localmusic #glastonbury #whatsoninglastonbury #whatson #events #supportlocalmusic #supportindependentmusic #sacredsites #glastonburycalling2020 #glastonburycalling #festivals #hawthornshotel #gigs #concert

I'm feeling all buzzed up with excitement for the

Back in the studio with my bro Damien Mahoney for

Back in the studio with my bro Damien Mahoney for the next installment of Brave Ships. This time we've added a string section with Alan Keary who plays bass, cello, viola and violin!! Amazing guy!! He's literally just gotten back from the states where he was performing bass for an African cello concerto, and he worked his socks off to record some out of this world string parts for us. I literally had tears in my eyes with the sheer beauty of it.
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Recording this song is proving to be a bit of a rollercoaster 🎢 because i keep getting scared that I'm in danger of drifting from the spirit of the song, and I've been praying hard to be kept on track, to keep listening and honouring her needs... with these strings the depth, mystery and melancholy of the ocean is finally captured 🌊
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After Alan came Pete Barrett, full of stories from his days as a session musician, working with the likes of Terry Hall from The Specials, Martin Gannett, producer of joy division, and the poet John Cooper Clark. He came to add some harmonium but who knew he was a top class guitarist as well?! So we've ended up with some gorgeous touches of his warm electric guitar that lifts the final chorus of the song which is a joyous declaration of our strength when we remember who we truly are. Like a little gnome he deserted the recording booth to record his parts sat next to us on the floor 😊
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Working with all these guys is such an incredible honour and I'm so touched that people are still willing to offer their time for so much less than they're worth, because sometimes there simply isn't money but there is still beautiful art to be made. I thank everyone who is giving their time so generously to this project 🙏 and I truly believe it's worth it! .
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#ruthblake #ruthblakemusic #braveships #recordingstudio
#recording #newsong #originalsong #originalmusic #music #singersongwriter #cello #electricguitar #collaboration #folk #acoustic

Yesterday I received the most precious Christmas g

Yesterday I received the most precious Christmas gift I could have dreamt of. First, this picture, sent from a dear friend, followed by this message :
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"I just had to share with you that I received a letter this morning from one of my oldest friends from my college days. I gave her your album as a present last year. She was writing to tell me how much that album had affected her and inspired her to make massive changes in herself and in her life.. So moving, it's taken her a year to write it. Thought you would appreciate hearing that your work is touching the lives of women who are needing these beautiful insights and empowerings. Love you xxx"
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To know that these songs can impact people's lives - people who I've never even met - in such a powerful way, brings tears to my eyes and meaning to my heart that I'm not sure I can ever find the words to express. It reaches into the very deepest parts of me and takes root, whispering into my soul, "keep going, keep doing what you do, it is enough, you are needed."
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To all those whom my music has touched, I thank you from the bottom of my heart - I thank you for letting me in and giving my life purpose. There is no greater gift, and you give it to me simply by receiving my offerings with your beautiful hearts. Songs are travelers, you know, and without you they have nowhere to go. 💫
I truly pray that each and every one of you feels this same touch of meaning and purpose in your own lives; that each of you finds those who are able to receive the offerings of your heart, so that you can know this same sense of... So many words could go here - gratitude, peace, fulfillment, even humility, but none quite cut the mustard. I shall land with something a little unexpected.... So that you can know this same sense of... devotion.

With all my love on this magical solstice night, may all your dreams come true 🌟🌒🌟
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#ruthblake #ruthblakemusic #singersongwriter #musicasmedicine #musicheals #musictransforms #healingpowerofmusic #handwritten #letter #gratitude #purpose #purposedrivenlife #bestchristmasgift #happysolstice

Thank you to everyone who's followed me, streamed

Thank you to everyone who's followed me, streamed me, shared me and included my music in their Spotify playlists this year. It's incredible to know that people are listening all over the world! Thank you so much for all your support 💖🙏💖 I'm really excited to see what 2020 brings! 😻😻
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#ruthblake #ruthblakemusic #spotify #thankyou #2019 #wrapped

Ruth - rocking it Dave - confused Mat - concentrat

Ruth - rocking it
Dave - confused
Mat - concentrating
Jennifer Forestfeather - overseeing
Damien - slightly anguished
Action man - camera shy but present
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A summary in pictures of my recording up in Manchester last week with the awesome producer and hoot-a-minute soul bro Damien Mahoney. We had a blast! Still quite a way to go but Brave Ships is in the making that's for sure, and I'm infinitely grateful to @matpicklesart for his brill percussion and Dave Tompkins for his bass, and to both of them for their generosity and overall loveliness and groove! 🎶
Also added some more vocals to the final track of the funktastical Caulbearers album which is still evolving. Working with Damien is one of my fave things in all the world. Big up @musicasmedicine_mcr tribe! ❤️
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#ruthblake #ruthblakemusic #singersongwriter #musicasmedicine #indieartist #independentmusic #newsong #recording #havingahoot #twattingabout #inthestudo #braveships #homestudio #newsong #behindthescenes

It felt really special to be back at The King Arth

It felt really special to be back at The King Arthur in Glastonbury last night, for the first time since my album launch last autumn. I only lived in Glastonbury for about 3 years but there's something about it that feels like home. I guess it's where Creation was born in many ways, but more than that it feels like the place where I was nurtured by the town as a performer, I feel recognized and supported there, I've been invited to appear on their local radio station countless times and I genuinely feel loved! And with the break down and break up of such a key relationship plus the subsequent rise from the ashes, it feels like the place where I really grew up. The place where I stepped into my adulthood and womanhood in a way that I never had before. Ultimately now it feels like my safe place - my little familiar nest from which I am tentatively flying. I think that's why it feels like going home 🐣
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It was a joy to see faces new and old in the crowd and even though the Sunday Sessions take place in the bar area which is much noisier than the usual gig space, everyone was really engaged and we had a beautiful evening together. I feel thoroughly nourished. .
Thank you so much @thekingarthurglastonbury for having me back, and thank you to everyone who came! ❤️
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As a sidenote, I've also been getting the sense that next year needs to be the year where I perform in my actual home town, the place I grew up - Coventry. That's going to be a big step and takes quite a bit of courage, but I feel ready! .
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#ruthblake #ruthblakemusic #thekingarthur #musician #singersongwriter #glastonbury #hometown #livemusicinsomerset #livemusic #feelslikehome

