#iotorus

April 18th , 2016 // Day 109 of 366 Subject: Nicholas Joel Farrar Age: 23 Years Old Born: Emergency Transit to Sacramento (but Raised in Paradise CA) Currently Resides: Chico CA Occupation: Inspire-er // Musician // Part-time Music Teacher

“I think the most positive thing is that I was so sheltered for so long that my only experiences were with positive people who encouraged me greatly. So it’s empowered me to be confident to do things a lot of other people would think are impossible or people would not be receptive to and for me it’s like,’I’m going to be bold and ask for what I want,’ because I pray for people to go out for their way to help and don’t expect them to do wrong to me.” 

“The silver lining of being in a band and putting so much emotional energy into it and just having it dissipate was it that it pushed me to raise up my level of musicianship and it gave me a lot of experience with performing, and hyping up shows, and being able to put on a show; so I feel comfortable standing up by myself with no band to hide behind and be like,’This is who I am. This is my music.’ And I can be vulnerable and show it all.” 

“I think in Chico that you’re encouraged to find your creative niche and whatever that is. And it’s an environment where you can be like,’Hey I poured my heart into this and it’s not perfect.’ but as long as you’re genuine with that, people will except it and give you respect if it’s genuine. But if you try put forth something that is contrived, and perfect, and fits in the lines; that may impress some people but the community, they’ll be like,’Oh, you’re just disingenuous. We don’t want to support you.’”

“I would thank my parents for saving my life and for continually telling me that God has a destiny for me and purpose for my pain and that even though that I was in excruciatingly misery for so much of my life that there was a reason for that to happen and that it would give me power that I could then use to inspire other people. Iff my parents hadn’t instilled that in me, if my dad hadn’t told me that he had visions of me speaking before crowds of people I would never find the confidence in myself to put full faith in that concept and push for it. My parents have equipped me with a strong sense of confidence in who I am and to believe if I just do what God leads to me to do then I’ll be alright. I can have days where I struggle to get out of bed and feel like I’m not doing anything to move forward but as long as that I still hold the dream in my heart and move towards that in my mind, that counts; even though I can’t take the steps to actualize it.” 

“I feel like even if someone hasn’t had some massive obstacle to overcome, or a chronic illness, or some horrific thing that a lot of people feel like they don’t deserve to feel depressed in their suffering; that they don’t have anything worth feeling that over. And so they guilt themselves over the emotions they feel and the things they battle in daily life and I feel like everyone, just by nature of being human, knows what it’s like to feel anxious, and despair, and depressed and wonder where am I moving towards in life and what is the perfect purpose for my existence. And so many people look around and see the horrors of the world and focus on that, and meditate on that, and it just manifests more and more in their life. I encourage people to find the thing that makes them happiest because I believe every single person, no matter what they have to overcome or even if they’ve been given a perfect life, that they have a divine purpose that only they can fulfill. And if they pursue what brings them the greatest joy and joy to other poeple that they’ll find a depth of fulfillment that they didn’t think was possible.” 

“I think more then anything else in the world my desires in life have been to bring healing to other people and being someone who is in constant suffering and saw so many poeple who were sic and suffering all around me, it gave me the a heart of compassion and a desire to help. Whether it’s my music, or my spoken message, or even just interacting with a cute girl at Amigos giving me Horchata that if I can bring happiness and light into someone else’s moment, that is its own fulfillment.” 

Nick is one of the first people I remember being very enthusiastic at shows about 10 years ago when I started to be more active in the music scene here in Chico. He would always show up and I would say in my head,”Nick’s here. This is going to be a good show”. I had no idea that he would, himself, grow into being a great musician in his for band Io Torus but also as a solo musician. I was taken a back when I found out he had Lime Disease his whole life but he’s been able to overcome and do all the things he can do within his limited spectrum and actually thrive in that box. We all suffer but it’s how we take that suffering and and not let it make us any less of any human. 

Thanks Nick.