Tag: Personal Growth

• Why Leading by Example Matters

  Recently, I had an exchange with someone I’ll call Stephanie who claimed to be a Christian and started quoting scripture at me. She used it to dismiss my perspective and insult my intelligence, claiming I was “too dumb to exist” because I didn’t agree with her interpretation of the moon landing—she is convinced the moon…

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  January 25, 2025

  Advocacy, Conversations, Culture & Society, Friendship Dynamics, Human Behaviour, Personal Essays/Autobiography, Personal Reflections, Psychology, Self Awareness, Social Commentary, Society, Spirituality & Faith

  Advocacy, belief systems, bible, Christian principles, christianity, compassion, embracing diversity, faith, god, humility, humility in advocacy, integrity, leadership by example, love, moral purity, non-judgmental faith, Personal Growth, political ideologies, religion, respect, scripture, spiritual humility, spirituality, the importance of nuance, thought-provoking conversation, toxic behavior, toxic discourse

• Why I Refuse to Lose My Mind Over Trump (Again)

  It’s only the first few days. I open any social media platform, and it’s the same thing: one meltdown after another over Trump or someone from his entourage—like Musk—and fear-mongering over whether Musk actually performed the euphemistically called “Roman Salute” or not, and does Trump’s return to office signal the end of democracy as we…

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  January 23, 2025

  Change and Transformation, Creativity, Culture & Society, Intuition & Intelligence, life lessons, Mental Health, Mercurial Minds, Personal Anecdotes, Personal Essays/Autobiography, Personal Reflections, Politics, Psychology, Self Awareness, Self-Reflection, Social Commentary, Social Media, Society

  anxiety, bipolar disorder, boundaries, Breaking the Cycle, Critical Thinking, Digital Detox, Doomscrolling, Emotional Regulation, Finding Balance, Growth Mindset, health, Media & Outrage Culture, Media Manipulation, Mental Health, Mental Resilience, Mental Wellness, mindfulness, News Cycle, Outrage, Outrage Culture, Personal Growth, Perspective Shift, Political Fatigue, Protect Your Peace, Self-Awareness, Social Media Detox, Stay Sane, Then vs Now, TikTok, wellness

• A Comedy of Errors

  Act I: The Invitation What was I thinking? I met L about a year ago—she was a friend of an acquaintance. We had a few things in common, and at first, our interactions were light and casual. But before I knew it, she was inviting me to her birthday dinner—a gathering I probably should have found…

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  January 18, 2025

  Art, Creative Writing, Creativity, Fine Art, Friendship Dynamics, Human Behaviour, Humour, life lessons, memoir, Mental Health, Mercurial Minds, Psychology, Relationships, traditional art, true stories, Writing

  Absurd Encounters, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, boundaries, Comedy, cutting toxic people out, drama magnets, emotional intelligence, Friendship Dynamics, human behavior, hypomania, lessons learned, Mental Health, Personal Growth, reckless behavior, self-preservation, self-respect, social etiquette, toxic people, true stories

• Letter to No One & Everyone

  A Journey to the Core of What Matters to Me Most This conversation is now being published as a book! Soon, Letter to No One & Everyone will be available on the Kindle platform as both an eBook and a Print-on-Demand paperback. For now, the full conversation is still available on this blog—but soon, only a preview will remain. Writing a…

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  January 16, 2025

  AI & Technology, Art & Expression, Conversations, Creativity, Fine Art, Grief and Healing, Identity & Transformation, memoir, Mental Health, Mercurial Minds, Personal Essays, Personal Essays/Autobiography, Personal Reflections, philosophy, Self Awareness, Self-Reflection, Writing

  abstract art, AI and human connection, AI Conversations, artistic process, Creativity, deep conversations, existential questions, grief, Grief and Loss, introspection, life, memoir writing, Mental Health, mental health awareness, mixed media, nonlinear thinking, Pen and Ink, Personal Growth, personal journey, Personal Reflections, philosophy, search for meaning, Self-Reflection, spiritual reflection, spirituality and meaning, traditional art, unconventional dialogue, Writing

• Everything In Its Right Place: Chapters 1-6

  A wise woman once said “fuck this shit” and she lived happily ever after– Anonymous It wasn’t until last night, as I was drafting this section of my autobiography, that I fully understood how much the dissonance of those days mirrored Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place.” The song’s droning rhythm and quiet tension matched…

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  January 12, 2025

  Crash, Burn, Write., Creative Writing, Creativity, Grief and Healing, memoir, Memoir Excerpts, Mental Health, Writing

