This project began when I finished up the Lotus Project which is a series dedicated to my sobriety. So much of the work I’ve made in the past five years has been about creating something new through the process of unbecoming or breaking down the walls of what once was.

My work as a solo artist has always been about process. But slowly it began transitioning into me tearing down and turning everything I thought I knew inside out. Then I threw everything I searched within willing myself to face the fear, the horrible, past all the stories and lies eventually finding my truth.

A beautiful deconstruction.

I began to recognize that loud voice within myself I could not keep silent anymore. I realized that my mission and purpose in this life was not to be an artist, writer, speaker, singer, or anything like that-although those creative processes are key to my balance and wellbeing.

Instead it is my mission, and always has been, to stand up and beside my fellow humans. Giving what I can, when I can, to those I can. It is my job to show up every day and be my very best self. I realize as I write this how it sounds nauseatingly lofty, but it is my truth.

I have been growing increasingly frustrated and disheartened by what I see before my eyes. Watch the news for 5 minutes and we’ll connect on the same talking points.

There are enormous numbers of people who have been targeted, alienated, and attacked because they don’t fit in a box. They have the “wrong” color skin, they love, care or are simply interested in the “wrong “ gendered person, they identify as the “wrong” gender, their religious beliefs are “wrong,” they believe the ”wrong” news source…

People are killing each other, killing our children, spying on each other, hateful and suspicious of everyone and everything…where does this end?

I have always been one of the “wrong” ones from most people’s perspectives. It was reasonably easy for me to hide it for years, because I trained as an actor early in childhood. Oh-and I was tall, blonde and upper middle class. Smoke and mirrors was what I did best.

There’s no question that I can’t begin to know or fully understand the experiences that so many have suffered through and endured.

But I have my own journey. And I’ve had my share of…bumps. These have taught me to love, accept, learn and grow. And the kindest and most generous among us, in my experience, have often been people that have little or have struggled greatly.

I have been places and seen things most people prefer to never see or know, because you can’t just ignore brutality, hate, violence, loneliness, hunger, devastation once you KNOW it.

You just can’t shake true human suffering. You have to do something about it or numb yourself from knowing you are choosing to do nothing.

I’m trying to take action in the way I know how. 1) identify what I feel inside my skin 2) address the problem 3) create a solution 4) put it into action 5) pause, discuss, evaluate

So this is my very long winded reply to L who wrote me and asked me why I started this discussion and this series.

Also, here are the first waves of the Untamed Series. I hope we can do something good with this