Today I’m blogging about a wonderful movie I just saw with my husband last night, “Shawshank Redemption”. It’s been quite a while since I last blogged ( December 27 to be precise) because I’m too busy setting up our little video rental shop at home…
I’m not really much of a movie junkie but I do like watching movies every now and then. Though, unlike most people, I don’t watch movies just to pass time.. I watch for entertainment and by that I mean I watch on schedule, as part of my activities for the day, kinda like a therapy. Anyway, since I’m into renting out movies, I decided I would watch at least 2 movies a week so I can post reviews for my movie club members. But of course, since I’ve spent hours at the pc making another website, I forgot all about the movie-watching promise I made..
In came my husband at about 12mn toting a bag of chips, some non-alcoholic sparkling beverages plus a “Shawshank Redemption” DVD he borrowed from an officemate. And sleepy and tired as I was, I didn’t want to miss that chance of “bonding time” with my husband, so when he invited me to watch with him, I said “okay”. But at the back of my mind, I thought “Shawshank Redemption? Must be some lame movie again..” I was wrong. If you haven’t watched this movie yet, you’re missing a lot ( I should know, took me 14 years). Brilliant performances from Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman under the lens of director/screenwriter Frank Darabont. This was released in 1994 based on the Stephen King novel “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”. It didn’t do well in theaters but is considered one of the highest rented movies ever through word of mouth. It’s somehow similar to the plot of “The Count of Monte Cristo”. Both are great movies in their own right but “Shawshank Redemption” touches a part of your soul that is just too beautiful and inspiring. It warms your heart and makes you realize the good in others and the beauty of life and human relationships. It also shows you that regardless of how much suffering a person has endured, hope is never a far-fetched idea. It is in fact a reality just waiting to be pursued and discovered but only to those who stick it out to the end. As the movie teaches, “fear will make you prisoner, hope will set you free.”
● About Me
I’m RJ Marmol — writer, musician, and independent creator based in Manila.
I write songs, essays, and books about the messy overlap between money, overwhelm, creativity, identity, and rebuilding. Much of my work circles around what happens when life stops feeling manageable — and how we try to think clearly, make decisions, and keep moving anyway.
I’m also the author of Rebuilding Under Debt: Thinking Clearly When Everything Is a Blur, a nonfiction book published under Steady Hand Press. The paperback edition is listed under my full publishing name, Cecilia Regina Aquino Blanquera.
On the music side, I release work as HeyRJ. On the writing side, this site is where I gather my books, essays, notes, and whatever I’m building next.
Music
HeyRJ is my sonic soul project. I create raw, minimalist-style and deeply personal music interpretations that feel like a late-night conversation with your truest self.
By blending lo-fi acoustic textures with poetic honesty, my work explores love, loss, grief, healing, and the quiet in-betweens of life. Each song is a letter — a journal entry — a gentle companion for when the world feels too loud or too quiet.
While my catalogue began with intimate cover renditions, my work is increasingly being shaped by original writing, drawing from years of poems, lived questions, and emotional survival.
“Stuck Home Syndrome” released on March 20, 2026 is my first original 20-track album written during a period when time felt compressed and days began to blur into each other. The songs came from sitting with thoughts that had nowhere else to go — unfiltered, repetitive, and sometimes uncomfortable. It’s a concept album that isn’t built around singles or polish. It’s closer to a continuous inner monologue, recorded with minimal production and very little ornamentation and meant to be listened to as one cohesive body of work. The goal wasn’t to resolve anything, only to document how it felt while it was happening.
On May 29, 2026 I released new original singles – “Rapturous”, “Uh Huh”, “Look At You”, “All That” and “Blew Print”. I continue to release both original and cover songs and intend to so for as long as I can so check back every once in a while — you might. just find something you’ll like.
For business inquiries relating to music, email me at: heyrjmusic[at]gmail[dot]com or my personal email at: rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com.
Books
Rebuilding Under Debt: Thinking Clearly When Everything Is a Blur
A nonfiction book about what debt does to the mind — and how to begin functioning again when financial stress has made everything feel blurred, urgent, and overwhelming.
Rather than treating debt only as a financial math problem, the book explores the emotional and cognitive realities of financial distress: shame, decision fatigue, avoidance, panic, relationship strain, and the difficulty of making sound decisions while mentally depleted.
Published under Steady Hand Press. It’s available worldwide in ebook and paperback formats on Amazon. Bookstores and libraries can also be order it wholesale via Ingram.
Contact
For book-related inquiries, media requests, bookstore questions, or discussion-group invitations, you can reach me through the contact page on this site or send me an email to rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com or hello[at]steadyhandpress.com
RJMarmol.com - Since 2008. 