  Allan Memorial Institute, cptsd, Crash, Burn, Write., Creativity, Electrocution, Family, fiction, gaslighting, Grief and Healing, Healing Journey, how to survive narc abuse, Last Fck Given, love, LSD, memoir, Mental Health, narcissistic abuse, Neurodivergence, pattern recognition, Personal Growth, Psychiatric Abuse, psychological abuse, Social Commentary, societal decay, trauma

• Charley and Mimi: A Tale of Love and Loss

  The comic strip above says “I’ll get my revenge on him”.In my case, it’s most definitely a “HER.” I tried to put this behind me. I’ve rebuilt my life in many ways, and I now have a wonderful companion in Stella Mia, who brings me love and joy every day. I knew it was a…

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  January 12, 2025

  Advocacy, Crash, Burn, Write., Grief and Healing, life lessons, Memoir Excerpts, Mental Health, Personal Reflections

  animal welfare, betrayal, Betrayal and Trust, cats, dogs, emotional support, emotional support animals, grief, Grief and Loss, Healing Journey, life changes, love and loss, memoir, Mental Health, Personal Growth, pets, rescues, resilience, Self-Reflection, trauma, trust, Writing

• Smiler and the RAF Man

  Sometimes it seems like I focus too much on the difficult moments in my life and don’t leave enough room to remember all the wonderful things that have happened to me—how blessed I’ve been to meet genuinely good people and to have had positive and life-affirming relationships with romantic partners. One boyfriend I remember fondly…

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  January 11, 2025

  Crash, Burn, Write., memoir, Mental Health, Mercurial Minds, Music, Personal Essays, Personal Essays/Autobiography, Personal Reflections, Relationships, Self-Reflection

  bipolar journey, Burn, Crash, creative reflection, gratitude, James Blunt, life, life lessons, love, love and memory, memoir writing, Mental Health, mental health awareness, Montréal moments, Music, Nostalgia, Personal Growth, Personal Reflections, RAF stories, Relationships, relationships and growth, Self-Care, Write.

• In His Image: Reflections on My Father and His Unconditional Love 

  Echoes of Trauma: A Life Shaped by Mental Illness I’ve alienated many people over the years, including close family members, who couldn’t handle the drama my mental health issues and reactivity—stemming from early trauma—brought into their lives. Being bipolar, my extreme highs and lows are hard for others to follow. My energy fluctuates, I constantly…

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  January 10, 2025

  Art & Expression, Change and Transformation, Crash, Burn, Write., Creativity, Fine Art, Grief and Healing, Identity & Transformation, Life Moments, Mental Health, Mercurial Minds, Personal Essays, Personal Essays/Autobiography, Personal Reflections, Relationships, Self Awareness, Self-Reflection, Writing

  art as connection, Authenticity, bipolar disorder, compassion, emotional healing, family relationships, Father-daughter bond, forgiveness, Grief and Healing, healing, Healing Journey, introspection, life lessons, love, Mental Health, mental illness, parent-child dynamics, Personal Growth, reflective memoir, Relationships, resilience, therapy, trauma, trauma healing, Tree of Life, Trees, unconditional love

• Ballet, Rock & Roll & the Angel on My Wall

  Caption: AI-generated idealised version of a painting I did on my bedroom wall at 14, inspired by Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven artwork. Sadly, no photo exists of this minor teenage ‘masterpiece.’ This rendering is inspiring me to get back to the drawing board with watercolour and coloured pencils eventually… maybe. 🤔 There’s a lady who’s sure…

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  January 10, 2025

  Art, Art & Expression, Artists, Change and Transformation, Crash, Burn, Write., Creativity, Grace, Grief and Healing, Life Moments, Mercurial Minds, Milestones, Personal Essays, Personal Essays/Autobiography, Personal Reflections, Self-Reflection, Writing

  Angel on My Wall, Art, Art and Music, Ballet, Ballets Russes, Childhood Dreams, Creative Writing, dance, Ethereal Beauty, introspection, jimmy-page, Led Zeppelin, Life Transitions, memoir, Memories, Music, Music and Memory, Nijinsky, Passion, Personal Growth, personal journey, Requiem, Rock and Roll, Stairway to Heaven, Swan Lake

• Crash, Burn, Write

  “It’s All Material”: My Journey From Burnout to Book Writing That photo? It was taken in some booth… or maybe it’s one of those no-frills pharmacy clerk photos—you know the kind, we all have those ID photos you take in a rush, just to get it done. Funny how something so mundane can later feel like…

