The Art of Coming Home: Magnus Opus

Help Me Create the Album of My Life: A Six-Month Creative Sabbatical Trigger warning: this story contains references to childhood trauma and postnatal depression. I don’t know what you already know about me… On the surface, I’ve been many things: a mum, a singer, a songwriter, co-founder of The Wonder Inn, a producer, and a performer. I was signed to Decca Records, Universal. I toured internationally, had songs featured in films and on TV, and received commissions from Arts Council England, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Jazz Festival. I taught as a university lecturer, sharing what I’d learned. But behind all of this, I was carrying a fracture—a portal. And when I became a mother, it broke open. A traumatic birth. Postnatal depression. I was gone. At the time, I didn’t yet have the tools to understand what was happening. People said, just enjoy it, be grateful. But my system was screaming for something deeper. And so, I entered the long, sacred work of healing. Six years of therapy with three different therapists. A deep reckoning with dissociation caused by childhood sexual abuse that began when I was two. I turned over every stone—not just for myself, but for my son. I walked the path of healing and awakening: therapy, trauma work, metaphysics, plant medicine, mysticism, spiritual texts, frequency, meditation, Christ consciousness, A Course in Miracles, quantum awareness, and the sacred “I Am.” And through it all — melodies kept arriving. I would hum them into my phone. Quiet little notes from the soul. Though music took a backseat, I was recording the signals. Something was building. Something was waiting. Then one day, my son asked to walk to school on his own. And that same day, the music came rushing back. A thousand melodies. Lyrics. Visions. Invitations. The dam had burst. The universe said: now. And I listened. A month ago, a home appeared—a safe, magical space in the hills. A trusted musical teacher suggested I create the album that releases me. The one that comes through me. The one without compromise. So that’s what I’m doing.

✨ I’m launching a crowdfunder to support a six-month creative sabbatical. To give myself the time, space, and resources to create: — the album of my life — the body of work that brings together ten years of unreleased music — and a complete expression of everything I’ve lived, studied, and become. But this isn’t about revisiting the past anymore. This is about embodiment. I’ve studied, practiced, surrendered, awakened. Now I want to live it — through sound, story, song, visuals, and vibration. I want to use this time to integrate all I’ve explored about frequency, consciousness, and quantum creativity. To step beyond the guitar and expand into my full musicality. To explore electronics, vocal production, live looping, collaborations, and new sonic tools (maybe even AI). To write a book, maybe a TED Talk. To share the process openly and honestly with you, as it unfolds. ⸻ Your support will help fund: • Rent and living costs for six months of full-time creation (£10,000 goal) • Time to revise and produce a decade of songs • Guest musicians, producers, and collaborators • A creative project assistant to help manage timelines, logistics, and my ever-inspiring ADHD • If funds exceed the goal: studio time, video content, printing, recording, and mixing ⸻ Some have said this could be my Joni Mitchell – Blue moment. Others say it may be something like Dark Side of the Moon. One close friend compared it to Corrinne Bailey Rae’s album after her partner passed. I don’t know what this album will be. But I do know this: This is not just an album. This is the harvest after the healing. This is a transmission, a reclamation, and a creative quantum leap. Thank you for reading. Thank you for witnessing.

Thank you for believing in the music, the light, and the way home. With love, Kirsty Almeida