Happy Birthday Woodstock Goddess

“You could write a song about some kind of emotional problem you are having, but it would not be a good song, in my eyes, until it went through a period of sensitivity to a moment of clarity. Without that moment of clarity to contribute to the song, it’s just complaining.”

Joni Mitchell turned 71 today! Join her for some free, sweet hangs tonight at the Hammer Museum. They’re screening her movie The Fiddle and the Drum featuring her songs put to a ballet based on her views on the Earth, andddd she’ll be there to party for her birthday.

If you have no idea who Joni Mitchell is, she’s a legend amongst women in music. Often compared to Bob Dylan (though she hatessss being compared to him), she’s a singer-songwriter and painter. My favorite album of hers is her jazz album “Mingus,” written and recorded with her BFF Charles Mingus right before he died.

Joni encourages everyone to search for beauty instead of another reason to “complain.” She’s an inspiration to actively work through problems, and to turn off the broken record of negative thought cycles.

Be honest and vulnerable with yourself, and yet be strong so you can move on from your current demons. Basically, be Joni Mitchell.

Peace, Love, and Joni Mitchell for many birthdays to come <333