When I am on my moon I am often extra tired, heada

When I am on my moon I am often extra tired, headachey, clumsy, impatient (occasionally irritable), my coordination is affected (and therefore things like driving) and I am generally not fit for much in the practical world except resting and eating. When I try to do normal things, it is not uncommon for me to hurt my body, scrape my car, lose my stuff etc etc. Although this can be very inconvenient, I do not see it as a problem (therefore no advice please!!). .
The pay off is often a highly creative or visionary time, deep insight, loads of ideas and heightened emotional and spiritual sensitivity. I go inwards. My energetic skin feels extra thin, I feel everything more acutely. My impatience and irritability are actually a reduction in my tolerance for situations that aren't serving me... They make it harder for me to ignore my needs and my boundaries. I feel overwhelming love for all that I cherish. I feel heightened grief for all that breaks my heart in the world. It's not uncommon for me to be ready to clear the air with people, or make necessary changes in my life. It feels like shedding old skin, clarifying and cleansing.
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I often need some quality alone time to ponder, pray, and write, and that can be interspersed with creative or emotionally clearing interactions. Anything that feels nourishing actually, which can equally be movies and lots of chocolate! .
Here is a picture of my poorly knee that I smashed into the car yesterday at work. I also cut my finger whilst cooking. This is because I'm at work trying to do normal things, and get paid for them! I love my job but I'm a bit of a liability at this time of the month!! I'm so lucky though that the guy I work for, the amazing @ashonweels, is uber supportive of my creative life and I often get plenty of time out to rest and recharge.
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Ultimately I love this time of the month, even though it can be dificult, and I love feeling the rhythms of life move through me 🌙🌗🌕
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#ruthblake #rhythmoflife #rhythmsoflife #moontime #redtent #poorlyknee #ouch #iamaliability

With recordings and gigs booked in the coming week

With recordings and gigs booked in the coming weeks, this is not good! I already had to cancel my Gfm radio appearance on Thursday 🙁
I actually lost my voice before a huge chunk of booked recording days for Creation, and I had to cancel everything for months, I was gutted... However during that time my guitar playing improved and many of the songs evolved so it was actually a great blessing in disguise, as these things so often are...
Still I can't help hoping that I get my voice back in time for my Glastonbury gig and recording my new single, both scheduled for the beginning of Nov... Wish me luck 🍀
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#lostmyvoice #setback #notideal

Following one's path is not a straightforward affa

Following one's path is not a straightforward affair. Paths are so very windy, and sometimes you can't see any path at all for one reason or another. The thing to remember is that periods of not knowing are as important for the psyche as sleeping is for the body. These are times to pause and rest and, if you can, trust that your path is unfolding in its own way, even as you feel lost, or stuck, or stationary. Like a little rest in the forest. When the sun rises again, everything will appear refreshed and renewed, having been bathed in the restorative balm of darkness.
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#ruthblake #ruthblakemusic #heartsense #howtofollowyourheart #whentheheartspeaks #whentheheartissilent #notknowing #wisdomofthedark #wordsofwisdom #wordsofencouragement #motivationalquotes #followyourheart #followyourownpath #darkness #danceofthedark #cyclesoflife #inspiration #cyclesofinspiration #trustthejourney #trust #surrender #transitions #navigatinglife #silencespeaks

Bristolites and Somerset folk, join me at Rockaway

Bristolites and Somerset folk, join me at Rockaway Park in Temple Cloud (just south of Bristol), as part of Somerset Arts week, this Sunday 22nd September. Some of you may remember that I had originally planned to have my album launch at this vibrant creative hub and permaculture community set in a reimagined disused quarry. That's because it's a really cool place. I was a late addition to the programme so I'm not on the poster, but I promise you I AM playing, and it's going to be lots of fun 😉 Tickets are £10 for the whole weekend and there's a great vegan cafe serving yummy food all day both days 😋 Join me 5-6pm Sunday 22nd September.
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#ruthblake #ruthblakemusic #rockawaypark #somersetartsweek #somersetartsweeks2019 #livemusic #livemusicinsomerset #liveevents #originalmusic #consciousmusic #singersongwriter #poster #whatsonbristol #somersetarts #arts #originalart

Brave Ships is a song for us all, to give us heart

Brave Ships is a song for us all, to give us heart when the storms keep raging, to remind us that who we are is enough and is very much needed. . "If the ocean was calm every day you would never find the courage of the man who is drowning
And if your never burnt down to the ground you could never rise up from the ashes you were down
If you wanna know more push off from the shore without the promise of a happy ending
And if you wanna know love, bow down to the shadow of the truth that you've been defending... "
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I will be playing it live this evening (wed 4th September) on Glastonbury fm, with the wonderful Steve Lee, between 5.30-6pm. Tune in online www.glastonburyfm.co.uk.
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#ruthblake #ruthblakemusic #newsong #newmusic #originalmusic #singersongwriter #braveships #weweremadeforthesetimes #ontheradio #liveontheradio #consciousmusic #music #musicfortherebellion #extinctionrebellion #takeheart #lyrics #inspiringsonglyrics #inspiringlyrics #glastonbury #glastonburyfm #stevelee #thenewsteveleeshow

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