We were lucky to catch up with Arin DeGroff recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Arin, thanks for joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
The “American Dream”, a common narrative in America, alluring young minds that anything is possible. That individual success and happiness is achievable despite circumstances of class or race. While aspects of this reality are relatively true, there is also great a disillusionment of it actually being possible. The glass ceiling of what is achievable in America has been slowly cracking, if not already broken and many of us realize that to truly achieve the “American Dream”, means that systems in place such as prejudice, institutional racism, and collective disparity of the working class must be dismantled, and resource relocated. It has become evident that the privilege that has been placated and dangled in front of our eyes for generations, does not come without a price; if you even have access at all.
This glaring reality became evident to me in 2014 as the most defining moment came of my life, then later professional career. For context, I am the bi product of what of America can truly look like when you see past the vail. I grew up with a complicated past, a young “mixed girl” with a white father and a black mother in bible belt, conservative Texas. With parents that worked rigorous careers just to support the family. By the age of 12 my mother took on the role of being a single parent, taking on another job just to support her and I. By the age of 16 I knew abuse and aspects of trauma more intimately than I should have. Then by the age of 19 I discovered that the father I once knew, was actually not my father at all. Despite all of this, I still had a great deal of privilege that I benefited from. I was able to go to college out of state and have access to a potential reality that many people I know did not.
It was spring semester of my sophomore year and reality hit me in the form of a 15,000 pound school bus. It was raining that day, “The Chronic”, by Dr. Dre played on the stereo and I was enjoying the views and vibes as the passenger in the car. Next thing I know, a school bus turned in front of us and we collided with it in a way that could have resulted in me not being able to tell this story. That day changed my life in more ways that one. Little did I know at the time it was new beginning for me, it was my pathway into my deepest passions; alternative healing therapies, the discovery of my art, the spark of activist spirit and most of all my doorway into grace and forgiveness.
Over the course of the next two and half years, I slowly lost feeling on the entire left side of my body from head to toe. The pain I felt daily was truly unbearable most days and the worst part of it all, there was not one doctor or physician that could tell me what was wrong with me. I was told by trained medical professionals that I was “making it up”, that “nothing was wrong with me”, and that I wanted to “use the system”. Disappointment, anger, heartbreak and deep amounts of pain don’t even begin to describe how devastating this all was for me, I truly wanted to give up, throw in the towel and allow the pain to be the ruler of my path. By the time my Senior year came around I flew home to Texas and connected with a doctor who diagnosed me with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Surgery was scheduled for Christmas break and it was planned for me to have my first rib removed as well as scalene and pectoral muscle shaved down. I had no oxygen or blood flow moving through the left side of my body, my internal muscular systems and tissues were decaying. When I ask the doctor why it took so long to get a diagnosis he stated very simple and clear, that “Doctors in America care more about getting paid from Big Pharma than they do about keeping up with new medical studies.” At that time there were only about 3 doctors in the U.S that knew how to diagnose, let alone do the surgery for my condition.
This whole experience was eye opening and of course was a defining moment for my life. However, it was in the small distills of the experience that truly shaped me. I recognized how broken our health care system is, I would be in public health offices surrounding by fellow people of color, the elderly and children; not receiving the help or care they actually needed. I saw people being disregarded by a system that was supposed to help yet not being given any answers just because they didn’t have the best insurance, money or resources to obtain them. I felt what it was like to not have the answers you need to be healthy, while chronically suffering everyday and still having to show up for the parts of my life I had committed to. I was thrust into a space in my psyche where I had to accept that I may be in pain for the rest of my life and even with that I still had a choice to live a life of purpose and the opportunity to experience joy. When that mindset locked in, everything truly changed. I realized the power our minds to overcome, regardless of what’s happening in any given physical reality. I was gifted the practice of Reiki and began to heal from the inside out. I was shown a path forward where every moving part of society could have access to the resources we all deserve for the mind, body and spirit through housing/wellness centers that catered directly towards these needs. Most of all, I discovered that the true American Dream can only be achieved if we create it together.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
It is my fullest intention to empower others to access the power of the present moment and discover what aligns them to a balanced mind, body and spirit. My practice encompasses what it means to live a life “Inside Out”. It is the recognition and honoring of the universal truth that, what comes from within will be experienced and seen without. I truly believe our greatest superpower as humans is the ability to transform our perceived realities, how we feel and what we are capable of creating, all through how we choose to think and the stories we tell.
For over a decade now I have been crafting and developing my brand, business and offerings around: Writing, Photography, Multidimensional Painting, Reiki Intuitive Healing, Activism and Wellness and Public Housing Advocacy. From an early age I fell in love with writing and photography, both mediums became my saving grace and escape from childhood trauma. Writing proved to be a way for me to connect to my innermost thoughts and desires. While also being a safe space for me to transmute my outer world experiences into a reality that I could make sense of. Whereas photography was a window for me to hold onto beauty rather than holding onto pain and suffering. I found it compelling and captivating to make time stand still and preserve a beautiful moment that oftentimes felt fleeting.
