16. Champion Interview with Hamed Sinno: Composer, Musician, and former lead singer of Lebanese Alt Rock Band, Mashrou’ Leila.

This champion interview explores topics such as mental health, creation myths, the primal nature of singing, resistance to narrative, expressing unnameable experiences, the healing power of music and art, being a bridge between personal experience and others, navigating political expectations and public projection, and the intersection of queerness and music. Hamed shares his journey through loss, unexpected challenges, and the impact of suicide on his mental health. Stepping away from the music industry, he focused on self-reflection and growth.Hamed stresses the importance of self-compassion, shedding harmful beliefs, and embracing sensitivity. Hamed advocates for exploring self-expression, giving oneself permission to play and experiment.Highlighting the power of choice and recognising suffering's structural nature, Hamed emphasises listening to feelings and the body.Enjoying Time To Show Up?  Try out our community for free: https://www.timetoshowup.org/ Key themes: 1.     Mental health is an important topic that needs to be discussed more openly.2.     Narratives and creation myths can be mythological in nature, stringing together disparate events to explain oneself.3.     Singing taps into a primal and excessive nature, allowing for the expression of meaning beyond words.4.     There is value in resisting narratives and embracing the anti-myth.5.     Art, particularly music, can be healing and reparative.6.     Being a bridge between personal experience and others can be a powerful and transformative role.7.     Navigating political expectations and public projection can be challenging, especially when it intersects with personal identity.8.     Queerness and music intersect in unique ways, shaping personal experiences and artistic expression. Loss and unexpected challenges can have a profound impact on mental health and well-being.9.     Affording grace to oneself and others is essential for personal growth and healing.10.  Exploring and experimenting with self-expression can lead to self-discovery and new creative possibilities.11.  Embracing sensitivity can be a source of strength and inspiration.12.  Recognizing the structural nature of suffering can help shift the focus from individual pathology to systemic change.13.  Listening to one's feelings and body can provide valuable insights and guidance.Websites:·      The Wailing Banshee in Irish Mythology  - https://bit.ly/430yaJ4Books:·      Revolution in Poetic Language – Julia Kristeva  - https://bit.ly/49DnT86·      The Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power – Audre Lorde  - https://bit.ly/3V0Hc6Q·      Mourning and Melancholia  (1917) - Sigmund Freud - https://bit.ly/3wIasFC·      Identity & the Life Cycle – Erik Erikson -