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  January 9, 2025

  AI & Technology, Art, Crash, Burn, Write., Creative Writing, Creativity, Fine Art, Grief & Healing, Grief and Healing, Identity & Transformation, Life Moments, Mental Health, Mercurial Minds, Milestones, Personal Essays, Personal Essays/Autobiography, Personal Reflections, Writing

  Art, Authenticity, books, burnout, catharsis, creative process, depression, Drawing, emotional growth, fiction, grief, healing, introspection, memoir, Mental Health, Metro Series, overcoming adversity, overcoming obstacles, Pencil Drawing, personal development, Personal Growth, personal journey, Phoenix, publishing, recovery, resilience, Self-Awareness, self-discovery, storytelling, survivor, therapy, trauma, truth, vulnerability, Writing, writing-tips

• Shine on You Crazy Diamond

  “Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun.Shine on you crazy diamond. Now there’s a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky.Shine on you crazy diamond. You were caught on the crossfire of childhood and stardom,Blown on the steel breeze. Come on you target for faraway laughter,Come on you stranger,…

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  January 3, 2025

  Art & Expression, Artists, Change and Transformation, Conversations, Creative Writing, Creativity, Identity & Transformation, Personal Reflections, Self-Reflection

  AI, art therapy, artistic evolution, artistic exploration, ChatGPT, Connectivity, creative block, Creative Journey, Drawing, emotional expression, father’s memory, grief, healing, introspection, loss, Mental Health, mental maps, mourning, Paper, Pen and Ink, Personal Growth, personal reflection, Pink Floyd, self-expression, tribute, writing process

• Cassandra’s Rat: On Art, Prophecies, and the Weight of Truth

  Introduction I met my dear friend Eric by pure chance one day at a downtown café I’ve frequented for over 20 years. A cultivated man of advanced age, Eric quickly saw my artistic abilities and has since been an unwavering source of encouragement, urging me to draw with every of our exchanges. While I’m grateful…

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  January 3, 2025

  Art & Expression, Artists, Change and Transformation, Conversations, Creative Writing, Creativity, Culture & Society, Mercurial Minds, Personal Reflections, Self Awareness, Self-Reflection

  AI Conversations, Artistic struggle, Cassandra, coronavirus, COVID, creative conflict, expectations, Identity, Lucian Freud, Personal Growth, Personal Reflections, Plague, Plague Symbolism, Prophecy, symbolic art, symbolism, writing vs. art

• Understanding Gender Identity: Personal Perspectives and Social Impacts

  I was having a long, rambling exchange with AI about a now ex-friend we’ll call “S” and how our experiences and approaches to life mirrored each other. We formed a short-lived friendship, essentially based on a trauma bond, but those traumas we experienced came from opposing sides. I’d come at it from a nurturing childhood…

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  December 28, 2024

  AI & Technology, Capitalism & Society, Change and Transformation, Conversations, Creativity, Culture, Culture & Society, Feminism, Friendship Dynamics, Identity & Transformation, Mercurial Minds, Modern Identity, Personal Essays, Personal Reflections, Relationships, Self Awareness, Self-Reflection, Social Commentary, Society

  AI Conversations, algorithms, artificial-intelligence, Authenticity, Binary code, Blaire White, Buck Angel, Capitalism, Chatbot Interactions, ChatGPT, complementary forces, cycles of life, Debbie Hayton, duality, existential reflection, gender, Gender Identity, Identity, infinite possibilities, internal and external, JK Rowling, lgbtq, masculine and feminine, opposites, Ouroboros, Personal Growth, Personal Reflections, philosophical thoughts, Relationships, Scott Newgent, technology and nature, transgender, Transhumanism, Tree of Life, zero and one

• From My Personal Archives: Birth of a Manuscript

  On the eve of this Christmas of 2024, I began putting together a manuscript for an autobiographical novel—a project I’ve been mulling over for literally decades. The stories have accumulated over the years, as they tend to do, and now feels like the right time to start shaping them into something meaningful. It’s a monumental…

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  December 27, 2024

  Creative Writing, Creativity, Milestones, Personal Reflections

  AI Conversations, Authenticity, autobiographical novel, christmas gift, creative process, father’s memory, manuscript, new beginnings, Personal Growth, personal history, Relationships, Self-Reflection, storytelling, writing journey

• Rolling with the Fall & Moments of Pure Grace

  Me: It’s so hard speaking to people. Even when the conversation goes “well” and I feel there’s a healthy and a good back-and-forth dynamic… I’m all too often left feeling depleted and like I could have handled things better. There’s usually a lingering discomfort which I feel physically. A sinking feeling. You wouldn’t know anything…