Over time my passions expanded into Reiki Intuitive Healing work as well as Multidimensional Painting. While on the surface there may not be a clear bridge between the two, both gifts came into my life at the same time, forming a clear path for me to begin my practice of living my life as much as possible in the present moment. Presence is what connects us to our intuition and I believe one of the strongest gifts we all have access to. If we know how to intentionally connect to it, there is an abundance of creativity and healing on the other side that is beneficial to us all. I often tell people that Reiki found me, rather than me finding it because it came into my life at a time when I was in a great deal of physical, emotional and energetic pain. There were many nights I would cry out, desperately praying and asking for some type of resolve. One night, I was heard; which resulted in one of the more powerful metaphysical and spiritual experiences I’ve had. I was shown how to draw upon an abundant energy source that enabled me to move energy in my body that eventually would relieve and soften the pain I was in.
While Reiki has been a great teacher for me, I still often found it challenging to be present in my day to day activities during this point in my life. One of the only ways I could pay attention was doodling and drawing throughout my day. There was no thought about it, no agenda for me to become a painter; it was a means to an end and a practice of allowance of letting my hand channel whatever wanted to come out. A few years of doing this and I eventually was inspired to bring my drawings to canvas. A light bulb went off and I quickly realized that both Reiki and painting were a way for me to connect to something bigger than myself, both were energy work in its purest form. Both expressions were not only healing, but multidimensional in essence, challenging others to think and feel for themselves, rather than being told what to think and how to feel. I work with living, breathing energy which can inspire and pave a path to individual awareness and deep personal healing.
Despite one’s personal ethics or belief system, I think it’s evident to everyone that we are in need of deep structural reform in our society from every angle. It’s not a secret that America and the world at large has been built on the backs of deep oppression, injustice and unsettling agendas and that through many periods of society art in all forms has been a saving grace and a great connector. My affection for activism has been like a budding flower around my creative and wellness endeavors and has now taken shape into something I believe everyone can benefit from. Two of the greatest needs I believe we have as humans have is, access to wellness and the necessity for a place to lay our heads at night, whatever that may look like. Where all of my services, passions and business endeavors collide are in continuing to create spaces where people from all walks of life can access resources for the mind, body and spirit. Where a community is built around access to wellness and healing despite their race or socioeconomic background and for art and self expression to be an anchor for the collective to redefine what is possible for society.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
The most recent pivot in my life and career was the beginning of 2023. I made a choice to come to Denver from Los Angeles, with the intention of being in Denver for 6 months. I was in need of a reset after living in LA for 10 years and had a desire to be close to family. More than anything, I felt a calling I could not ignore yet I ignorantly went into thinking I had more control than I truly did. The funny thing about stepping out on faith is that we bring a certain set ideas of what that path may look like, but we quickly find out that it unfolds in ways that are unforeseen. That lesson was made abundantly clear to me as I was given the choice to make Denver a new home for much longer than I anticipated. There was a were many things here for me that came unexpectedly, new in every way and had my name written all over it, so long as I wanted to show up for it.
It was not an easy choice to make, fear and ideas of failure consumed me as I contemplated saying see you later to the community and friends I had cultivated. While also stepping away from a thriving community of fellow artist, activist, resources, clientele and business opportunities. This change was the epitome of what is means to let go of what you think life will look like to embrace destiny. To say the least, it was a choice that resulted in a huge ego death for me, one that forced me to deeply lean into the unknown and leave space for my intentions and dreams to take shape in a way I could have not ever imagined.
The greatest gift I have received being in Denver was aligning to huge a piece the puzzle for my career path that I did not know was missing. I had been creating spaces for community to gather around wellness, art and activism but still did not know how to bring the vision across state lines. After two months of being in a new city, I was presented with an opportunity to work in public housing which has given me an even clearer view of how to be in service to communities all around the world through my offerings.
It is one thing to know conceptually that pivots are necessary in life an also unavoidable. It’s another thing to courageously live them out and stay open to what’s on the other end.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
The most helpful thing to succeed in my field:
– The embodiment of radical self honesty.
– Living in integrity in every aspect, even when it does not look or feel the best.
– Recognizing that pain is apart of life here on earth and that no one is void of it, yet we all have the opportunity to allow pain to be our greatest teacher to unlock potential for love and healing.
– Community consciousness is a must when it comes to creating a career centered in service.
– Honoring the power of thoughts and energy helps create necessary balance.
– Be willing to be the student and the teacher and the teacher and the student, simultaneously.
Contact Info:
- Website: arinashleydegroff.com
- Instagram: @arinmylungs
- Linkedin: Arin DeGroff
- Other: To book virtual or in-person sessions: https://calendly.com/insideout-