XXXV (35) Seen & Heard
So one of the books I’m currently reading is called Brag Better, by Meredith Fineman, which we are talking about in the Jen Waldman Book Club this month, FYI. If you want to know more about Jen, check out Blog post XXXIII (33).
In Chapter 3 of this book Meredith talks about how a lot of us undercut our own success as if we haven’t been working at it for a long time, we forget to give ourselves credit for our own accomplishments and triumphs. “Most of us just need to hear it from someone else before we can believe it for ourselves.” That rings so true to me.
Which is why I was so pleased to release Episode 122 of Bushwick Variety Show this evening. It took me a while to finish editing it, and I to my heartbreak, I accidentally deleted the intro that I recorded earlier so I had to do it over. The reason I was so excited about this is because of what Emily White did for me this past summer. She saw and heard my work, and then extended her platform to me and allowed me to collaborate with her on a podcast with The Public Theatre.
This opportunity helped affirm and remind me of who and what it’s for. Sometimes as artists, but also as people in general, it can feel like we aren’t having any impact, like we are creating in the void. This year, in seeming isolation, I have been shown over and over again just how vital and powerful community is, and can be. The magic that can, and will, happen when you reach out and connect with people who are aligned with the work that makes your heart sing, and the change you want to make.
I am very happy to say that this is only the beginning of the collaboration between me and Emily White. She is the Devising Dramaturg for “Six Shooter”, a theatrical project that explores gun violence in America through the lens of the Western trope. Emily was kind enough to invite me into that project, and I am so looking forward to sharing more about the amazing, vibrant artists involved, and the Radio play excerpt we recorded a couple months ago. We truly had a blast recording it, and it felt to me like everybody involved walked away excited about the potential for the project! Stay tuned for more.
