How I use my special interests as self-care

Personal Experiences, Tips and Resources

This post is inspired by @_elaurian_ on Instagram who created an amazing Rage Against the Machine wellbeing package for me! It got me thinking of all the ways I use my special interests as self-care.

Daily bass practice

I practice my bass for at least 5 minutes daily. It’s my favourite way to unwind after a long day.

Mike Patton stimmy playlist

I have a playlist of stimmy songs by my favourite singer ever, Mike Patton. I listen to it whenever I need to focus on work.

Wholesome Zack de la Rocha anecdotes

I have an album of screenshots on my phone of wholesome Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine frontman and my current special interest) anecdotes I’ve found online. I like to look at them whenever I feel shitty and they never fail to bring a smile to my face. 😊

Screenshot of a YouTube comment by FreddyGonzalez8797 that reads “I got to meet Zack personally while doing a food delivery. Talk about being 100%, definitely Zack. Superstardom hasn’t gone to his head nor his ego- he is quite humble. I had just lost my wife 2-3 weeks prior; Zack and I were just talking, he literally noticed I wasn’t really 100% emotionally. I told him what had happened- Zack literally gave me a great hug of friendship. As a fan- Zack please get RATM into full swing.”
Screenshot of a Reddit comment by McFergleStone that reads “My brother and I met Zack in Montreal back in ’93. Crossed paths with him and someone we didn’t recognize walking on the street and looked at each other like “was that Zack?” We doubled back a couple minutes later and saw him sitting in the window of a mall drinking an orange juice out of a bottle shaped like a bear. Like the ones you find honey in. My brother wanted an autograph but didn’t have a pen, so we found a kiosk in the mall selling overpriced pens and bought one for like $15. Went up to Zack and said hi, mentioned that we were going to the show the next night. He was such a light speaker, we could barely hear a word he was saying to us. Anyway, he didn’t want to give autographs, saying he wasn’t really anyone and it wasn’t worth anything. So humble. But at least my bro got a new pen. Edit: Zack, not Zach. Oops.”
Screenshot of a Reddit comment by Strapped_For_Cash that reads “Gets me pretty frustrated seeing some of the things said about Zack on some of these threads. People always calling him a capitalist and claiming he is just in it for the money. I know him personally and he is the most humble dude you could ever meet. We would go out to dinner and people would come up to him and he always made time for people and acted like them calling him a genius was crazy. He drove a Volkswagen Golf when I met him. He lived in a 2 bedroom ranch in silverlake and only moved because people figured out where he lived and would randomly show up at his crib. In between tours in the 90’s he ran an immigration law center where people could get help filing immigration paperwork. All without ever bragging about it. He’s a true believer in what he sings even if other people in his band are a bit more opportunistic about capitalism”

RATM wellbeing package

As I mentioned before, @_elaurian_ put together an amazing Rage Against the Machine wellbeing package for me. It contains RATM-inspired affirmations, wellbeing ideas, journal prompts, and even a guided meditation!

In a society determined to control me because I am *Insert label as appropriate*, some of the most powerful words I can live by really are “FUCK YOU I WON’T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME!”

“When ignorance reigns, life is lost” - it can hurt to see the pain of the world, but ignorance is worse….AKA “If ignorance is bliss/Then knock the smile off my face”

I am proud of myself for seeing through the lies society has taught me - after all “I know my enemies. They’re the teachers who taught me to fight me”

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Personal Experiences, Tips and Resources

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