For my better half the step change was when she won the songwriting competition at Saltburn Folk Fest in 2007 with "The Visitor"....... and got offered her first folk club "main guest" slot on the back of this (strangely at a mainly trad club). This gave her the confidence to ask other clubs/ fests for gigs.

She now does 50 to 60ish paid gigs per year mainly at folk clubs and fests but also increasingly "non-folk" venues - but still doing trad (including unaccompanied) and self penned stuff.

Not a living but it pays for our social life and holidays.......