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Conscious.<\/strong><\/p>\n What does it mean to you? Some of the many definitions I have found are:<\/span><\/p>\n ‘Conscious’, very simply put means awake, which is technically the time we spend not sleeping right? But if we look at the definitions they are so much deeper than that: <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAware of one\u2019s own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n How many of us can honestly say that we are fully aware? I am sure if we think about it we can all pin point that part of our day that we just hit the auto-pilot button and go through the motions! ‘Conscious’, to me means happiness. Finding my fullest state of consciousness and continuing to explore it on a daily basis is what keeps me smiling. Being fully aware and in the moment of whatever I am doing whether it be the washing my clothes or singing on stage in front of thousands of people is the only way I can feel true happiness every day. I wholeheartedly believe that as human beings we are capable of so much. We have the capacity to experience real trauma and come out stronger. Whilst it is not a straight line from trauma to stronger, it is a journey and I for one am grateful for every moment of it so far and every moment to come.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I decided to explore this concept for the EP. I wanted to find other people that had been through something and come out the other side with a renewed sense of life.\u00a0 <\/span>Now I am not saying that you must experience trauma to be able to be conscious in your life but as Steve Jobs said the simple task of,<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRemembering you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n I live my life by the clich\u00e9, \u2018live each day as if it\u2019s your last\u2019 and I am constantly being told that I need to be realistic and that it is not possible. Going back to that same Steve Jobs speech he tells us that: <\/span><\/p>\n \u201ceach day I looks in the mirror and asks myself, \u2018if today were the last day of my life would I be happy to do what I am about to do?\u2019 And if the answer is no for too many days in a row then I know I need to change something.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It\u2019s really that simple; living each day as if it\u2019s your last doesn\u2019t mean throwing yourself out of a plane everyday it just means be honest with yourself. Be true to who you are. When I embarked on this journey with my EP I didn\u2019t know what I might uncover. My goal was to write something real and share this musical outlet I have with others. Little did I know that I was about to embark on one of the most inspirational journeys I\u2019ve had…The overwhelming lesson I learnt is best explained by Jim Carr<\/span>ey: <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYour need for acceptance can make you invisible in this world. Risk being seen in all of your glory.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n These people sat down in front of me and bared their soul, some of their darkest moments and biggest fears spoke out loud often to a perfect stranger. They were able to own their past and speak proudly of it without shame or fear of judgment and that is something I admire greatly! <\/span><\/p>\n ‘Stare At Me’, is track 2 on my EP and it speaks about accepting your physical appearance in its most honest form. The lyrics are drawn from my experience of body image, in particular coming to terms with having several scars on my chest; one the entire length of my sternum, left there from having a tumour removed at the age of 20. However, the song itself was inspired by Katie Piper\u2019s story and her subsequent documentary, ‘My Beautiful Friends’. I feel this song really capture the essence of what this EP is all about. You can read more about the story behind ‘Stare At Me’ here but let me just say, it was a huge part of my journey and who I am today and I am now truly proud of my scars and grateful for them for they gave me my life! When I was choosing a title for the EP \u2018Conscious\u2019 jumped out at me like a jack in the box! There was never anything else that would hold the weight of these stories other than that word, for each and every person I spoke to is wholeheartedly awake both inside and out! They know first hand how lucky they are to be alive and they are grateful every day for the opportunity to live. Gratitude for me is the only road that leads to happiness.<\/span><\/p>\n Find out more about Sian online on Twitter<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, and her official website<\/a>. Sian’s EP, ‘Conscious’, is available on iTunes<\/a>.\u00a0Check out the video for her track, ‘On And On’:<\/p>\n\n
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