RElish
relish |ˈreliSH|
noun
great enjoyment ... liking for or pleasurable anticipation of something
— New Oxford American Dictionary

rel·ish

 noun \ˈre-lish\

: enjoyment of or delight in something

 

Working with a director is a privedlge and one can never be sure how a director directs.  This journey into Spring Awakening has been an inspiring and extremely riveting one.  He is a director who wants work "to breathe" and take on a life of its own.  He gives room for skill to be flexed and glittered.

On the last session of 'notes' that he gave, he said something that caught in the air and then slowly drifted down, resting on us all as our tired bodies sunk into the seats and imagined what opening night would be.

His words went something like this:

"I would do yourself a favour now and not do anything else but this (Spring Awakening shows) until it is done.  As a student, I always religiously took off show times so I could relish in the expierence and everything it entails."

I was enraptured.

Yes, I would most definitely do nothing but relish in this expierence, and that is what being in the midst of art means.

To enjoy, 

To delight in

To relish.

Call it what you will: art, creativity,

Life as a whole...

Let us relish in the experience of every art piece we see, do, experience and have.

Life is art

And 

Art is life

That means every moment is to be relished.

Amy Lai Comment
REmember
Shadow Birds in flight...

Shadow Birds in flight...

Remember verb \ri-ˈmem-bər\

: to have or keep an image or idea in your mind of (something or someone from the past) : to think of (something or someone from the past) again

: to cause (something) to come back into your mind

: to keep (information) in your mind : to not forget (something)

 

Creating is a process of movement, and there is nothing stationary about a writers year in tandem with seasons.  A fluid moving ocean with swells, waves and stills.

It is on this twenty fifth day of life that I turn and look behind me.  

A far distance from a story that almost wrecked health, relationships, and sanity.  Caught in a current, there were hopeless helpless cries to the birds that flied above from my spirit to theirs. And tattooed birds grace this ones left shoulder.  A reminder of the birds that are freed and given flight.

It may seem like a lifetime ago, but I need to look behind me.

To remember.

A phone call on a twenty-fifth birthday dropping possibilities, and I have to keep present.  

Remember

We all have shadows of our past selves walking behind us, reminding us.

They can be the shadows of truth whispering encouragement, or one can allow them to be whispers of darkness trying to pull you back.

Which are yours?

My shadow is a girl of confusion.  A girl who would rather rely on someone else' definition of herself than step out on her own.  Independence is a scary thing and is it not funny how birds will be shoved out of nests to be taught how to fly?  Yet a girl can't even get her toe out.  And that shadow speaks to me.

"You learned how to fly...see."  She points to my shoulder and I remember.

I remember the moment I dedicated all of my words to truth.  The moment I remembered that I was a writer who gave my life, my words, my art to everything that was beyond myself.

On this twenty five, I remember and I say it again.

"My work, my life, my art, everything, it is not mine.  It is for the One who called me and brought me out of the fear-nest and into the night sky.  The One who strengthened my wings so I could see the dawn.  To the One who provides the shelter from the rain and the worms for the eating.  The One who receives glory to see me fly, Who provides so I can flourish, Who lavishes love, grace, healing and words.  To that One, I live, breathe, and give my life to."  

On this twenty five I find myself coming up to a wide open sky, and I will Remember my shadow life, so I can live my full life.

Now.

Amy LaiComment
March 2014 'Artist Struggles'
March 2014

It was comical.  To have a small group of women and no real voice to use to communicate with them.

It was that time of year.  When spirits start to sag, immune systems go down and suddenly, although Spring has arrived the weather has not yet fully turned and we are anxious.  

For myself, attending a film workshop the day before and being sent home due to not being well enough to be in front of a camera.  Debilitating.  An artists spirit is to work and when work is like a slug how do we cope?

I laid the question on the table.  Knowing they would see.

"What are the struggles so far in 2014?"

Each arrived and suddenly I heard a quip.

"Do you want me to write an essay?"

It seemed the timing was right on mark with these Halifax Creatives.

The answers?

  • Comparing myself to others
  • Accepting, transisiotning out of things and into new things
  • Feeling inspired, yet lacking the desire to follow through
  • Self Doubt
  • Physical distractions (Sickness etc.)
  • To be clever
  • Money, or lack thereof 
  • People
  • Condifence

And as one so perfectly put it:  "Well, theres the whole 'life' thing..."

How do we overcome our personal issues and use them to benefit our work and energy rather than getting bogged down by them?

Simply that

Use it.

