The Finland Sessions

the shore of lake superior

It began with watching Inside Bill’s Brain - Decoding Bill Gates. A documentary focusing on Bill, his life, and his work shares his yearly pilgrimage to a remote cabin to process.

Inside Bill's Brain \<Decoding Bill Gates\>!

Ever since making music gripped me, I’ve dreamed of stealing away to some remote studio to immerse myself in the writing process completely. To have all the tools I needed in the space that I needed them and, most important of all, the time to let the creative process happen. With life only getting more complicated, it seemed as good a time as any. But how do you find the right space?

I wanted something reasonably remote. The ability to be violently loud and not concern anyone, to cook, sleep, and some electricity to power my creative tools were necessary. An environment that spoke to me and set me on the right, artistic trajectory would be the cherry on top.

I happened upon a blog post that detailed the Most Most Wished-for Airbnb in Every state. There she was. Ms. Minnesota, 2020. With my family supporting me, I booked it. Seven hours in the car never looked so good.

To set the tone and burn my car time, I turned to a book that my friend and co-worker said he was reading. I took in six hours of narrated mysticism before pulling the plug. It was a net positive. I rolled up to the cabin at dusk, unpacked, and settled in with the truth that I was spending the night in the snow-covered woods filled with potentially dangerous wildlife far from home.

Welcome to the Finland Sessions.