<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[The Creative.FM: Dear Midnight, ]]></title><description><![CDATA[“Dear Midnight,” is a section of random thoughts, ideas, and poetry that I feel like sharing. It probably won’t contain the most polished pieces of work, but they’ll be something that people can read and take the time to ponder on for themselves.]]></description><link>https://thecreativefm.substack.com/s/dear-midnight</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!53Jf!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4adaf9b-fd79-4f6f-8fb7-2df5ee130bba_500x500.png</url><title>The Creative.FM: Dear Midnight, </title><link>https://thecreativefm.substack.com/s/dear-midnight</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:49:44 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://thecreativefm.substack.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[The Creative.FM ]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[thecreativefm@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[thecreativefm@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Stephan Cook]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Stephan Cook]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[thecreativefm@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[thecreativefm@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Stephan Cook]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[safety in destruction]]></title><description><![CDATA[The subtle solace that one may find in being in chaos. Some may tend to thrive in settings that are destructive, while others tend to fail. For some, there&#8217;s this &#8220;in between&#8221; position.]]></description><link>https://thecreativefm.substack.com/p/safety-in-destruction</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://thecreativefm.substack.com/p/safety-in-destruction</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Stephan Cook]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 19 Jul 2026 11:33:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nAOY!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa70146f3-23f5-4099-955c-779453539def_3464x5202.heic" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nAOY!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa70146f3-23f5-4099-955c-779453539def_3464x5202.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nAOY!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa70146f3-23f5-4099-955c-779453539def_3464x5202.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nAOY!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa70146f3-23f5-4099-955c-779453539def_3464x5202.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nAOY!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa70146f3-23f5-4099-955c-779453539def_3464x5202.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nAOY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa70146f3-23f5-4099-955c-779453539def_3464x5202.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nAOY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa70146f3-23f5-4099-955c-779453539def_3464x5202.heic" width="728" height="1093.5" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a70146f3-23f5-4099-955c-779453539def_3464x5202.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:false,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:2187,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:728,&quot;bytes&quot;:913387,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;By: Stephan Cook&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://thecreativefm.substack.com/i/200839542?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa70146f3-23f5-4099-955c-779453539def_3464x5202.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="By: Stephan Cook" title="By: Stephan Cook" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nAOY!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa70146f3-23f5-4099-955c-779453539def_3464x5202.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nAOY!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa70146f3-23f5-4099-955c-779453539def_3464x5202.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nAOY!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa70146f3-23f5-4099-955c-779453539def_3464x5202.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nAOY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa70146f3-23f5-4099-955c-779453539def_3464x5202.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>it&#8217;s weird. </p><p>I shouldn&#8217;t feel safe, but i do.</p><p>I really, really do.</p><p>everything&#8217;s falling apart around me, but the only thing I can do is find comfort in it.</p><p>it&#8217;s an easy thing to do, since it&#8217;s all around me constantly, but I shouldn&#8217;t feel safe.</p><p>I&#8217;d be lying if I said that I wasn&#8217;t comfortable.</p><p></p><p>maybe I&#8217;m the cause?</p><p>maybe I&#8217;m the reason why I feel so safe in the dysfunction?</p><p>maybe I should just let it all burn?</p><p>should it all burn?</p><p>what else can I do to destroy it?</p><p></p><p>it&#8217;s all so weird, yet so familiar.</p><p>like a moth to a flame.</p><p>drawn to it for internal reasoning, death from it from external reasoning. </p><p>it&#8217;s going to kill me, and I know it is, but why can&#8217;t I move? </p><p>cemented, as am I. </p><p></p><p>it&#8217;s just easier that way. </p><p>easier to deal with my feelings.</p><p>easier to shut-eye, followed by open-eye</p><p>easier to ignore the pain, the hurt, the forgotten. </p><p>what do they say, &#8220;ignorance is bliss&#8221;; well ignorance hasn&#8217;t made me die yet, so maybe they&#8217;re right. </p><p>safety in it all.</p><p>complacent in it all.</p><p></p><p> but do I have the time or the power to be complacent in it all? </p><p></p><p>I should find a way out, but I can&#8217;t.</p><p>it&#8217;s pulling me in, but I know I need a way out.</p><p>complacent in it all.</p><p>so very weird.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://thecreativefm.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://thecreativefm.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Normal]]></title><description><![CDATA[What even is normal?]]></description><link>https://thecreativefm.substack.com/p/normal</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://thecreativefm.substack.com/p/normal</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Stephan Cook]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 21:12:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BYNn!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8fdc13f6-49f2-4b07-8fc0-7fa02eea6890_2268x4032.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="image-gallery-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;gallery&quot;:{&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8fdc13f6-49f2-4b07-8fc0-7fa02eea6890_2268x4032.jpeg&quot;}],&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;staticGalleryImage&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8fdc13f6-49f2-4b07-8fc0-7fa02eea6890_2268x4032.jpeg&quot;}},&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true}"></div><p>What even is normal? Is it the way that society tells us that we need to act? Or is it what we say it is. If that&#8217;s that case, I don&#8217;t think that you can logically call it normal. </p><p>When I think of this life, I don&#8217;t want to &#8220;fit in&#8221; or be like everyone else. I like to not be considered normal because honestly, normal is overrated. We&#8217;d all look act like robots in a world that was designed for us to be different. </p><p>When society tells you not to have your own way, I feel as though you should. Yahuah didn&#8217;t bless us with free will for it to go to waste. </p><p>Keep in mind though, that when I say free will, I don&#8217;t mean the free will that social media has overcompensated as stupidity; instead, I mean the free will that gives every person room to be their own person. The ability to like or dislike certain things, without feeling shame or embarrassment from others. Because in actuality, is it embarrassing, or is it just not normal? </p><p>Hey Siri! Play &#8220;Days&#8221; by Rayvn Lenae. </p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://thecreativefm.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://thecreativefm.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>