Take the lack of confidence and turn it into a piece about 'simply that'.

Get at work whether it feels good or not.

IMG_7037.jpg


Creatives are not brilliant because every piece they create is brilliant.  No,  they are brilliant because they work at their craft whether it is understood or not.  Whether it is appreciated or not.  Whether the pay is there or not.  Whether they are healthy or not.  

Creatives create because they were called to.

We began to listen to one another, and listening during a season of 'lack' can be exactly what a spirit needs.  Listening to the heart beat of another, the doubts of your inner self...

"Doubt is a signal of the creative process.  It is a signal that you are doing something right - not that you are doing something wrong or crazy or stupid.  The sickening chasm of fear that doubt triggers to yawn open beneath you is a huge abyss into which you are going to tumble, spiralling downwards like you are falling through the circles of hell.  No, doubt is most often a signal you are doing something and doing it right."  - Julia Cameron 'Walking in this World'

February 2014 'Best Creative Time & Atmosphere'

February brings us a full two months into the new year and many who attended have multiple projects beginning.  I opened the night up for those who could, to bring their work to share.  The results of the discussion and sharing was inspiring.  I believe that I was so moved after this night, I found it hard to commit the time to attempt at capturing how this evening went.

Grab a treat & answer a question...

Grab a treat & answer a question...

This month, the focus was on how to find the right time and atmosphere to match the needs and desires of each individual 'creative' in the room.  Each of us have different lives and different ways we focus in on our work.

"What is your best creative time of day / atmosphere?" 

Creative Time of Day

  • A solid section of time (Full Morning, full afternoon, or full evening)
  • Late late late in the wee hours of 12am and on
  • Late 10pm - midnight/wrapping up at two or three am

Creative Atmosphere

  • Pinterest
  • Music
  • Working outside
  • Driving time in car alone
  • Bathtub alone and quiet
  • White noise
  • Dead quiet
  • Food

It became very clear that a lot of 'creatives' feel an inspiring connection to the night hours and are 'for the most part' all living in a 'Day Persons World'.

Crayons for the multi-taskers in the room. 

Crayons for the multi-taskers in the room. 

Navigating this, while knowing our most individual natures of how each 'creative' creates is critical to getting plans and dreams into action. Some rebel at deadlines and feel if we are 'told' to do something we become lethargic and care a less, but if we take ownership over our own work the desire never leaves.  

Everyone has there own ticks and tocks to what makes us work.

After discussing these things the conversation was directed into how to take work independent after 'school' structure is over.  The advice from one woman who has been balancing an intense career, along side her art career, expressed the concept of blending the two when neccessary. 

All 'creatives' need to eat, but worrying about it is only a waste if you don't make a plan.  "At a young age and an early start, she encouraged "'creatives' have more control on how they want their paths of work and art to go.  Always be true to your self."

Taking the time to see the work of the women who attend is an incredible treat and a reminder of the amazing talent that sits in the room.  

Having a belief system that everyone is an artist/creative/innovator at the core, only opens the mind to the type of work that one could do.  Seeing the paintings, portfolio, and quick peeks at their work is an underlining moment to the truth of art.  It comes from each individuals heart and spirit, and that is why it is worth doing.

 

"You know the marble game?  I feel like the marble on the top." - A quote from a creative 'describing where she was at in her projects & journey'.

    Words on Fire - ONEWORD365

    GUEST POST FOR http://oneword365.com

    We have been walking into 2014 for some weeks now and we are seeing sparks of life. Developments in our ‘one words’ , in our lives and hearts.  That is what happens when we look for change and open ourselves up to adventure.  We begin to thirst for it, look for it and hunt for it.  When you do that, it is hard pressed not to find it.

    Development comes to those who are craving it.  And I am one of the cravers.  Together we call our one words into the air and we watch.  We await for what that will mean, and already we begin to see. 

    The thing with claiming, declaring and shouting our victory words to the sky, is that we feel bold, brave and strong.  We feel and we are.  But the dark lies of this world do not want us to feel that way and suddenly we are doubting, wishing we could grab those letters that make that ‘one word’ back into our mouths, our hearts and our spirits.  Stuff them back deep inside.  

    “Don’t declare!  Who are you to declare a word over your own life?” the doubting whisper says.

    And I begin to feel a fraud.  I begin to feel panic rise up through to my throat, bubbling up like unwanted vomit.  My body is trying to purge the word. 

