i am. i am. i am. Erin McGrath Rieke i am. i am. i am. Erin McGrath Rieke

The Space Between

I miss the rush. The excitement. The sense of being in motion and surrounded by energy. I want that feeling again, desperately. I need something—someone, somewhere, something—to reignite the fire in my belly, but I don’t know where to look. I feel ridiculous, wallowing in this unmotivated sadness, waiting for a spark that never seems to come.

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i am. i am. i am. Erin McGrath Rieke i am. i am. i am. Erin McGrath Rieke

A Day of Energy

Still, I am trying to hold onto hope, fragile though it may be. I remind myself that energy does not have to be a warning; it can also be a gift, an opportunity to focus on self-care and wellbeing. Learning to trust these moments, to believe they are not always harbingers of collapse, feels like its own act of resilience.

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daily meditation Erin McGrath Rieke daily meditation Erin McGrath Rieke

Successful Artist

Art, by its nature, demands reinvention. The canvas of life is always changing, presenting new colors, textures, and inspirations. To grow, I’ve had to stretch beyond what feels comfortable, experimenting with techniques and exploring ideas that challenge me. Sometimes this process is exhilarating; other times, it’s deeply humbling, as I confront my own limitations. But every misstep, every attempt that doesn’t quite land, has been as valuable as my successes. These moments are not failures—they’re stepping stones, each one teaching me something vital about my craft and myself.

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i am. i am. i am. Erin McGrath Rieke i am. i am. i am. Erin McGrath Rieke

The Journey Demands More of Me

I have discovered that my creative journey demands more of me. While painting allows me to process emotions in a way that feels intuitive and safe, writing has emerged as a far more terrifying—and transformative—medium. Writing requires vulnerability of an entirely different kind. To paint is to show the world a fragment of my soul; to write is to strip myself bare. Words demand precision and honesty, forcing me to confront truths that cannot hide behind abstraction. In writing, there is no veil, no protective layer of color or form. I must stand naked in front of an audience, offering my thoughts and feelings in their rawest form to anyone who cares to listen.

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i am. i am. i am. Erin McGrath Rieke i am. i am. i am. Erin McGrath Rieke

Stepping into the Unknown

When this journey began, it was an ambitious leap into the unknown—a conscious decision to trust myself and believe in my capacity to design the life I envisioned. It wasn’t about following a pre-set path but about crafting something uniquely my own, guided by faith in my abilities and an unwavering commitment to my goals.

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