"Song Sung Blue" and the Desire to Reach an Audience

Me with some of my creations - at two recent craft shows and showing magazines in which I had cover stories.

"Song Sung Blue" and the Desire to Reach an Audience

“I just want to entertain and make a living.” Mike Sardina, Song Sung Blue (2025)

“Song Sung Blue” and Being a Creator

I recently saw the new Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson movie Song Sung Blue, the story of a Milwaukee couple Mike and Claire Sardina who performed as a Neil Diamond tribute band (or experience) as Lightning and Thunder. It chronicles their rise to local fame while featuring their struggles and successes. 

It was a great movie. Kate Hudson was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Movie, and I can see why. I really recommend it, plus there’s tons of great Neil Diamond music. And if you only really know “Sweet Caroline,” go on Spotify or Apple Music or wherever you get your music to hear some great songs.

There was a line in the movie that I think any creator can relate to: “I just want to entertain and make a living.” 

As a writer and jewelry maker, I felt this in my soul. Sardinia recognizes that he’s never going to be a household name. He knows that he’s trying in a limited world, and that the competition is fierce. Hell, later, Mike is at an AA meeting when someone talks about how dreams and hope just die. I felt that, too but I didn’t want to. It brought me waaay down, and I was hoping it wasn’t going to bring down the rest of the story. I don’t want to give up on my dreams, just like Mike.  I want my work to stand out just enough that' it’s seen.

Writing for a Living

What’s funny though, is that I don’t necessarily know what kind of writer I want to be or be known for. I know it’s not proposal writing (sales, not marriage proposals. Yes, I’ve been asked if that’s what it means). I love writing these blog posts and articles for firefighting magazines, although I’d like to branch out to more than just firefighting magazines. I have book projects that I really believe in that I can’t imagine holding a physical copy in my hands but I know it would be the coolest thing ever. I dabble in poetry. Oddly, I love writing random monologues so maybe I could write speeches. 

If I were to have any out-of-this-world goals, it would be to win an Oscar for Best Screenplay. I’ve never written a screenplay, although I think one of my book ideas would be better as a movie. Just something that plays through my mind every now and again.

Ultimately, however, I just want to write and get paid for it. I’m already writing and not getting paid for it, so I don’t see that changing. And frankly, I can’t imagine not writing something. Even on days I don’t write anything, I’m thinking about writing or reading about writing. It is as natural as anything to me. 

In some ways, no, it’s not about the money because I do just love it when people say “Hey, I loved your latest blog post!” but it’s what I’m good at and I’d like to earn a living from it. I don’t think that’s asking too much. And I’d still be writing outside of work-related writing probably. 

With the exceptions of working at the Mount Troy Ballroom (RIP) and a very brief stint at Wendy’s, every job I’ve had has required quality writing. At every job I’ve had, writing/comms related or not, at some point someone has said to me, “You’re the writer.” Yes, I am. 

I just want to write and have someone read my writing. Writing creates so many different connections, and like singing, can make someone feel something.

Side note, it’s not just me singing the praises of the written word. Recently, the Wall Street Journal, Guardian, Morning Brew, and more wrote about how “storytellers” are the job/rockstar/buzzword du jour in the corporate world in a reflection of a changing media and communications landscape. My homepage and About Me have talked about my storytelling capabilities for years and, fyi, I am available for hire.

Let’s look at that quote again: I just want to entertain and make a living. I said it’s not just about the money, it’s about reaching an audience. It’s knowing that people are interacting with your work, your art. If you are a creator of any kind, you know what that feels like. It’s a rush, a feeling of accomplishment, knowing that what you created mattered in some way to someone. It made them feel something. And, you know, that is what is nice about having a blog that doesn’t have a defined subject - - I can write about whatever the hell I want. 

It just seems like such a simple thing, wanting to write and make a living from it. Really though, it’s complex (especially if you’re working for yourself as a freelancer). But when Mike Sardina said that in Song Sung Blue, it was so freaking relatable. 

However, written content isn’t the only thing I’m creating.

Jewelry Making

I wish I could remember what made me decide to take up jewelry-making. I really have no idea. It was around 2018; I vaguely remember trying to come up with a brand name with a coworker. But the woman who started Beads & Posh would be flabbergasted (in a good way) at what it is now. It took a lot of trial and error (and always will), but it’s really become something. Much more than I would have imagined. I’m looking into how I can best sell from a website. Selling wasn’t in the original thought process at all. 

And, similar to writing, it isn’t just about the money although jewelry making has a much higher cost to create. I am admittedly not a patient person, except when it comes to jewelry making. I can work on something for hours and really not make any progress and that’s…okay. That is not typically how I operate. Ironically, that frustration has been felt when writing.

Examples of some of the jewelry and other beaded items I make.

I’m doing bead embroidery! That definitely wasn’t on the original menu. I was at a store the other day and saw beaded purses. I pointed it out to my mom and said, I’m going to be making those. Now, I’m not crazy enough to think I’ll be selling in a discount box store, but I definitely see a future at craft shows where I have some bead-embroidered items available.

My jewelry-making journey is at least one separate post of its own, but I’m here to tell you when people say you shop small, you’re making an owner/creator’s day, you totally are. And although my writing goals can reach outer space, my jewelry-making ones aren’t. That’s okay! It really is such a joy when someone buys a piece or sends me a picture of them wearing it or their snowflake ornament on the tree. 

Audience Reached

To you, it might seem like such a small thing to listen to a tribute band at a bar or buy something from a craft show. But it creates a connection. Not even just feeling validated about what you’re doing. It’s knowing something worked. This is especially true when you’re trying different things with your creations, trust me. 

You might be thinking, “You know, Tori, is any of this really that deep?” It might seem silly. But it really is something. And maybe that’s why movies like Song Sung Blue are so popular. They resonate with us. They tell us maybe it won’t be that nothing works out or you won’t lose hope. 

I hope this post kept you entertained.