    I claimed the word FIRE and see no one else with this word.  I feel odd and maybe even crazy.  But I press on, I work hard through the first month of the word and see it manifest itself in amazing ways, and yet on the last day of the first month I lean against a flame and my hair goes on fire.  Only for a split second, but enough to make the women in the room scream, my heart to sink and my ‘fire’ word to scare me.  To panic me. 

    But I read “The Artist Way”  books by Julia Cameron and write down her words.

     “Your panic does not mean you are crazy, just that you feel it.”

    “You are panicked, tell yourself, ‘Ah!  Good sign, I am getting unstuck.”

    “This means that at our most awkward and ill at ease, we are still in divine order and moving ever closer to Gods intention.” 

    I put down my pen and begin to breathe easy, and the sighs of relief flood my spirit.  

    Panic is okay.  My most awkward and ill at ease is right.  

    “If that isn’t prophetic I don’t know what is!”  A friend who witnessed that moment of ‘fire-awkward’ said to me as we brushed the charred bits out of my hair. 

    I had a hard time shaking that, because our words are not easy to swallow.  They challenge and they declare things we had no idea they would declare.  And that is how it is with words.  They are more than you plan them to be and they will take you to a place you need to go.

    Panic that rises from the core of your being and begins to tumble out isn’t something to be ashamed of.  Work through the word that you declared over your life and don’t give yourself room to doubt it. Panic tells you you are heading in the right direction, most ignore, but we charge through and find the glory of our words, ablaze and alive.  

    How has your ‘one-word’ caught on fire and panicked you?

    Amy Lai Comments
    January 2014 'Goal Setting'

    Goal: An open invitation to all Creative and Innovative Women. An open space for artists to share, be inspired and have a safe place to be surrounded by like minds.

    We started out with this goal last January and now this year we are taking that goal into a new form. A form of intentionally 'led' discussions and more structure to give a better space and time for the more unstructured tangents that creatives can fall into.

    ©2014 Nicole Payzant

    ©2014 Nicole Payzant

    The Rabbit Hole of Wonderland is often how I describe these tangents to myself. They are everything we should want to fall into as artists, to capture the magic of thought, discussion, ideas and projects. The question of Rabbit Holes, is how to take the time before the fall, to enhance the wonderland experience by allowing intentional discussion?

    We opened up the night with a question. "What gets you off the couch/inspires you to create?"

    ©2014 Nicole Payzant

    The answers we found were varied and many:

    • Group projects, collaboration inspires: Sharing what is learned. 
    • Words of Inspiration 
    • Music, mood music
    • Coffee! Talking with people about ideas, helping me develop them.
    • Being around passionate people.
    • Relating to people
    • Changing it up: Challenging self in different styles/ventures
    • Meanings not yet quantified, the journey to understand the not understood. 
    ©2014 Nicole Payzant

    ©2014 Nicole Payzant

    Creative and Innovative women/people and even those who haven't identified themselves as such yet, all have dreams, goals and visions. Those things may be identified and at other times may be somewhere inside yet still unknown.

    Setting aside the time to work on one of those few things can be the ultimate gift for your inner-self. Even if you don't have a vision yet, taking that time, to write, paint, doodle, list, bake, sing, etc more routinely is an excellent way to spark the energy of the goal. 

    We ended with a challenge. The challenge to dig deeper into dreams and visions and write them down. Putting words to your own goal or project, 'Titling' as I called it in an earlier article is exactly what will kickstart creatives and innovators to working and producing.

    We delved into sharing and had a wonderful time of honest reflection on each woman's work. Some of us are studying, others are grappling with the inner-creative, and others are coming upon projects that need to be named and focused in on.

    What I have learned from this month, is that no one can predict what will happen when you get creative women in a room and start discussing and asking. Falling down the Rabbit Hole to Wonderland is inevitable. My challenge and question now for this group, will be how to direct these evenings in a way that makes the Rabbit Hole to Wonderland a productive journey for all those in the room.

    Setting up a flexible structure that every woman will feel safe, challenged, supported and uplifted.

    ©2014 Nicole Payzant

    ©2014 Nicole Payzant



    The CreativesAmy LaiComment
    Titled

    Everything has a title.  Everything has a name of some kind.  

    Anything that is a story has a title, and every title is attached to a story.  Titles can be hard to find, and fear of the 'thing' to be titled is the reason that projects and stories alike stay un-done.  Untitled.  

    ©2014 Jeremy Lai

    ©2014 Jeremy Lai

    Untitled is a lack of commitment, a fear of what the 'it' contains.

    Lack of commitment.  

