We were lucky to catch up with Sean Aeon recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Sean , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I see finding purpose as an exercise in listening and understanding. The more we’re able to understand about what our choices are and what purpose is, the more effectively we’re able to discover and choose our own aligned paths. Purpose and passion are partners; understanding one, shines light on the other. I found my purpose by continuing to deepen my grasp of what purpose truly meant, and what passion truly felt like for me. In the last chapter of my book, LA on LSD (2022), a character named St. Moe reflects on how, “The way we help others that makes us feel like ourselves, is often our purpose.” In the previous chapter, a character named Lamor, points-out how the purpose of being alive was to do whatever we wanted; and in my most recent book, Aeonilism, the idea is explored that, “Our nature isn’t to be a thing, it is to be anything.”
What is my purpose? My purpose is to choose as freely as possible, and as authentically as possible. Choosing the version of ourselves we wish to be throughout our lives, is what separates us from the other more primitive animals. A tiger will live and die doing what tigers do, and only what tigers do; it doesn’t choose a different diet, it doesn’t experiment with hair styles, it doesn’t change perspectives. Myself, and all of humanity, are gifted with the privilege to decide. What we’re all truly passionate about, is the opportunity life affords us to select how we interact with it.
Purpose and Identity often get entangled. What we choose to do isn’t who we are, it’s a version of who we are. My passion and pursuit of telling thought-provoking stories—while discovering and sharing the universal truths we collectively experience—is me choosing to do what I can to help bring us closer together, to ourselves, and to the world we experience. If that changes, that’s okay; if it doesn’t, that’s just as okay. We choose, and choose again. Too many of us have been shamed out of being who we truly are, and stepping into the fullness of our desired potential.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My name is Sean Aeon, and I’m a perennial philosopher, visual artist, speaker, thought leader, and the author & independent publisher of: • Aeonilism: Philosophy, Artwork, and Analysis
• Written by Chameleons: Tales of Hollywood Wake-Ups
• Written by Silence: Tales From The Divine
• LA on LSD: A Short Story Series
• An Artbook on LSD
• Fairytales From Within: Love, Sacrifice, and Discovery
• The Outsider’s Mind: A Collection of Short Stories & Quotes
I’ve been writing for 6 years, and began studying Eastern and Western philosophy & spirituality in 2017. The books I’ve written utilize different narrative styles—short stories, graphic novelization, myth & legends, philosophical analysis—each expressing an aspect of self-discovery, self-awareness, and collective connection. I do all of the artwork and design for each project, and everything is original (no AI). I write books for the curious minds, the deep thinkers, the seekers & soul-searchers, and the eternal student in us all. My work supports and explores non-dualism, mindfulness, and personal growth, through narratives and observations to broaden people’s perception of themselves and their experiences, or to remind them of something they deeply know to be true.
The imprint I currently publish books and art under independently, is called Aeonaes (ee-on-niss); it’s a term I originally created for my book, LA on LSD, meaning, “as above, so below”. A reminder that all in existence depends on each other, and is a reflection of each other.
Aeonilism (ee-on-ih-liz-uhm) is the original perennial philosophy I created and explore in my material—which I released as a standalone non-fiction book in September—exhibiting the intersections of philosophy, spirituality, and psychology, via observed patterns, frequency, and new functional symbolism. The book examines themes such as war, psychedelics, granting mercy, narcissism, and many others.
Also released this summer, was, Written by Chameleons and Written by Silence; each are a set of 4 mind-opening, modern-mythological short stories. What I love about myths & legends, is the way some stories use surreal narrative to show the reader universal truth, while others show them the tools to find it.
Written by Chameleons is about entertainment industry insiders, seeing the light while emerging from the darkness of shadowy lives. Famous friends, assassins, entertainment lawyers, and pop stars, illustrate what it’s like to see beyond a surface they didn’t know was there.
Written by Silence explores the many ways humanity’s divinity is expressed, embodied and interpreted. A diary entry from the pen of Mother Earth; a walk with a mysteriously wise Messenger; a story of a grandmother’s awakening, and a scribe recounting reminders of divine perspective. The reader is taken on a journey through how deep the “bright side”, or, “the light” can really get.
Promoting my three latest book releases has been my main focus lately, along with continuing to look for opportunities to speak on podcasts and panels, and working more closely and consistently with holistic and wellness-centered communities/practitioners. Bringing awareness to different perspectives and ways to heal physically, emotionally, and interpersonally, is something I’m seeing as one clear way to lessen our internal and external divides.
I also have a couple of unpublished manuscripts I’ve written, which I’m interested in partnering with an agent to get into some larger publishing spaces.
Lastly, I’d also like to highlight my book, Fairytales From Within; it’s a minimalist graphic novel—written like a children’s book—speaking to the inner-child of new and expecting parents, and those considering having kids. Pre-parental prep is important, mentally and physically.
And, in my Etsy store, I have new, larger versions of a jewelry piece I created called The Harmony Chain. It’s a pure copper necklace & pendant, illustrating how we are a reflection, and being reflected, in the harmony of reality’s universal expression.
