The 7 of Inspiration — The Universe Whispering, “It’s Time to Live Out Loud”

I pulled the 7 of Inspiration from The Muse Tarot today, and it was my first time ever seeing this card. Even though I’ve worked with tarot for years, something about it stopped me in my tracks. There was an urgency in its energy, a personal, sacred pull I couldn’t ignore. And then I read the quote that came with it:

“If you asked me what I came here to do, I, the artist, it’s to live out loud.” — Émile Zola

I felt it in my chest, like the Universe leaning in close and whispering: You’ve done the quiet healing. Now it’s time to be seen.

Émile Zola lived in 19th-century France. He was a writer, a journalist, a truth-teller who risked everything to expose corruption. He wrote letters, called out injustice, and even faced exile — all because he refused to stay silent. He didn’t live out loud for fame or recognition; he lived out loud because he believed in truth. Speaking it, showing it, writing it — that was his purpose. Reading about him today, I felt pieces of my own journey reflected back.

I’ve spent years healing quietly, behind the scenes, in the cocoon. I’ve faced trauma, fear, self-doubt. I’ve shrunk, hid, and protected my heart. But the 7 of Inspiration felt like a call, no — more than that, a soft insistence — to step into the light. To stop apologizing for my voice. To stop hiding the parts of me that want to be seen. The Universe isn’t shouting; it’s whispering, You’ve done the work. Now live out loud.

Silence has healed me, but expression will free me. This card shows a woman standing tall, holding back darkness as light bursts from her hands. That’s what it feels like for me right now — standing between what’s old and what’s coming, ready to let my truth breathe fully. Living out loud isn’t about performing or being loud in the world; it’s about being present, authentic, and courageous enough to embody who you truly are.

I see myself in this card. I see my story. I am the artist, the truth-teller, the one learning to hold my own light. Zola wrote to expose injustice, and I write, create, speak, and heal to illuminate. Different stories, same essence. Both born from a need to live authentically, no matter the cost.

Today, I drew the 7 of Inspiration for the first time, and it feels like the Universe is finally saying: You’re ready. Step into your light. Live out loud.

And I want to ask you: Where in your life are you holding back your light? What would it look like to live out loud today, even just a little? The world needs your voice, your presence, your truth — it has always needed it.