Reflections from 2023 and Wishes for a Happy New Year

2023 sure was a doozy. I was adjacent or witness to more death—both literal and metaphorical—than any other year I can remember. A number of people in my broader circle, as well as a dear friend and mentor, passed on to the next dimension. I was also encouraged by circumstance and compelled by a most powerful intuition, to let die some deeply entrenched beliefs I’ve long held about my identity. But as I grow older, I find myself leaning into this cycle—death, rebirth, and rebuilding—with increasing peace and grace, ever more certain of its beauty and fundamental nature.

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Eric Henry Andersen—Now Creating on Patreon

At various points over the past decade or so, many of you have asked how to best support me as an artist: what you can do specifically, to help me get to the next level of my career. I’m always deeply humbled when these questions arise, as well as encouraged to keep pushing on in an industry that often feels overwhelming. That said, it’s been surprisingly complicated to provide clear and actionable answers—even to the most die-hard fans, quite eager to get engaged. I’ve recently been exploring ways to refine my approach; to be able to continue offering high quality content, but in a more consistent and sustainable manner—and to further cultivate a sense of community through my work. With this goal in mind, and after considerable deliberation, I’ve decided to launch a fan-supported content model through “Patreon.”

I’d be honored if you would join me in this next exciting chapter as an official Eric Henry Andersen Patron.

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Introducing: Conversations for Convergence with Eric Henry Andersen

Music and the arts have always been a reliable cultural barometer, and can provide endless fodder for wide-ranging discussions. And as a musician myself, my podcast will naturally have a significant focus in these realms. However, I also plan to speak with individuals across various other fields: athletes, scientists, politicians, and curious characters of all types, who have experience and wisdom worth sharing. I hope my podcast will provide an environment for conversations that can safely venture into the weeds, should they go there; where it’s OK to disagree; where it’s OK for things to get messy; and ultimately, where guests and listeners alike will be inspired to join me in striving for deeper understanding of diverse perspectives, rather than reflexively reverting to our comfort zones and protecting our default positions. I firmly believe that we all share much more in common than not, and that our habitual (and often toxic) ideological allegiances prevent us from seeing this clearly. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, I think the future of our communities, nation, and world depends on our ability to have and to value these sorts of conversations. Through the podcast, I hope to play a small role in encouraging and facilitating this.  

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Reflections on and Reframing of a past Lifetime: What I Learned from a Chance Re-encounter with Ski Racing 

When I quit racing abruptly in 2009, I was bitter as hell and suddenly directionless—as if I had “failed” myself and my community, and lost a fundamental part of my identity. In recent conversations with fellow former collegiate racers who also came up short on their dreams, I found that my disillusionment was quite common, though most of us just buried the emotions back then and moved on with life. Much of that time period remains a blur, but I do recall making the decision that January to move on from ski racing over the course of only a few short weeks. My previously unwavering and infinite devotion to the sport seemed to flip on a dime and my motivation evaporated. I made no announcement even to my family, coaches, teammates or close friends; I just didn’t show up the next season. That was it. I promptly put ski racing behind me and consequently lost touch with so many amazing people. I’m deeply regretful that I didn’t handle things differently, but at the time I guess I just wasn’t equipped to face a proper reckoning. Even with the welcome distraction of new and exciting musical opportunities, I entered a period of depression that persisted for several years.

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A PLEA TO THE UNDECIDED VOTER

You may recall Trump’s personal attacks on Republican Senator John McCain. McCain was as widely respected as any politician in American history. He was known for his integrity and ability to work across the aisle to accomplish actual good for the American people. He also spent five years as a POW in Vietnam, around the time Trump received a deferment from the war for bone spurs. McCain gave the most gracious concession speech after losing the 2008 presidential election to Barack Obama—a speech Trump would never have had the courage or humility to deliver. During McCain’s final few months of life, battling brain cancer, Trump continued to defame the American hero, stating “I like people who weren’t captured.” Presidential indeed.

Literally every issue that will challenge the survival of humanity over the coming decades—climate change, threat of nuclear war, global pandemics, the implications of AI, tribalism, etc., will require massive and coordinated international efforts, predicated on the trust and respect of our leaders. While Trump is feared by many, he’s respected by few—generally authoritarians like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un—other bully types, who share his megalomaniac personality disorder. The solutions to these issues are not achievable in isolation, and by definition cannot be—must not be— zero-sum. America should be viewed as a leader, but not as a domineer at the expense of other nations.

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On Coming Out

Early in the process of coming to terms with my sexuality, I thought of my gayness as an unfortunate, permanent hurdle I would spend a lifetime overcoming. But these days, I truly find it to be a gift. Being gay engenders a certain healthy skepticism and closer inspection of all things assumed to be true—whether by society, culture, science, or oneself; it begs the experiencer to ask the best possible questions, rather than the most boring and typical ones; it forces difficult conversations with people from opposing ideologies, providing an opportunity to cultivate courage and tolerance. Above all, it illuminates the inherent beauty of diversity in the world and encourages compassion universally—especially to those who don’t “fit in” for whatever reason. Having to overcome these obstacles and the subsequent lessons learned has proven to be fruitful time and again in navigating so many other aspects of life.

Of course, there are downsides. The prospect of having children of my own someday is more complicated as a result of my sexuality, and this can be depressing at times. But with society’s ever-evolving definition of what a family can look like, my attitude is generally optimistic. I’m not sure if marriage is in my personal future, but I’m certainly grateful that, as it stands in America in 2020, gays and lesbians are constitutionally afforded the same rights and protections as straight couples. This isn’t, however, guaranteed in perpetuity and if we care about protecting these rights, we need to act and vote accordingly.

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