Daily Inspiration: Meet David Blake

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Blake.

Hi David, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always lived right at the intersection of music and writing. For me, getting into the literary arts wasn’t about ambition, it was actually about processing the complex feelings of growing up. After my father passed away when I was a kid, I used poetry to help process that heavy fog of grief. Eventually, I started looking for those same emotions in the music I listened to, which naturally led me to pick up a guitar and start songwriting. Even though I was creating all this art, I was incredibly shy. I was the student who would completely freeze during school presentations, so while I loved playing guitar, I mostly kept my songs hidden away in my notebooks.
That love for writing eventually led me to a career as an English teacher. I earned my MFA in Creative Writing and started getting some of my poems published in journals, but music was always the real heartbeat behind everything I did. In 2023, my wife finally convinced me to stop hiding and release my music online. The response was so much warmer than I expected. It gave me the confidence to step out of the shadows and start my band, good will, get better, in 2024. To be honest, our first few shows were terrifying. I played the entire time staring at the floor, too nervous to even look at the audience. But after playing dozens of shows across 2025 and 2026, I’ve finally found my place in the Southern California music scene. Now, it’s become about building a community and keeping that spirit of the DIY music scene alive, just like it was for me growing up, attending local shows every weekend.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge has been balancing my own self-doubt with the reality of my schedule. While I still grapple with confidence, the most persistent hurdle is time. At 32, with a career and a family, it can feel like I’m a bit late to the local music scene. Juggling parenting, my teaching career, and band commitments—like songwriting, practice, and scheduling shows—is a constant balancing act. It’s easy to compare myself to other bands with more time or experience, but I have to remember why I keep at it; not just for myself, but to help sustain these spaces. I want to ensure that other kids like I was have a place to discover themselves, just as I did.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’ve been a middle school ELA teacher for six years. This year I can add eSports coach to my resume. To me, teaching is far more than academics. It is a commitment to my community. San Bernardino, where I teach and live, often carries a reputation framed by negativity in broader conversations, but when you look closely, it is a community rich in resilience, heart, and potential. Middle school is a pivotal, often vulnerable time for young people, and my goal is to serve as a steady pillar of support for those who are navigating their life. And teaching allows that to manifest in many ways from my classroom being a safespace to giving kids the tools to explore their thoughts and feelings through reading and writing, just as I did.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Behind everything I do is a community of people who keep me grounded, inspired, and moving forward. It starts with my wife, Marissa, who believed in my music long before I did and pushed me to share it with the world. In music, my best friend Brandon has been a constant source of support, while Gabe helped me lay the foundation by starting the band with me; today, I get to build good will, get better alongside my incredibly talented bandmates Andrew, Henry, and Adam, supported by great friends in the local scene like John, Brandon, and so many others who keep our DIY community thriving. Professionally and creatively, my growth is shaped daily by my coworkers in San Bernardino, who inspire me to be the best educator I can be for our students, and my MFA peers, whose eyes and ongoing creative feedback continue to sharpen my work as a writer.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://davidblakewords.wordpress.com/
• Instagram: @oh.commonlife or @goodwillgetbetter