The Spark That Never Died

Punk was never just music – it was, and still is, a way of life. A cry against indifference, a love letter to the freedom of being different. Many say punk is dead. I say: punk lives – louder, sharper, and more essential than ever. And in my life, it was never gone.

Why the World Needs Punk More Than Ever

In a world ruled by mainstream media, algorithms, and perfectly curated social media feeds, one might think punk is a relic of the past – a nostalgic soundtrack to the ’70s and ’80s. But that’s wrong. Punk lives. And its message is more relevant today than ever.

Punk was never just a musical style. It’s an attitude, a philosophy, a radical act of self-determination. It asks: Why should I conform when I can think, feel, and act for myself? Punk is authenticity in a world of filters. It stands for courage, honesty, and the unshakeable right to be different.

At a time when convenience often matters more than conviction, punk is a necessary wake-up call. It’s the beat behind every protest movement, the soundtrack to every rebellion against injustice.

Punk was never static. It has changed, grown, reinvented itself – again and again. What once began in smoky basements now thrives on independent online platforms, in DIY art projects, and within social movements. Punk has changed its stage, not its spirit.

Once it was torn jeans and safety pins. Today it’s homemade zines, independent labels, online activism, and unshakeable individualism. Punk exists wherever someone says, “I’ll do it myself. I’ll do it honestly.”

It’s the heart of DIY culture – proof that you don’t need power or privilege to make a difference. Punk is the art of refusing to be silenced, even when the mainstream shouts louder.

Punk was never rebellion for rebellion’s sake. It has always been a social statement – a mirror held up to what’s gone wrong.

In times when political tension, social inequality, and environmental destruction are everywhere, punk reminds us not to give up. It calls on us to stay uncomfortable, to think critically, and to take responsibility ourselves.

Punk is protest – but it’s also community. It creates spaces where people live out solidarity, exchange ideas, and give each other strength. In a world that feels increasingly fragmented, punk is a unifying force. It’s not a museum piece, but a living movement reminding us:

Resistance isn’t nostalgia – it’s necessity.

I Am Punk – And I’ll Stay That Way

For me, it all began by chance. Perhaps it was fate, perhaps simply curiosity – but punk became part of my life early on. I was never someone who followed rules. Even when I started writing, I refused to wear blinkers. I wanted to tell the story as it came to me – raw, honest, uncensored. For me, splatterpunk was the literary form of punk rock: loud, brutal, relentlessly honest. Not watered-down entertainment, but a stare into the abyss – to find truth there.

But before I ever wrote, I made music. I was part of my school’s big band. Our teacher insisted we play only Beatles songs. When we finally rebelled, we were allowed to add Heal the World to the setlist – a small victory that somehow felt more like defeat. Some of us had had enough. We started our own band: The Sharks.

No teachers, no rules, no pleasing anyone. We wanted to rock. So we wrote our own songs – wild and honest. Before long, we were no longer a school band but a punk rock band – inspired by British greats like The Clash, The Damned, and so many more. We were loud, hungry, free. And in that freedom, I found something that has never let me go: the feeling of truly being alive.

More than three decades later, punk rock and splatterpunk are still part of my life. Both give me the freedom to speak openly and unflinchingly, without pandering to the mainstream. They allow me to stay uncomfortable, to stay honest – even when honesty rubs people the wrong way.

My adoptive father once said to me:

“You’re too social for this world.”

He meant it as criticism – I took it as a compliment. Because that’s what punk really is: humanity with a backbone. It’s not about destruction; it’s about truth. Not about hate, but empathy.

Punk taught me that vulnerability isn’t weakness. That anger and compassion can coexist. When I write, when I take photographs, or simply when I live – I do it in the spirit of punk: raw, real, uncompromising. I don’t need perfect art. I need honest art. Art that scratches, cuts, burns. Art that lives.

I’m no longer a teenager with safety pins in my ears, but the spark from back then still glows. Punk isn’t a style – it’s a state of mind. It’s the quiet “No” in a world that keeps screaming “Yes.”

Punk shaped me, moulded me, perhaps even saved me. And it still does. Because punk isn’t dead. It lives – in every chord, every line, every honest act. It lives in all who question where others stay silent. In all who feel where others grow numb. And yes –

It lives in me!

***

Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed this content, don’t forget to subscribe to my channel for more. Your support—whether through tips, pledges, or simply hitting that subscribe button—directly fuels my growth and helps bring exciting new projects to life. Join me on this journey and be part of something special!