So,

Here I am, presenting myself to you as “Mr. Wildenfree”.

I must admit, it sounds like a pretty silly name. All the more reason as to why I took to it so kindly. A good friend of mine (Klass) would randomly call me "Young Wild & Free" back in my high school days (mostly because of my real surname).

After I went off to college, a new friend that I made there found themselves calling me the same thing without ever knowing it was already a nickname for me! It was random, but I once responded in jest when I heard it, saying, "Hey... that's Mr. Wild and Free to you".

It just clicked. I sat with it for even more time and knew that was the one.

The name Wildenfree hit so many checkpoints for me, which I will breakdown for you to get a better sense of the meaning I derived from it.

It was my decision to spell Wildenfree as such, because it combines the words, “Wild” & “Free”, forging a union of two separate aspects of life. This idea of two as one, this Duality, has so many representations. Yin & Yang. Sun & Moon. In & Out. Positive & Negative. Masculine & Feminine. Wild & Free.

I was born June 13th, which makes me a Gemini as the stargazing mystics tell it. The most infamous Zodiac to represent “Duality”. Growing up, I was always made aware of the traits I was sure to have. "Gemini’s are two-faced, have split personalities, over thinkers..." — the list goes on. After enough ridicule & judgement, I began to appreciate & learn more about this duality within myself.

Now, upon first glance it is easy not to consider "Wild" & "Free" as two separate expressions that represent unique extremes like my previous examples. Yet, I found depth to their meaning in just that way.

The Wild is the Mind. It is the darkest & brightest parts unraveled. It is the overly analytical & indecisive self-doubt. It is the chaos; the expressions of uncouth, sporadic noise. It is the unabated motion, distraction & rumination. However, it is also the untapped, unbridled potential.

The meaning behind this aspect took quite some time to reveal itself to me. In my earliest reflections on it, I was still only seeing the mirror of the Wild. Fortunately, life & many lessons revealed its true meaning to me many years later....

In a song I wrote called "A Whole Meal" (2021), the first bar I wrote captures the essence:

"True Freedom lies beyond the door of Discipline."

"The Free" is Awareness. It is the self-observer, the one who dials in the signal to differentiate the noise. It is that which strives for balance & perfection. It is the God particle, "spirit", or anything we humans have tried to liken to it.

The key to this duality, as is with all of its representations, is that they are inseparable. One cannot go without the other. It is from their combination that all possibility is conceived.

Now, there are many things in our society that try to compartmentalize these two halves. Things that create further separation with each categorization, making it seem as if it should always be one thing or the other. My experiences tell me otherwise. Even so, I respect the opinions of those that follow such a structure, for my opinion could not exist without their own — marinate on that.

In conclusion, to me, Wildenfree represents two conjoined aspects in an eternal dance where balance is the ultimate, unattainable goal. It is my belief that God is Balance. Yet, our existence here is to explore the energy in motion that is the dance between the Yin & the Yang, the In & the Out, the Wild & the Free.

If you've enjoyed the value provided in this post, I would be honored to have you join the newsletter so you can receive insights like this alongside other ideas & topics from me. I will be sharing creations, concepts, ideas and resources on: Music, Notion (Productivity), Web3 (Tech), Anime (+ Pin Collecting) & then some. If you want to hear more of what you can expect from me within these areas, check out this post.

When you subscribe, be sure to toggle on/off which communities are most relevant for you!

It is also possible to Support these ideas by clicking the button at the top of the article, which is greatly appreciated!

Lastly, if you feel that this post can provide value to others, I would be grateful for you sharing it with your tribe.

All the best,
Mr. Wildenfree®️ 🐺🍵🎵