The Freerange Hooligan, Unleashed!
Thoughts on Creative Self-Sufficiency
A brutally honest reflection on mental illness, shame, family judgment and the exhausting work of finding a way back from the darkness. Sometimes writing is how we drag the demons into the light. And sometimes survival begins with two simple words: I matter.
# Main-Page Summary
What happens when you stop listening to “They” and start listening to yourself? At almost 50, I’m rebuilding my life around dreams I once allowed fear, doubt, and other people’s opinions to bury. I’m finishing my library qualification, buying a coastal property, planning a steel-frame home, and preparing for a future filled with writing, blogging, travel, and rather ambitious adventures. There will be sacrifices, mistakes, terrifying beginnings, and probably an alarming quantity of energy drinks. But there will also be an e-trike journey across America, books, perhaps a boat and ocean crossings, and ten years of deliberately choosing the life I actually want.
Life is rather hectic: I’m juggling six UNISA modules, getting plans drawn up for my future Koingnaas home, and figuring out how to fund the build. I’m also considering documenting the whole adventure on YouTube. It’s an ambitious couple of years, but I’ve never been particularly good at choosing easy options.