    A reason for any relationship or project breakdown.  

    Stare at a blank screen, knowing...deep down, that to give 'this' a title means to commit to it.  And committing is hard, in fact, it is one of the hardest things to overcome.  If commitment was easy, then everyone would be perfect examples of success. 

    Because to commit is success.  Success isn't acknowledgment or to be known for a piece of work.  It is the commitment to the inspiration that landed in your mind and spirit.  It is the denial of fear and the ability to title what may seem scary to title that becomes the success.

    byamygrace didn't happen overnight.  It was the inspiration of prodding over a long time, but committing to a title for this website has changed it's purpose, drive and focus.  

    Titles bring clarity, and clarity brings hope.  Hope is the light which filters into ones spirit and all souls rejoice with hope.  It breathes free and wants to live.

    So really, a title is about life.  

    To be untitled is death.  Death of a project, death of a story.

    Titled is life. 

    To Title means it lives.


    Amy LaiComment
    Word (noun)
    amygrace2013©

    Words make up a sentence.  A sentence makes up a paragraph, and a paragraph makes up a page.  All those pages make up something, someone thought was worth reading.

    Why read?  Why put anything down at all?  

    Words on page put something we dare to attempt uncovering, discovering, and demystifying out in the open. They become accessible, tangible, real, raw and honest.

    Word : (noun) a single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing, used with others (or sometimes alone) to form a sentence and typically shown with a space on either side when written or printed. 

    oneword365.com has given a concept to grow through a 365 day journey with just one word.

    "One word that sums up who you want to be or how you want to live. One word that you can focus on every day, all year long.

    It will take intentionality and commitment, but if you let it, your one word will shape not only your year, but also you. It will become the compass that directs your decisions and guides your steps.

    Discover the big impact one word can make." - http://oneword365.com

     

    For this writer, a word has emmerged, before I knew of the one word vision.  Before I knew that there was a movement to intentionally one word, one was already being chosen. 

    ow_250x250_custom_250x250.jpg

    FIRE (noun) combustion or burning, in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke

    As a writer, fire doesn't mean death, it means everything that is risked when you walk into fear.

    FIRE burns artists into gold.

    FIRE ignites truth

    A 365 Day journey into refining this writer.

    Risking it all for the refining of fire.

    ONEWORDSAmy LaiComment
    Chapters
    ©2012 Nicole Payzant

    ©2012 Nicole Payzant

    When things shift it is necessary to turn a page.  This first post is a written realization of a page I turned that didn't continue.  In fact, it ended.  And the next page was a new chapter.

    As a writer I am very aware of chapters and what they may mean.  A chapter pulls a story further ahead, it is the continuation, but also the conduit for the next 'thing',  

     

    Starting byAmyGrace has been the unfolding process of this new chapter and I have been working hard to reign myself in.  To make sure that I am staying focused on my theatre training, projects and personal life.  Recognizing a need for a place to work off from has created byAmyGrace into a website and an idenity.  

    In every chapter there is usually a discovery, something we didn't know.  This has definitely surprised and delighted me, giving a great deal of direction and definition into my next words.  I could not be writing this if it wasn't for my inspirational team that drive me forward.  Jasmine Alexander, Jeremy Lai, Nicole Payzant and Tyler Bennicke are all various artists who have helped me define and hone in on what my vision is.  Their work is sprinkled throughout my own and I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge and thank them for their continued support. 

    Each week I will be writing about what discoveries, struggles and thoughts I have through the process of being an artist and pulling other artists alongside me in these initiatives.  Join me as I attempt to put words into thought, thoughts into ideas, ideas into concepts, concepts into projects and projects into action.  

    No artist can do it alone, and I clearly recognize the need to be intentionally interactive with those around me.  

    This chapter will be the beginning of many chapters to follow, and that, perhaps is the most exciting concept of all.

    Amy LaiComment
    A Light & Dark Project

    Since the beginning of 2014 I began writing two nights a week on a concept that has been simmering for a year.

     All writers need to protect their work and give it the space and time it needs but I hope to bring you all with me in the process of this story.  This is an attempt at a fictional look of light and dark.  What it means to be deceived, live a lie, and then learn to live the truth and tell it. 

    To date, I have experienced five "Write Nights" and have been surprised by every turn these characters have taken.  I am continually amazed by how showing up to write brings this concept to a more vibrant place than I could have imagined. 

    I look forward to sharing this experience with you. 

    ©2014 Jeremy Lai

    ©2014 Jeremy Lai