Ani

"I’ve had so many chapters in my life; it’s so strange to look back on them because I don’t see how or if [music] would ever be a part of it. I was part of a duo, sometimes trio, touring musician group for ten years. Music was a huge part of my life—songwriting—it was huge. And those things have just… disappeared over the last 15 years or so. And it’s very perplexing because I don’t know if they’re part of me anymore. Who am I? All these things that defined me then… it’s completely different now. I grieve it sometimes… but then there are also a lot of other things that I love putting my energy into. And I can’t do it all. I’m blessed to have a lot of wonderful things to pick and choose from.

"I want more friendship and community, deeply. It’s not something I’ve prioritized at all… we’re social beings, and we need each other. And our minds need to bounce things—we need reflections, we need connection. It’s so easy to just make excuses all the time… like the house is a mess… do my friends even care? No—probably not! It’s like—they should just come over and have tea, or we’ll make something together.

"For me, community and friendship have taken such a back stage in my life. And I miss it. A lot of it is because I'm new here—ish—four years. I had never spent time on the East Coast, so it’s all unfamiliar and brand new. A lot of it is getting to know people. It’s really hard to make new friends in your adult life… but I’m finding my people."

Big Talk is a free portrait and story session that offers a chance to reflect on meaningful questions while sharing a piece of your story. Stories and portraits are shared here, with the goal of cultivating a sense of belonging and shared humanity in our community and beyond.

Join the Conversation

In collaboration with THRIVE, this project offers free 20-minute portrait and story sessions. During your session, we skip the small talk and explore questions such as:

• What is something you are proud of?

• What is something you want more of in your life?

• Who do you look up to, and why?

• What is something you're struggling with?

  
  

As a reader, you are already an important participant in this project! If you'd like to join and share your story, make sure you're in my email community where I'll announce the next session, which is around the corner. Grab your coffee or tea, settle in, and let's Big Talk.

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