In his debut memoir, Kick the Darkness, Luke Lamar lays his life bare. The book isn’t crafted to inspire in the usual glossy, motivational way. It’s not tidy or polished — it’s honest, raw, and at times, uncomfortable. That’s what makes it powerful.
Lamar’s journey takes readers through faith deconstruction, battles with bipolar disorder, and the process of rediscovering self-worth through forgiveness and personal growth. For anyone who has ever questioned what they were taught, fought their own mind, or tried to find clarity in chaos, Lamar’s story is one of hard-earned resilience.
Deconstructing Faith, Reconstructing Identity
Raised in a devout Christian environment in Western North Carolina, Lamar believed in a worldview with clear moral and spiritual boundaries. But over time, those lines began to blur. “The beliefs I had once held as absolute began to crumble,” he writes in his book.
What follows is not an attack on faith, but a search for authenticity. He explores what it means to lose certainty and rebuild belief on his own terms. His spiritual shift isn’t wrapped in neat conclusions — instead, it reflects the ongoing nature of faith in real life.
Mental Health in the Spotlight
Lamar doesn’t shy away from discussing his mental health, especially his experience living with bipolar disorder. In fact, it’s one of the most gripping parts of the memoir. The highs and lows — from the rush of mania to the crash of depression — are explained with a clarity that doesn’t sanitize the experience, but also doesn’t sensationalize it.
The summer of 2023 was a tipping point, he explains in one of the chapters, leading to a second major breakdown that forced him to face the reality of his diagnosis. From that breaking point came a new commitment to healing, self-awareness, and structured recovery.
The Influence of Thinkers and Healers
Lamar credits much of his personal growth to thinkers who helped him find meaning through struggle. From Biblical scholars like Bart Ehrman to spiritual voices like Gabrielle Bernstein and Eckhart Tolle, he sought out voices that challenged and comforted him.
Pain, he writes, is a given — but transformation is a choice. With that mindset, he began reshaping his life from the inside out.
Karate, Forgiveness, and Reclaiming Strength
Two recurring themes that emerge later in the memoir are martial arts and forgiveness. Lamar describes his practice of karate not only as a form of physical discipline but also as a spiritual and emotional anchor. It helped him develop control, focus, and inner resilience — tools he carried with him far beyond the mat.
Forgiveness — especially self-forgiveness — is another major theme, particularly in Chapter 14. He calls it the turning point in his healing, allowing him to release the past and finally begin moving forward. “Forgiveness isn’t about excusing the wrong,” he writes. “It’s about taking back your peace.”
Meet the Author: Luke Lamar
Born on February 5, 1990, in Western North Carolina, Luke Lamar has spent most of his life in the region that shaped his worldview. A 2008 graduate of Haywood Christian Academy, he went on to earn an associate’s degree in arts and another in film from Haywood Community College before transferring to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where he graduated with a bachelor’s in filmmaking in 2015.
Lamar holds life and health insurance licenses in both North Carolina and California, but creativity remains his center. He has written one feature-length screenplay and several short scripts, hoping to eventually bring them to screen.
Outside of writing and his day job, Lamar has dabbled in stand-up comedy, modeled in college, and keeps up with physical activity through exercise and martial arts. A fan of karaoke, reading, and storytelling, he’s a natural observer of people and life — skills that infuse his work with depth and authenticity.
His love for learning, influenced by the likes of Steven K. Scott and Joshua P. Warren, has helped him reshape his thinking and inform the book’s overarching values: growth, self-honesty, and perseverance.
A Memoir for the Wounded, the Searching, and the Rebuilding
Kick the Darkness is not a book that offers shortcuts. It’s a hard look at the journey from disillusionment to strength, from breakdown to breakthrough. It’s for readers who need to hear, not that everything will be okay, but that they’re not alone in the process of making it okay.
It’s Luke Lamar’s story — but it could just as easily be yours.
Connectivity
Connect with Luke Lamar and stay updated on his latest insights, projects, and reflections. Follow his journey below!
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/lukelamarauthor/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/LukeLamarAuthor
Official Website:
https://authorlukelamar.com/
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Kick-Darkness-Luke-Lamar/dp/B0DYWKRY7S