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<- July 19, 2023

July 5, 2023 ->

July 12, 2023

This week I busted out an older song (linked below)

from my 2017 “Visionaries” album

and created a new loop video for it.

For those audio nerds out there like me

you may notice something interesting about the red

recording audio file on my computer screen

in the background…

My vocal mic was SHORTING out on me

during the majority of the performance.

But all the other instrumental parts were golden

so I kept this final video take

and used previously-recorded vocals

to overdub in later instead.

Overall it was a blast to make,

and I have my 11-year old son to thank

for doing such a great job on the filming.

He’s gotten quite good at it,

and he loves making a little extra cash

whenever I give him a filming job to do haha.

I can’t believe this song is already 6 years old!

Whenever I re-visit an old song

I reflect on the meaning(s) from when I wrote it

and what new meaning(s) it might have now.

This song is called “Part of the Ride”.

Like most of my songs

it’s primarily about mental health,

exploring past traumas,

and trying to process them.

A more in-depth exploration of it’s original meaning

is written about in the Song Lore section

of my free Shadow / Light Choose-Your-Path Music Experience.

This journal entry though is more about

what the song means to me now.

Particularly the bridge section

which is the primary highlight of this new loop video.

The lyrics read,

“This is the last time that I give in to this lie”

“This is the last that I get on for this ride”

While my mind has been on Shadow and Light lately,

this lyric line epitomizes this cycle

of Shadow and Light

which seems to be present throughout life.

For me the “lie” referred to here is the lie I tell myself.

Especially in a social media-driven world

the Shadow primarily brings these lies up in the mind:

“I’m not (fill-in-the-blank) enough.”

-or-

“I’m too (fill in the blank with negative characteristic).”

Etc.

How can one break this cycle of negativity in the mind?

For me it starts with embracing that part of me.

Acknowledging the thought,

even thank it for being there.

Embrace the shadow by

telling myself that it’s okay that I feel this way.

But then follow it up with telling myself

all the positives about me and about my life,

thus welcoming the light

into that shadowy corner of my mind

and bringing shadow and light together as one whole.

Doing this kind of inner work for me is really difficult.

But it does help in a crazy world like we’re in today.

Half the battle though can be

just consciously recognizing

that the shadowy thought is there in the first place!

Rather than hopping on “the ride” of

buying into every negative thought that

rears it’s ugly shadowy head in my brain..

I can tell myself,

“This is the last time that I get on for this ride”

and then jump into this type of inner work.

Here’s the final video.

Until next week!

/n8

<- July 19, 2023

July 5, 2023 ->

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