Links to all of my work can be found here: https://linktr.ee/seanaeon
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Learn from nature. Seeing our organic environment as a real source of knowledge, has taught me a tremendous amount about life in general. School never really instilled an environmental reverence in me, it was something I recognized as I was looking for what made sense in the world. Formal education gives us formulas and templates, for what we fundamentally understand about nature’s processes. The nature of realty, is one pattern built on top of another; studying the natural processions—with the understanding they inform us about ourselves and our experiences—provides timeless insight and guidance.
Advice? I know life can be busy, so even if you can’t get to a hiking trail, or can’t take time-off to go camping, watch nature documentaries; I watch a lot of nature documentaries. The downside of any documentary, is that it still tells the story about the subject that the filmmakers want to tell (which isn’t always telling both sides), but there’s still much to be taken away. For example: in the wild, predator and prey will maintain that relationship forever. Many animals become a meal for another animal while trying to get their first meal of the day, and it’s that way everyday. We can make things easier for ourselves. We have the ability to grow, to evolve our perspective, and to discover deeper layers to the relationships we experience; we decide. Not every lifeform has that advantage.
2. All of the rules are made up.
Before someone wrote the instructions, people tried different ways to get things done, in whatever way worked best for them. Then, someone got something to work the same way, every time—and because that level of consistency doesn’t happen organically—it was deemed special and desired. Rules and standards all have one thing in common: they change. With that being said, deviating from the “standard” creates its own arrangement of outcomes as well; but we do have a choice, and we’re not wrong for choosing a path where the rules or expectations look different us.
Advice? Do what feels real; do what makes sense; do what makes you happy. (In Written by Silence, a character acknowledges cliche’s as being real wisdom, and I’ll always support that; in Aeonilism, the idea is explored that, “There is no time limit on being the version of yourself you’re happy with”—another statement I support.) We’re all trying to do as much of our favorite things as possible, while we’re still able to enjoy them the most; we can do that by taking from each other, or by giving. No right or wrong answer, just different results; and we see that reflected throughout all life. Someone can have something to say about any decision you make, and although judgement isn’t fun, your life is your’s alone (while also being shared with a multitude). All of life is once in a lifetime. Make the decision you can stand by, while also being open to standing somewhere else.
3. People are miracles.
I know this is a tough one, because people are a lot of things all at once. I do see a version of reality where we understand each other as miraculous, and with that, we take better care of one another and ourselves. I know humanity’s history with other humans, has at times, looked no different than a cheetah’s history with other gazelles, or a shark’s history with other tunas. Stars lived and died for us to have a chance to be what we are. Galaxies were formed so you could meet your best friend. Species went extinct so you could hug someone a little longer, and breathe a little deeper. I could keep going. And as far as we know, we’re the only lifeforms on the planet with the capacity to step back, and actually recognize the incomprehensible majesty we exist within. We’re collectively in our infancy; we’re learning what to do with the miracles we are, and the miracles we’ve been given. Humans are both dangerous and delicate; we should be careful either way.
Advice? A big part of what we see, is based on what we make ourselves capable of seeing, and what we are willing to look for. I went looking for what was real and true, and all I found were miracles. I didn’t look for what felt comforting, or popular, or trending, or traditional, or standardized, or anti, or relatable; I looked for what was experientially consistent, and I listened and learned from everything (both the understood and the misunderstood).
I threw out the rules I was given, and I opened my eyes and myself. Thankfully, the truth isn’t “out there”, it’s in everything.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
Some great books that assisted me creatively, were: The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (non-fiction), The Final Testament by James Frey (fiction – novel), The Watchmen by Alan More (fiction – graphic novel), Sin City by Frank Miller (fiction – graphic novel), and Classic Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Anderson (fiction – short stories).
Each of these books exposed me to unique perspectives and communication styles, inspiring me to increase the depths and intention of my storytelling.
Regarding my personal development up to this point, I’ve learned the most from writing the three books I released this year:
• Aeonilism: Philosophy, Artwork, and Analysis
• Written by Chameleons: Tales of Hollywood Wake-Ups
• Written by Silence: Tales From The Divine
From Aeonilism, there’s a line stating, “Everything in the present, has an origin in the past”, and that isn’t always easy to recognize or connect with. I love this reminder that everything we’re presently experiencing—every person, place, or idea—was at one time something else; lifeforms and interactions are molded into their current form. The actions of the past, bring us to the present; the actions of present, bring us to the future.
From Written by Chameleons, it says in the third chapter, “True love was a space given and received, to express and experience the deepest and realest parts of ourselves and others.” It’s worth remembering what a privilege it is to have spaces and people to be our full selves around (without judgment), and what an underrated act of love it is. This quote also highlights what love is capable of feeling like, as a reminder to be aware of when it feels otherwise.
From Written by Silence, a grandmother—nicknamed “Ms. Greaty”—reveals, “Being human was a given, being humane was a practice.” This character’s view recognizes how coming together and living peacefully as communities, cultures, countries, families, or friends, takes real effort and energy. We were allowed the opportunity to evolve, and the process was one of repetition, observation, and adjustment.
Contact Info:
- Website: aeonaes.com
- Instagram: @seanaeon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iseanaeon
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanaeon
- Twitter: @iseanaeon
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@seanaeon
- Other: Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/seanaeon
TikTok: @seanaeon
