The Work is Trying to Find You Too

First off, I am utterly convinced that art and creative expression are necessities for every single living soul on the planet. The first ten weeks at Dell'Arte have opened my eyes to the connection between art and nature allowing me to understand that art is not a frivilous act that comes after the washing is done. Art exists to reconnect spirit with spirit. Art is the entry way into infinity. It is a dance with what lies beyond and what exists within -both. At the same time. The ways to express oneself abound. Theater is but one of many, and an arduous one at that. Singing, dancing, drawing, painting, playing, erupting into the forest in stillness and listening with a deep awareness to all that exists. Taking that home and expressing it through art. This is the beginning of something for me that is very meaningful. I feel like I have woken up from a very long sleep and I am blessed to be alive and whole on this planet. I am blessed to be half asleep and partially dead on this planet as well. The act of waking in the morning and choosing to connect with all that is through creative expression is a blessing that I have and that we all have. I sound like an evangelist. I really am energized by it.

The last few weeks at Dell'Arte have been beautiful in so many ways. The connection with the group of people is precious. We can disagree and express our annoyances with each other in one moment and in the next we are playing ferociously. That is not even something I can do with family or friends. Life is more full of flavor. I think much of it has to do with stepping out of the city and into nature. Being surrounded by Redwoods and the ocean has an effect on the soul. My sensory intake has lessened to a point where I can actually process what is around me and enjoy it.

Now, as I take the next few weeks to reflect on my life and where I am headed, I can't help but feel overwhelmed by the need to "heal the world" and all those people in society that are still plugged in. It is a self-righteous painful approach to the world around me. However the counter of simply creating theater for the sake of creating theater and turning a blind eye to injustice feels painful too. Like anything in life the middle path must be acheived. This path however has a wide array of paths within it. I am interested in working with advocacy groups, I am interested in working in the education system. I am interested in working in prisons. I am interested in working with veterans. I want to create beautiful theater simply and I want to create connections between creativity, self-discovery, sustainability for the earth, community-focused living, and policy changes that respond to the hopes and dreams of a society that lives in a creative sustainable engaged way. Am I taking on too much? How do I even begin to achieve this?

I feel at peace when I remember that I am not the only one working to find this path, the path is certainly working to find me too. It's working to find you too.