You Can Rise a Thousand Times Again

Creative Paralysis: The feeling of perpetually wading through molasses and being in chronic states of dissociation for years; fighting against yourself every day to try and get back to “you” — because you know this ain’t it.

This could also be described as a trauma response— either way, if you go through this, it affects your everything, especially your creativity (Soul-Voice).

No wonder we get so exhausted

We’re fighting so much to get back to our normal, balanced state. We exhaust ourselves because maybe…

Maybe the answer was in the fact that we needed rest years or decades ago, but we never slowed down enough to see it. To those with the inner voice that harasses them to constantly produce— God forbid we have compassion for ourselves and allow a break.

So, we stayed on all systems go and ran on fumes for so long that we had an out of body experience when we finally did take time to relax. We then realized we couldn’t remember the last time we had done that. Years, at least.

The reason I am writing this is because

Harvey The Rabbit

inspired it.

I checked my email. Saw a notification and happened to click on it. He was reposting a music video I shared here on Substack a few weeks back.

The point is:

Sometimes God talks through the people.

See, when you’re in the house of mirrors, often the work is done by being triggered by your reflection in someone else, then having the willingness to work through why you’re triggered, as opposed to blaming it on the other person.

But sometimes..

People can do something seemingly as simple as reposting one of your songs, and they might not know how much you needed to see that then.

In the house of mirrors, sometimes people reflect parts of you that you have abandoned, neglected or suppressed, and deeply miss.

Their reminder of, “Hey, remember this? Remember this huge reason about why life is worth living? It’s still alive, it’s still here” can be a lightning bolt cutting through the fog of depression and grief. The paralysis, both creative, emotional, and spiritual, slowly loosens its grip.

Suddenly, you are reminded. You get some perspective.

If you’re an artist (we are all artists) and you get disconnected from your medium, it’s like you lose half your mind. Or rather, your heart.

This is why I’ve said before that it is not an option to be creative — we need it the same way we need air and water.

It reminded me:

Hey, remember that time in your life? Remember when you moved across the country and rebuilt? Remember how you were doing just fine before that guy came in the picture and nearly got you killed multiple times and you forgot who you were again?

Well, you’ve risen from ashes so many times, that music video documents it, in the same way the pictures we take and words we write do - they are time capsules of life chapters.

You rose a thousand times before, you can rise a thousand times again if need be.

But the fact remains: You can and will rise. You already are.

Harvey was a mirror to me — a reminder of what lives in my heart that is begging to get out, a reminder of what makes me happy in life.

I needed that.

I hope this story could be a positive reminder to someone else too. Even if it’s just me telling you the same thing that was conveyed to me in about a nanosecond—

You have risen from the ashes a thousand times before, and you can rise a thousand times again. the fact remains, you still can and will rise. you already are.

It is easy to become consumed in the pain we’ve been feeling today, or perhaps decades. It blinds and warps our perception and reality. We then forget the bright sparks in our lives that prove miracles, happiness, joy, harmony, beauty and balance are not only in existence, but have been our reality before, and they will be again.

We carry that spark within us. You have it within you.

So here’s to whoever else is on the journey of getting back to themselves. I salute you, and I’m right there with you.

That’s the message I’m passing onto you, thank you

Harvey The Rabbit

for passing that onto me.

Harvey is not the only one who has shown tremendous love on here. It would be too many of you lovely Substackians to tag, but to those of you who have shown words and gestures of kindness, THANK YOU.

It has never been taken for granted or gone unnoticed, even if I don’t have the energy or mental bandwidth to see the notification until 2 months later or some shit.

Thank you.