About the Book
"Like a modern day vagabonding beat poet, the possible love-child of Patti Smith and Charles Bukowski - Eriksson is a rare soul in today's society. Carefully balancing between wanting to defy the world, and wanting nothing more than to be a part of it."
At 18 years old she left her home in Sweden and took off on her own to embark on the long journey of creating a life for herself. A life she could be proud of. A life that made her excited to wake up every morning. With nothing but a guitar, her stories and a dream, she spent a year wandering in England, sleeping at train stations, airports and helpful fans' couches. Singing for whoever was willing to listen and collecting stories. Her first book Empty Roads & Broken Bottles; in search for The Great Perhaps, is Charlotte's own journey of fighting for her dream, living rootless, learning solitude, the difference between having a home and feeling at home and how she finally found a home in herself, in her music, in her words.An ordinary girl created a community, now with thousands of fans following her journey. Aspiring to inspire others to follow their hearts and go against the tide, showing that you can achieve and become exactly who you want to be, if you just want it bad enough.
"She seems to have such a deep love for life and experience, both the good and the bad, this book made me want to go out and live my life to the fullest. I want to feel all of this too."
This book is filled with philosophical explorations, inspiring stories of facing fear and doubts, words on love and loss, hurting and healing.
The second part of the book is Charlotte's own journals, written during her wandering year in England. Bold and honest, raw from stream-of-consciousness. She doesn't cover up how hard life can really be, how deep love can cut, or how mesmerising a simple conversation can be.
Now, a few years later, Charlotte has become a prolific songwriter and author. She's released 3 critically acclaimed albums, published 3 books, and had excerpts from her books shared on large platforms such as Thought Catalog, Bella Grace Magazine, Berlin ArtParasites and Word Porn. She's taken on the challenge of writing comforting words on mental illness, depression, wanting more, heartbreak, chasing a dream and losing people. But this, is where it all started.
"I wanted to turn my life into art, my very existence into a poem. This is my story. It might not always be easy, but it will always be beautiful."
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"Instant coffee and a tip from the sound-guy. I'm learning sounds, lying wide awake on different sofas every night. I know the difference between a well built wall and broken strength. I'm learning mindfulness, reading about gurus and poets every day on different trains to nowhere. I don't know what I'm learning but I hope I will understand one day. I'm selling my heart with each album and a silent prayer that they'll be gentle with it, gentle with me. And then the concerned looks they throw when I point at my worn out bag and broken guitar case as the answer to where I live. Sure I could spend a year or two selling my days and time for money, and I could buy all these things people want to have without never really needing it. It's just that when I'm on that stage every night, it all just seems so stupid. My guitar, my voice, my words, my story. That's all I want, that's what makes my heart beat. What am I supposed to do with belongings and material stuff when all I want is this. The open road and a new beginning every day."
About the Author: I'm messy and I'm organized and I'm still trying to piece my own self together. I can't sleep at night because how could I close my eyes when there's a whole world out there, calling my name, waiting to be explored. I love intelligent conversations while laying on empty streets at 5am in the morning, and I love watching the sun rise over a world that is still asleep. I make mistakes and I mess up a lot, but I'm trying to learn how to be okay with that. Some days I couldn't care less about what all of you think about my art because this is my life and all I have. But then there are days when all I want is to be beautiful and good enough and someone to count on. Someone to like and love and believe in. I just really want to mean something to someone.
I laugh a lot and I believe in the beauty in small things, like the coffee in the morning with someone you love, road-trips to nowhere and oceans. I love people who are curious and careless, because I want to be curious and careless and even though I'm mostly guarded, mostly shy, what I really want is to hug every single person I meet and ask them a thousand questions about their definition of a life lived well and if they've ever been in love and how they could go on when that love disappeared, because I am struggling. People fascinate me because I can't seem to understand them, and they rarely understand me. The way they can live and breathe & simply be, when I can't even look myself in the mirror without questioning every line.
When I was 18 I moved all on my own from my home in Sweden to London to create the life I wanted to live & become the person I wanted to be. After a year in solitude with my mind and my music, I packed light and spent a year homeless on the road, dedicating my life to my stories and music, determined to tell the world about it.I went everywhere and nowhere.Spent nights on the concrete, had beautiful conversations with strangers and walked foreign streets every day. I learned how to build my home in my music and my art. When I sing or write, I'm not scared anymore. I'm mostly insecure, but I believe that if you want something bad enough, you can always find a way to get it. I love challenges because I'm here to prove myself and other people wrong.I still don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way, and I'm giving my life to this journey.I wanted to turn my life into art, my very existence into a poem. It might not always be easy, but it will always be beautiful.