I am constantly in awe of being alive –– I find it incredibly strange, beautiful, and terrifying. Life is rare and ephemeral by nature in the cosmos and my obsession with trying to understand what happens when we die has been at the core of my artistic expression and philosophical study for a long time. When I faced my own mortality and almost died from heart failure that required a transplant four years ago, I had to let go of hope for a future so that I could enjoy what I knew might be my last days in this body with the people I love. For many situations in life, hope and attachment will only bring us suffering even though it may seem paradoxical.

Acceptance and forgiveness are the greatest gifts that we can offer ourselves and others because they provide us freedom to run toward our heart’s purpose instead of simply away from death. If we aren’t careful, we can chain ourselves to our dreams and never know the joy of simply being alive and feeling gratitude for the countless beings who have supported us since birth and beyond. We are often encouraged to put ourselves on a track of ‘success’ that follows a prescribed set of achievements we must accomplish before we leave this world, but it is my belief that we give our lives away hoping for a specific outcome instead of being present with the opportunity for peace in every moment.

I have learned first-hand that there is very little that we can control in life, which is one major reason that we make art and discuss existential concepts –– to find meaning in a mortal body with an unknown expiration. While learning the guitar and writing songs in high school, I discovered the poet Walt Whitman who taught me I can let go because everything I am will be recycled and I am but a force of nature. I truly felt a sense of acceptance for the first time about the prospect of dying after reading his work. Since then, the idea that we are all one together and forever reconstituted into infinite stories is a running theme in my lyrics. My music has become special medicine for me and I would love for it to help others, but I believe that we each have the medicine we need and simply help to bring it out in each other through interdependence.

To me, the purest art form is to live in a way that respects your spirit and encourages others to do the same. I’ve been on a journey of letting go of who I used to be and have found peace in accepting things as they are without constantly resisting the process of spiritual distillation. Any of us could die tomorrow, even those of us who are totally healthy. So don’t give away your power to please people or adhere to a goal if it keeps you from caring for your own needs. When we focus on acceptance and forgiveness, we break the bonds of guilt and shame and dispel illusions that keep us from acting as our authentic selves. Give yourself and others the space to evolve and be true to your hearts, and I believe great things will happen for humanity.