In 2009, a friend of mine asked me to put my amateur photography skills to use for the band State of Insomnia (SOI) from Bakersfield, California. For those unfamiliar with their work, you can check out their 2008 song “Resurrection” from that period in time.
One source describes SOI’s style as “hard driven music and eerie facial décor.” Although I’m a lifelong hip hop head that has spun both rap and electronic dance music genres as a DJ, while also enjoying many other forms of music, I wasn’t familiar with SOI at the time of our shoot.
At an abandoned and dilapidated warehouse in my hometown of Bomb City, the band’s van arrived and out poured these corpse-painted characters with shock rock or black metal-style faces, à la Kiss – though apparently not to be confused with bands like Slipknot that wear masks.
One imagines that the unusual appearance of SOI would’ve turned heads and raised eyebrows from residents of my largely conservative place of birth. However, the photoshoot took place on the outskirts of my hometown with only a select number of people in attendance.
Admittedly, I didn’t know what to think when initially seeing the band. My dad raised me under tenets of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and later in adolescence and early adulthood I subscribed to the doctrine regarding the Church of Christ.
Observing upside-down cross face paint, an anarchy wristband, and sign of the horns hand gestures, my prima facie conclusion was that the band’s image ran counter-representatively to the values up with which I was raised. However, looks can be deceiving.
Speaking with members of SOI during the shoot, I realized how down-to-earth, rationally compassionate, and insightful the guys were. They weren’t monstrous demons who prowled around my hometown like a roaring lion while looking for someone to devour.
For the photoshoot, I’d planned for my friend to hold a number of dried roses which would be set ablaze. Noteworthy, there are various symbolic meanings for that imagery. Looking back, I think of how the decaying life of a misconception was destroyed while shedding light on a new belief.
From the perspective of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), regarding the ABC model, the burning roses represented an illuminated effective new belief (eB) taking the place of a withered and fiery irrational belief (iB). This process is an antidote to self-disturbance.
Comfortable with SOI members, I attended their live performance later that evening. What I found were men, women, and children who seemed to have enjoyed themselves as SOI proverbially melted the faces off of attendees with loud and fast-paced rock music.
That lesson was correlated with the beginning of my graduate school studies to become a counselor (2009-2011). Over 15 years later, I’m pleased to say that looks can be deceiving and that when given an opportunity people may surprise you with who they are instead of what you believe about them.
This has been an ongoing thread in my approach to working with clients from many walks of life. Now, I impart this relatively brief psychoeducational lesson upon you. If you’re ready to challenge your iB in order to achieve an eB and see life more clearly, then I invite you to consider practice of REBT.
If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
Apple Music. (n.d.). State of Insomnia. Apple, Inc. Retrieved from https://music.apple.com/us/artist/state-of-insomnia/279936035
Hollings, D. (2024, October 18). ABC model. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/abc-model
Hollings, D. (2022, March 15). Disclaimer. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/disclaimer
Hollings, D. (2024, April 2). Four major irrational beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/four-major-irrational-beliefs
Hollings, D. (2023, October 12). Get better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/get-better
Hollings, D. (n.d.). Hollings Therapy, LLC [Official website]. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/
Hollings, D. (2023, September 19). Life coaching. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/life-coaching
Hollings, D. (2023, September 8). Lived experience. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/lived-experience
Hollings, D. (2022, October 22). On empathy. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-empathy
Hollings, D. (2023, September 3). On feelings. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-feelings
Hollings, D. (2023, March 20). Practice. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/practice
Hollings, D. (2024, January 1). Psychoeducation. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/psychoeducation
Hollings, D. (2024, May 5). Psychotherapist. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/psychotherapist
Hollings, D. (2022, March 24). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-emotive-behavior-therapy-rebt
Hollings, D. (2022, November 1). Self-disturbance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-disturbance
Hollings, D. (2024, September 17). The E-C connection. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-e-c-connection
Jake S. (2008, September 24). State of Insomnia-Resurrection [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/Djvol4Lq9as?si=53dFhcOlH7FS9MSJ
Last.fm. (n.d.). State of Insomnia. Retrieved from https://www.last.fm/music/State+of+Insomnia/+wiki
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Corpse paint. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpse_paint
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Kiss (band). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiss_(band)
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Sign of the horns. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_of_the_horns
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Slipknot (band). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slipknot_(band)
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