From Prison to Pri-zen: How Ronin Cruise Found Transformation at Earth Frequency

Queesand author Ronin Cruise.

At Earth Frequency, we often talk about the festival being a space for transformation, but it is the stories from our community that truly bring that concept to life. 

Sometimes, a person’s journey takes them through incredibly difficult places before they find a new path, and seeing how our environment can support that shift is a powerful reminder of why we do what we do.

Queensland author Ronin Cruise spent a large part of his life in prison and has used the act of writing and sharing his story as a motivation to stay clean and out of the justice system.

In a deeply personal piece for the national prison newspaper, About Time, he tells the amazing story of running into his high school English teacher at Earth Frequency and how this moment served as a poignant reflection of just how far he’d come.  

Decades after failing her class and struggling with literacy, they crossed paths in the middle of the festival grounds. 

This serendipitous encounter decades after he failed her class was a significant moment. 

It allowed Ronin to show his former teacher that he had not only found his voice but had fallen in love with writing, which he once found so difficult. 

This shift helped him turn his time in prison into purpose, leading to the creation of his book, Pri-zen: Embrace Freedom and Chaos, which is due for publication soon.

By focusing on creative expression and resilience, he has managed to rewrite his own narrative in a way that is truly inspiring. 

Speaking to Ronin this week after we stumbled across the article, he told us the festival has played a huge role in his life and “medicine in its highest form”.

“Earth Frequency itself is one of the most inspiring places I’ve ever been,” he said.

“People of all ages, backgrounds and beliefs together in a free-flowing city that sparks creativity and actually brings me closer to what being human should feel like.”

Pri-zen is currently being edited and Ronin is aiming to have it published in time for this year’s festival.

We are both proud and humbled to have played a part in Ronin’s journey, and his story highlights the capacity for music, art, and community to act as a genuine catalyst for growth and change.

You can read Ronin’s full article, Imagine That … Miss Evans, at the link below.