Vous Tous
“You, always you, be you, all of you, be you,” are the words ringing on the chorus of my latest project, written and produced for the ever inspiring Erin Zhurkin, who recently wrote a book about living from the heart. Would you believe it? Our process through this project was solely based on heart, impressions, and snippets of coversations through facebook messenger. Without reading the book, but listening to and talking with her, I quickly realized this song would come to exist far easier than expected. Her message, and the way she made me feel was easily expressed through music.
Erin and I met as young moms about a decade ago in Nashville. We both had daughters with french names, and we loved music and art. We had long conversations and shared our life philosophies, and I felt an immedate kinship. Although our meeting was brief, she made a lasting impression on my heart. The other unique thing we have in common is moving and traveling with our famlies from country to country since we last saw each other. Outside of Nasvhille, she has lived in Russia, Paris, Ireland, and Korea and I have lived in Australia, Canada, India, and London.
Before I dove into her book, the message of not fitting in and following my own heart reasonated. Before I started moving, I never really fit in anywhere, so I already had some practice before arriving in all these new places. My childhood was rocky and I was always falling for punks and skater boys. As an adult, I’m a fully practicing Christian, like what? I am a musician who still thrives in gritty environments like dive bars and crap music venues, while everyone wonders if I am an A&R rep or not. At church I’m the wild card, the unhinged truth teller who makes no apologies for being one hundred percent authentic. And besides, I always wondered what the purpose was of pretending to fit in anywhere. It’s based in a sense of fear, and a lack of a sense of self, which in reality is more common than we’d like to beleive, and actually quite sad. Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a world where expansive personalities and ideas were not only welcome, but celebrated and explored? It’s one thing to be a jerk and challenge the status quo or wag your finger, but it’s another to lovingly shed more light on the heart of the truth.
It’s not like it’s always easy, cozy, and comfortable though, right? Just as this plus size influencer in the Parisian fashion world, a world that is entirely size-obsessed. They are very open about it too; skinny is good, fat is bad. To stand there in a larger body and say, actually, yeah no, that’s wrong, and I’m going to stand here and be empowered by what I know to be true in my heart. Posing a challenge to the rigid and stale concept of size feels entirely liberating. Let go, ahhhh, let’s breath. Thank goodness for the new generation who is insisting on body diversity without air brushing. Hallelujah to the skies and to the earth for this! Wasn’t it Coco Chanel herself who wanted women to be able to move and breath in their clothes? Let’s catch up fam.
The song, Vous Tous, that I wrote for Erin and Abby (the main character) in Plus-size in Paris was released on Valentine’s Day. The day that is all love, but this time, about self love. The podcast will be up and running in March, and I look forward to hearing the lively discussion! Happy to say that Erin invited me to be on one of her episodes, I was so thrilled to be able to have another heart to heart with her after all these years. This woman truly has a heart of gold, and I’m so glad she’s getting her message and spirit out into the world. If you get the chance to listen to the podcast and read the book, I believe you will be deeply inspired to bravely let go of the the world’s hardwired ideals and feel more empowered to live from your heart despite arbitrary expectation.
Love, Rachel