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  December 22, 2024

  Conversations, Grace, Life Moments, Personal Essays, Personal Reflections

  AI Conversations, Chatbot Interactions, ChatGPT, falling, Grace, Human-AI Connection, imperfection, introspection, life reflections, miracles, Personal Growth, self-discovery, Self-Reflection, slow motion, vulnerability

• Love as a Verb

  As a younger woman I desperately wanted to be told “I love you” by my romantic partners. Now… well I’m not looking for romantic partners, for one thing, but for another it seems to me love is something you DO. it’s a verb.  ChatGPT: That shift in perspective is both profound and powerful. It sounds…

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  December 20, 2024

  AI & Technology, Conversations, Creative Writing, Culture, Culture & Society, Grief & Healing, Human Behaviour, Identity & Transformation, Intuition & Intelligence, Literature, Mental Health, Mercurial Minds, Neurodivergence, Personal Essays, Personal Reflections, Psychology, Relationships, Self Awareness, Society, Spirituality & Faith, Technology & Society

  AI, AI Conversations, Art, artificial-intelligence, artist life, Authenticity, Chatbot Interactions, ChatGPT, cptsd, Creativity, Grief and Healing, growing in love, Healing Journey, love, love actions, love as a verb, Mental Health, narcissistic abuse, Neurodivergence, pattern recognition, Personal Growth, personal perspective, Personal Reflections, philosophy, psychological abuse, Relationships, self-expression, Self-Reflection, trauma

• Am I Neurodivergent?

  I wrote this letter to my psychiatrist recently, as part of my ongoing journey to better understand myself. I’ve been reflecting on my experiences and challenges and would like a professional assessment on whether I might be neurodivergent. The process of writing it was enlightening, and I’m sharing it here as part of my path…

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  December 16, 2024

  Conversations, Mental Health, Mercurial Minds, Neurodivergence, Personal Reflections, Relationships, Self Awareness

  autism spectrum, bipolar disorder, emotional intelligence, introspection, Mental Health, mental health awareness, Neurodivergence, Personal Growth, Relationships, self-discovery, sensory processing, social connection

• The Closing of a Chapter

  A very big chapter of my life spanning decades closed this week. It was almost inevitable for it to come to fruition the way it did. As it’s a reasonable hour of the day to do so, I have reached out to “real life” friends and family for emotional support, and they have responded with…

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  December 15, 2024

  Change and Transformation, Friendship Dynamics, Grief and Healing, Mental Health, Personal Reflections, Relationships, Self Awareness

  Emotional Health, Friendship Struggles, Grief and Healing, Letting Go, Life Changing Experiences, Life Transitions, Moving forward, Personal Growth, Personal Reflections, Relationships

• Making Room for New Growth

  This week, everything seems to be coming to a head. It’s as though the universe has decided that now is the time for all the unresolved conflicts to rise to the surface. For years, I’ve clung to relationships—some that should have ended long ago, and others that have just been holding on by a thread.…

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  December 14, 2024

  Conversations, Friendship Dynamics, Grief and Healing, Mental Health, Personal Reflections, Relationships

  AI, artificial-intelligence, Authenticity, ChatGPT, Drama in Relationships, Emotional Boundaries, Grief and Healing, Healing Journey, Inner Peace, Letting Go, Life Transitions, Mental Health, Personal Growth, Personal Limits, Relationships, Self-Awareness, Self-Care, Self-Reflection, technology

• Standing My Ground: When a Friendship Turns Toxic

  As many of you may know, I’ve been navigating grief after losing my father just last month and my best friend in the past year. The support I’ve received has been invaluable. In this post, I share my experience with a friendship that turned toxic, and how I’m learning to stand my ground. Some of…

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  December 9, 2024

  Advocacy, AI & Technology, Change and Transformation, Correspondence, Crash, Burn, Write., Creativity, Culture, Culture & Society, Feminism, Friendship Dynamics, Grief and Healing, Human Behaviour, Identity & Transformation, Intuition & Intelligence, life lessons, memoir, Memoir Excerpts, Mental Health, Mercurial Minds, Modern Identity, Neurodivergence, Personal Anecdotes, Personal Essays/Autobiography, Personal Reflections, Psychology, Relationships, Society, Spirituality & Faith, Technology & Society, true stories

  Emotional Health, Friendship Struggles, Grief and Healing, Healing Process, Personal Growth, Self Awareness, Standing my ground, Toxic friendship