Tri-Annual Post ... because busy culture

So it looks like this is going to be a once per semester or three times a year kind of thing while in grad school ....

...anyways...

Hi! It's been a while. I never posted about the spring semester and then I traveled A LOT this summer and I haven't talked about that and now I'm about to go into day three of the fall semester - holy shenanigans ...

OK, here we go, stream of consciousness writing, sorry if I lose you ... spring semester was something like this: started teaching a choreography class for non-dance majors - which was one item off the grad school bucket - - have I shared that with this world?, took some classes, two of those classes made me completely shift my perspective on movement and I now feel like Pinocchio with my strings cut off, the other two were ok .... I did a lot of art, I saw a lot of art, I was in a thesis piece that was on silks tied up in the lobby of the dance building, I choreographed a dance film (!) better yet it was in the style of hiphop, I performed a spoken word piece that also had some movement - it was uber vulnerable and a good something new for me, I performed with my cohort in the annual showcase, I presented a portfolio review where I outlined my next two years of school, I applied for lots of opportunities, some worked out, some did not, I received some travel funding ...

... cut to summer ...

I traveled! Panama, Maine, Vegas, NYC and two AZ road trips (I was really hoping to squeeze in San Fran too, but I really shouldn't complain ... ) Panama: taught dance classes at a few orphanages, and my favorite part, taught a Broadway jazz dance class en español and visited some tourist-y places like the canal. Maine: I read, relaxed, and ate good food while surrounded by good friends and family, who could ask for more? Vegas with Chica for our 15 year frieneversary, Vegas was ok ... I liked the park we hiked in the best. NYC: *Sigh* ... so inspired and so amazing ... saw friends, saw NPH in Hedwig (by winning the lottery tickets!), went to a transformational choreography intensive that resulted in another existential crisis, identity crisis, and imposter syndrome onset, all within 6 days, I wanted to quit school, quit my job and start my company, instead I'm just going to start my company (because one full plate isn't enough and I probably shouldn't quit school and my job because, well, for now, because.) My cohort and I are talking of going in on business plans together to make Phoenix more like NYC. I traveled to new places in AZ and saw some beautiful scenes. I also taught two classes, the online one was silly, but teaching yoga was waaay more enjoyable than I anticipated. Oh, and I also moved in the midst of this traveling, and worked full time...

...and then the fall semester started ...

I'm exhausted (because of that whole busy culture thing), yet, I'm energized. 

Good stuff coming this fall between shows and conferences. More details to come. But anyways, that's what I've been up to. In case I lost you in all those words, I've posted pretty pictures below :-)

Thanks for reading that verbal vomit. Let's do it again in about 4 months!

- M

 
 
 

Artistic Manifesto ... it all starts with a box

Hi again!

So, I said it would be 4-5 months before you hear from me again, but I thought I would pop in a little earlier than that!

Wearing the hats of administrator, teacher, student, and artist has owned me this semester - and I'm kind of loving it, lack of sleep and all. I will post pics/videos of the performances eventually (promise, it just won't be timely) but I thought I would share a piece of writing with you all.

I've been using a LOT of text this semester and doing a lot of personal writing that has in turn become creative writing. Below is my artistic manifesto that I started working on at the beginning of the semester and have continued to add to over the past few weeks/months. It is full of my values and beliefs, many of which others have said to me or I have preached to others. Enjoy!

My Artistic Manifesto

It all starts with a box

Before you think out of the box you have to start with a box 

It is held together with plain old scotch tape 

The box has boxes and bubbles and words and incomplete thoughts and has a bottom that sometimes falls out

The content makes the work or the work makes the contents

The contents mean nothing and everything

The box is intuition materialized … it creates grooves

Thinking is overrated and asking how is a very paralyzing thought … it creates ruts

Have a strong beginning and a strong finish and the middle will take care of itself 

Success and failure are relative

The only constant in life is change

Whatever sensation you are feeling, acknowledge it, and know that it will pass (and let it go)

Have 20-minute pity parties on a semi-regular basis to reduce external sympathy seeking episodes

Embrace panicking for extremely short periods of time, then MOVE ON and be like Nike, JUST DO IT

Remember that anger is an energizing emotion, make the best of it

You don’t have to know where you’re going to be on the right path 

Be authentic OR fake it til you make it OR fake it til you become it

Be comfortable in uncertainty i.e. have a lil' faith and trust

Practice mental reservations

Practice gratitude 

Practice productive procrastination  

Practice daily self-care 

Practice blind faith

Do it for yourself and no one else (yes,all of it)

Always ask, the worst answer you will hear is "no"

Always try to take advantages of opportunities, or you never have the option

The ultimate challenge (or ultimate to-do list, I can't decide) is: Process the past while living in the present and preparing for the future.

Art is what you can get away with 

Make the audience uncomfortable

Break the fourth wall

Gather information

Take it all in

It's an adventure

Everything in moderation

Eat chocolate daily

Be Patient, maybe too patient

Relax your shoulders

Stop clenching your jaw

Write

Create

Move

Find Flow

Play (a lot)

Breathe (consciously and often)

Speak (when necessary)

Find balance

Keep balance

Regain balance

Thanks for reading! (see you this summer when I write about my semester and my many travels!)

- M