After the sun has set | The story of a creative opacarophile

I wrote this story for a storyteller event. The theme was linked to the event space closing doors permanently. They wanted to portray stories about the sun setting, or stories happening after the sun has set. So here is 'After the sun has set, the story of a creative opacarophile'.

An ode to the sun, from an opa-kar-po-file ~
a person who enjoys sunsets ~

She witnessed the sun set and rise many times. Especially on summer days with tropical vibes. She was always captivated by sunsets. She loves the gloomy light orange, and blue skies transforming from beauty into dark romantic nights. Especially in the rainforest, with the smell of damp leaves and the sound of singing birds. Sometimes even with huge ass stinging mosquitoes - well there goes the romance! 🫠

Even in those immersive experiences, while soaking it all up, dreaming away in the colors and the spirituality of the skies occurrence, she never thought of herself as a creative soul. It was imposed on her to become a doctor, a lawyer, or even a pilot. There were either math people or creative people. She did not perceive herself as the latter.

Moving away was a rebellious act. Driven by a desperate need for freedom and exploration. At that age, she got distracted by materialism and tired of feeling worthless. She had unfortunately connected her self-worth to having more things. Having nice and more things got her all the attention and validation she was craving for - especially from the people at home. She wanted what they had. Going to ‘paradise’, was the ticket out. She remembers convincing herself, and her parents that moving away would be the best idea. She was very strategic about it. She picked the only course they didn't teach at home and deduced them into believing that she needed to have this big career.

She left home with a very heavy heart, but being done with everyone and everything. She was convinced about her choices, so she was stunned about the the tears running through while the flight took off. Deep in her core she wasn’t afraid, but she landed in ‘paradise’ with a heavy bag of projected fear. The feeling took over her life.

Here, in paradise, the sun sets out differently. The days feel much shorter and the energy the sun kindles was and still is very distinct. It took her a while to realize that. At first, life was indeed like paradise. She was abundantly blessed with an endless amount of options, while standing in the supermarket, trying to choose what cookies to buy. She was living the good life. She felt as if she never had to decide if she could afford to buy bread or milk. She had so many options that buying everything felt like the better choice. But she was happy because remember, she wanted to have more. She had so much more! She had endless amounts of more. The shopping started, then the hoarding continued. She was intrigued by all the ease paradise gave her. All this ease, made her complacent. She stopped thinking for herself. She let life, all these excessive choices, and the accompanied comfort take over. She became so comfortable with life, that she even unknowingly wanted people to make her choices for her. Feeling misplaced and out of line. Not noticing for a while, it took her about 4 years to feel the sun suddenly set out differently.

For the past few years, the sun has been setting either way too fast, or not fast enough.

She’s been dreading the days.
The one occurrence she previously experienced as positive nurture.
The arrays of golden sun gifted by our divine creator.
There was a crack in the mirror of her days.

For a long time, the sun was trying to portray a message she couldn’t see. She struggled with the fake façade, she developed at home and took with her. She’d been putting it up in the hours before the sun had laid. Working tirelessly in offices dimming her light, on projects crushing her soul, with people who didn't see her true solar energy. She found herself craving more and more sunsets, so she could creep into the dungeons of her solo space. A space where she could freely express her being. She remembers waking up every morning and experiencing the days as if they had transformed into a long endless week. Going to that dreadful office, feeling so misunderstood. No place for her to express and to shine her validity - especially in paradise.

With her, many souls of her generation have been, and currently still are struggling to shine their true authenticity. To find and rock their confidence. Especially the souls in her community, of her breed and her color. For them, the sun sets differently. They are the product of different deep-rooted, DNA-integrated, traumas. Some of them are the product of unwanted migration. The product of a breed still recovering, while still dealing with endless amounts of war, oppression, discrimination, and unfair treatment. They don’t feel safe and they don’t feel seen. They are not even heard. Again, for them the sun sets differently. They are often caught up in immeasurable complying, fitting in and being imposed.

They try,
They try too hard.
They work,
they work too hard.
They fight,
they fight way too hard
and they are perceived as aggressive,
intense,
too much,
actually packaged as not good enough.

And sometimes they even believe what is projected onto them. But still every time, after the sun rises, they get up. Sometimes they want to hide, but they try every single day.

When the sun sets and the energy of the world’s antipathy or harshness goes down, they lick off their wounds. They reflect on their behaviours, they affirm controlled emotions and manage their mindsets for the next sun to accelerate.

He,
their glorious illuminated sun,
he still rises.
Every single day!
Like clockwork,
like breath,
a promised activity
of each solar day.
He gives them the power to persevere,
he shines optimism and gives hope.

After the sun sets, the lights dim and the energy of the city goes down, her breath slows down while her passion ignites. In this flowing, creative realm her creative mastery, her genius comes out. In this expressive dimension, this new valid space, new kinds of creative genies come to life. For the first time ever she considered herself creative. She felt like a shining genius. Although the sun has set earlier in the last few months, especially the last few weeks, it hasn't stopped her from evolving, from expressing, from creating. When you, in her context, have seen the sun set and rise for at least that many years, at some point the endurance, the experiences, and nighttime passions transform into heated fire.

The fire and the will to grow.
The fire and the will to shine.
The fire and the will to break away from past structures.
The fire and the will to break through.
Through the structures imposed on her DNA,
her breed,
her color,
her generation
and on her.

For her, the sun has become a symbol of prosperity. She needs lots of it to thrive and to strive.

The sun represents her personal power,
the source of her energy centre,
her authenticity,
her genius,
and her name.

When the sun is out,
the energy is high.
The city is busy,
her brain and heart are heightened
and she is on fire.

From today she’s indefinitely stopping and wait for the sun to set for her passion to ignite. She’s breaking down the structured walls of dimming offices. She’s breaking up with soul-crushing projects. Cutting ties with the opinions of others not approving of her solar mastery. She’s letting loose of imposed complying, fitting in, and being othered. It’s time for her to shine her authentic light, her authentic power. She finally quit that dreadful job. Leaving behind the fear that she wouldn’t be able to make something else of her life. But you’ll be surprised. When the sun isn’t around to charge up her being, she taps into creation. It has paid off tremendously. She works hard, she trusts and she believes.


Be encouraged to do the same. Use the cycle of the sun as a timer for growth, for second chances, for reflection, transformation and creation. After the sun sets, accept your wounds, reflect on your behavior, learn from your mistakes, own them and reclaim. Take a deep breath of living your passion, recline and prepare for the sun to rise again and again, and again! to bring us all a new solar day ☀️

Thank you for reading one of my stories. Keep following my account for more.

What did you experience while reading this story?

Do you ever take a moment to appreciate the sun? What does the sun mean to you? Let us know in the comments how you connect with yourself and nature.