Category: Events

The Brave Space

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I am a-glow. I am in awe. I am indebted to the talented, passionate, courageous women who are letting their voices be heard. A year ago I was in the inaugural production of #HERStoryCounts. The six other brave women that I wrote with, laughed with and cried with made me stronger, made my voice feel heard. There is something purifying about telling your own story, to tell it you have to strip it down to its components, understand why a particular thing inspired you, intrigued you, wounded or shamed you. It is you being real.

Authenticity is the key to moving art and last night I was moved by brave women who told their stories, sang their songs and drew their truths. When you tell your story to yourself it is a risk to express and to be witnessed while you are doing so is both a risk and reward. It is about taking up space and taking the opportunity to be brave in it. Whether or not it is received well it is out there, but last night at the Fundraiser Cabaret The Brave Space, the full house was intensely appreciative and responsive.

I love that through my creativity my creative community gets to expand, adding more writers, singers, dancers and artists to inspire me and I will hopefully get the chance to inspire them. Creativity is a recipical gift and to all the women who stood up with me tonight in their truths; keep going because the world need you, our friends, daughters, sisters, mothers, aunts and cousins need brave women like you to lead the way.

Job well done everyone!

From Scratch

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Sometimes starting from scratch is the best thing to do. Siri tells me the definition of this phrase is “beginning with the basic ingredients – typically to bake something, to do something or make something.” The basic thrill of genuinely saying I can let something go is the exciting field of possibilities in front of you. The risk always exists i.e. what if it doesn’t work, what if it turns out like shit, what if this changes in ways I don’t anticipate, but so what? Shit can lead to some, if you will forgive me, very fertile strokes of brilliance.

This phrase denotes looking at a new canvas with a pallet full of paint. A counter full of ingredients that are mingling their single aromas under your nose. Or blank page with a pen in hand that writes so smoothly and darkly that you can’t wait to make the first scratch. This is a sense of freedom that renews the spirit and today I am doing that.

This period of time is called the chaos stage, or brainstorming where there are no limitations on ideas, only continual and preferable expansion. New website, new plans to address work life balance, new ways to make being a single mom easier and a renewed commitment to my creative projects namely my first book.

I want to, if I can use another euphemism, make my mark on the world or as Siri pipes out “make an impact on the world” i.e. to inspire and assist people in their everyday lives whether I am speaking directly to them or connecting my words to a wider audience. Being as authentic and visible as possible is scary because you are opening yourself up, but I have learned that if you do this from the heart it will resonate and make that mark or scratch you were hoping to leave that will stay with the people who need it.