An Introduction
Wow, my heart is full! It was so wonderful to launch Wildly last week and receive such a warm and generous response. Thank you all for joining me – we’re just getting started!
Since many of you may be meeting me for the first time, I’d love to properly introduce myself. I’m a father of two children, a husband to an extraordinary woman, a son, a brother, a friend to many people I deeply respect, a writer, director, advocate, and artist. I’ve written and directed a couple of feature films, co-founded a non-profit that builds community between artists and activists called HARNESS, and I’m currently writing a novel. I grew up in the desert of El Paso, Texas, and to this day, I still can’t get the heat out of my bones – drop me into 100-degree weather and I feel right at home. I carry this heat with me, so don’t be surprised if it joins us here.
What lights me up most these days is cultivating a healthier relationship with the masculine and feminine energies within me in service of a new way of being. I recognize that if our collective well-being depends on creating a new story about who we are and how to be, then I must first define what that means for myself. I suspect it means identifying areas where I’ve been closed off, destructive, or living in unexamined ways. It means bringing awareness to these areas and exploring how to foster new behaviors and beliefs, ones rooted in strength, protection, expression, vulnerability, and care. I’ve been exploring this through my painting, dancing, writing, playing with my children, creative practices, loving others, and immersing myself in rich conversations. It’s ongoing work, and I certainly don’t profess to be an expert – I’m learning as I go. I’m on a perfectly imperfect journey, and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned, and explore what others have learned as well.
For a long time I’ve been looking for a place to share more of my work. When I was introduced to Substack, I was immediately taken by the quality of the work and the kindness and deep engagement of the community. Substack feels like a welcoming place to unfold my art and ideas. Like many of you, I’m here to take some risks, explore challenging topics, and probably share more than makes me comfortable.
If you watched my conversation with Anand Giridharadas at The Ink, you know a little bit about the creatures I create. When they first started pouring out of me I didn’t know what to make of them. But after years of bringing them to life in drawings and paintings, I’ve learned that they aren’t just cute, or sometimes hideous, doodles – they actually have so much knowledge to share. They represent many aspects of myself – the different energies, dynamics, and belief systems within me. They help me learn about myself and make sense of the world.
What I’ve come to believe is that we all have a world of creatures within us. They can guide us, support us through difficult situations, and show us what is needed to transform the world around us. The creatures live in the lush liminal space between imagination and reality, where change is possible. As we journey deeper into this Wildly adventure together, I’ll introduce you to creatures that live inside me, ones that I perceive within the people I speak to, and creatures that represent the energies in the world.
The creature above is one of mine. It is engaged and actively listening. Its mouth is relaxed but slightly open, ready to respond. The creature’s eyes are wide – passionate, vulnerable, and focused. There is an electric spirit pulsing through this creature’s body, and yet it still holds the warm tones that keep it connected to the Earth. It is surrounded by a blanket of vibrant pink, a representation of compassion and support. This creature is sitting in its seat of intuition and authenticity. If this creature speaks to you, I invite you to sit with it and see what it has to share.
In this space, what you can expect from me is a commitment to curiosity and playfulness, expression and reflection, and a deep engagement with art and ideas. I ask for your patience as I figure out the frequency and rhythm of my posting. I’m a full-time artist, writer, and family man. A big part of my practice involves dedicating significant time to my creative work while also ensuring abundant time with my family. I predict that there will be times I’m able to offer a lot to this space, and other times I may retreat to tend to other projects and my family. I ask for your generosity and grace as I explore how best to show up here.
If you haven’t yet joined the Wildly chat, I’d love to invite you to join. The chat is called *SPARKS*. This space is yours to share ideas, articles, music, art, videos, stories – anything and everything to spark our imaginations and inspire one another around how to live wildly. It’s a place not only for inspiration but also for you all to meet and get to know each other. If you’d like to be part of the chat, you can do so by becoming a paid subscriber – I’d be thrilled to have you there.
I’ll leave you with an invitation. If it feels right, take a moment to answer this question: When was the last time you felt wildly alive? Take five minutes out of your day to write about the moment. What happened? What did it feel like? And if that feeling were a creature, what would it look like? Draw it. If you’re up for it, share what you found in the comments – and if you’re feeling inspired, join us in the *SPARKS* chat to post your drawing and bring it to life with the community.
Stay tuned for a creature that wants you to move and groove and an exciting announcement for a conversation with someone I deeply admire!
xx
Ryan
Ryan, I think you might have changed my life. I have been creative for so long, starting when I was a child, and still am, but for the last few years I have been feeling stale and depressed. However, when I saw your talk with Anand everything changed. It's been so long since I've been around people who are so vital and original, so intuitive, so alive. I have been needing people like you and Anand desperately and now I've found you. I will try to draw a vampire bursting forth into the sun for you, not to die, but to be reborn as someone revitalized and inspired. I honestly feel like the person I was many decades ago now. It's the way you look at things that did it. Thank you.
I accidentally happened upon your live chat with Anand and was instantly curious and inspired! I, too, am looking for a place of expression and inspiration. I lost all motivation to create here after the loss of my father. Looking to find that spark again! How do you keep creating and balancing all things? Idk. I had this huge surge of inspiration and then it was gone. Well, not gone… on hold. I need help Substackers on getting this back- I guess that is what I should write about.