Room For The Real
For the past few months, I have been channeling all my creativity into my day job as a Creative Director for furniture imagery. At the end of each day, I often find myself wanting to write or engage in creative activities, but life has its demands, and I, like everyone else, need my rest and breaks. Recently, however, I've started using some AI tools to inspire my creativity in new and exciting ways. These tools have helped me break up my routine and feel more alive.
While working on some upcoming AI tools for my job, I stumbled upon a songwriting AI tool. Writing songs has always been a dream of mine—creating a soundtrack for different moments in life. That dream always seemed out of reach, but with AI, I decided to give it a shot.
This past week, I have been co-writing songs with AI to help express my thoughts, feelings, and experiences. While the AI attempted to incorporate my voice into the vocals, I found the lyrics to be more empowering and healing for me.
If these songs were ever turned into an album, I would title it "Room for the Real," signifying that there is space for my true self and that I am okay to exist. If you don't mind a slight AI voice with mine meshed into it. The first song is titled "Breaking The Silence," followed by "Room For The Real," which expresses my gratitude for being a father to my children. The final song, "Thank You for Seeing Me," is dedicated to Heather, who will always hold a special place in my heart.
“We’re still building a life, a love of its own,
With three little lights that guide us home.”
-
Verse 1
Seven years old, moving states,
Lost my world in a silent place.
Then a gift came, like a miracle,
Sound returned; I felt invincible.
They called it a blessing, said it was divine,
And I believed it all, believed it was a sign.Chorus
Oh, I tried to hide who I am inside,
Kept my heart behind walls so high.
Afraid to lose the gift I'd been given,
Afraid that loving who I loved was forbidden.
Living in shadows, wearing a mask,
Hoping I'd find healing if I stayed on this path.Verse 2
Twelve years old, feeling out of place,
Seeing beauty in another's face.
Church interviews, questions tight,
Hiding my truth in the dead of night.
Thought I’d be punished if they knew my mind,
So I held it in, stayed in line.Chorus
Oh, I tried to hide who I am inside,
Kept my heart behind walls so high.
Afraid to lose the gift I'd been given,
Afraid that loving who I loved was forbidden.
Living in shadows, wearing a mask,
Hoping I'd find healing if I stayed on this path.Verse 3
Nineteen, back in Utah’s hills,
Serving God, swallowing pills
Of silence, struggle, endless fear—
Pushing limits year by year.
Attraction stayed, a thorn within,
Thought my battle was punishment for sin.Bridge
Came back home, met a friend,
Told myself this could be the end
Of questions, pain, and a hidden life—
Married young, became a husband and a father, tried to live right.
But deep inside, I couldn't deny
The part of me I’d locked up tight.Verse 4
Seven years in, secrets kept,
I told Heather, and together we wept.
Kept trying to make it work, stayed close to faith,
But the silence became more than we could take.
Our journey long, with twists and turns,
Chasing healing while the fire still burned.Chorus
Oh, I tried to hide who I am inside,
Kept my heart behind walls so high.
Afraid to lose the gift I'd been given,
Afraid that loving who I loved was forbidden.
Living in shadows, wearing a mask,
Hoping I'd find healing if I stayed on this path.Outro
Now we’ve broken free, let the silence end,
I’m learning to love, learning to mend.
With Heather by my side, as co-parents and friends,
This isn’t the path I thought it’d be—
But we’re choosing truth, finding peace.
The journey’s ours, the scars will fade,
And I’ll walk this road unafraid. -
[Verse 1]
In a suit of gray, hoping for change,
I stood at the altar, feeling so strange,
Promises made in a soft golden light,
Thinking love could heal, make everything right.
[Verse 2]
Whispers of family, the dreams that we
shared,
A house full of laughter, if only I dared,
But inside I was fighting, a truth I could see,
No matter the vows, I iust couldn't be free.
[Chorus]
But love, oh love, it found a way,
In the laughter of children, I learned to stay,
I'm still that boy in the mirror's gaze,
Living my truth in a thousand ways.
[Verse 3]
Years passed like shadows, the fear fell
away,
Those smiles in the night, they taught me to play,
Through crayons and stories, I'd come to embrace,
That being a dad is a beautiful space.
[Bridge]
No more divided, just joy in the sun,
In the arms of my children, I've truly begun,
I hold every heartbeat, every tear, every thrill.
In this vibrant life, there's room for the real.
[Outro]
So here's to the journey, the love that we've sown,
In every giggle and hug, I'm fully home
I wouldn't change a thing, let the past fade away,
Together forever, my heart's here to stay
-
"Thank You for Seeing Me"
Verse 1
When I opened my heart that December night,
Told you my truth in the soft moonlight,
The questions rose, “Where do we go from here?”
Three kids, a life—we built it all, my dear.
Turned to faith, thought we’d find a way,
Holding on to vows we made.
But the tighter we held, the more we knew,
That love like ours was meant to grow, not to undo.
Chorus
And I thank you for seeing me, just as I am,
Through the trials, the silence, the moments unplanned.
For staying beside me, for the laughs and the tears,
For standing by me through uncertain years.
Verse 2
Roommates in a love we tried to force,
But there’s only pain when it runs off course.
We hid our hearts, kept dreams at bay,
For the promises we thought could save the day.
But in the quiet, we found our way through,
Best friends holding to a love that’s true.
Though dreams of “forever” might shift and bend,
You’re my strength, my rock, my closest friend.
Chorus
And I thank you for seeing me, just as I am,
Through the trials, the silence, the moments unplanned.
For staying beside me, for the laughs and the tears,
For standing by me through uncertain years.
Bridge
On that living room floor, we spoke the words,
Shared fears, and futures we’d never heard.
And though we walked down a different road,
We found a way to lighten the load.
Chorus
Thank you for seeing me, with kindness and grace,
For the strength to let go but never erase.
We’re still building a life, a love of its own,
With three little lights that guide us home.
Outro
So here’s to the journey we’ll always share,
To a friendship and love beyond compare.
Though life looks different than we ever knew,
Heather, I’m grateful every day for you.
