The Freedom Paradox

Why We Need Both Loopholes and Ladders

By Tamice Spencer-Helms

We talk a lot about breaking free. About dismantling the old rules, rejecting oppressive systems, and stepping outside of the boundaries that no longer serve us. And all of that is necessary.

But here’s the catch: too much freedom can feel like floating in space with no gravity.

People who grew up inside rigid religious systems — where every belief was set in stone, every question had one right answer, and every action had eternal consequences — are now looking for a more expansive framework for faith. They need room to breathe.

At the same time, people who grew up without any religious structure — no shared rituals, no grounding in something beyond the self — are now seeking something to grasp onto. They need a foundation.

So where do we go from here? How do we move beyond religious control without losing structure altogether? How do we create something rooted yet flexible, structured yet open-ended?

This is exactly where The R.E.S.T. Mixtape sits — right at the int…