Random Acts of Creatavita

I've been pondering creative (of course) ways to say thank you to my subscribers.  Creatavita is such a better blog because of its subscribers.  How do I show my appreciation for you in a way that isn't what you'd expect from just any blog?

And, to be honest with you, I've been obsessing over ways to attract new subscribers.

I stopped obsessing and allowed the question to float around my life, my brain, my space.  As so often happens, the answer was presented to me.  While I was on a recent adventure in Guatemala, enjoying this:

Roadside stand on the way to Chichicastenango

Coffee, of course.

Good Morning, Guatemala!

At the same time, my East Coast subscribers were slogging through this:

Center City Philadelphia, January 23, 2016

And Random Acts of Creatavita was born.

That photo was taken by the recipient of the first Random Act of Creatavita, Ashley Kearns, as she slogged her way through a blizzard to start rehearsals for Zombies In Love. Why Ashley?  Let's see -

- She embodies the qualities of a Creataviter including creativity, perseverance and grit.
- She communicates with Creatavita frequently through sharing of posts and comments to the blog.
- My gut told me it was the right choice.

The final reason?  The one that might get you a future Random Act of Creatavita?  The ONLY way to be considered for a Random Act of Creatavita?

She's a subscriber.

Earlier this week, I surprised Ashley with this pack of Creatavita, chosen to bring pleasure and creative inspiration to her life.

The very first Random Act of Creatavita pack!

Ashley's pack included coffee soap, pens and a worry doll magnet from Guatemala; a silk scarf from Cambodia and one of my favorite books, Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind (The 99U Book Series)

Because Ashley is creative, she came up with a marvelous idea:

Heidi-

THANK YOU so much for the random gift tag! It was so unexpected and therefore such an amazing surprise. I am also thrilled to have the opportunity to tag someone. I will be sure to share when I do it. When I tag the next artist I will have them include an email to you to share on the blog.

YOU ARE GREAT- keep spreading light!

Xo

A

That's right.  Ashley and I have started the next Internet craze.  I'll be sending out another Random Act of Creatavita (maybe from Florida where I'll soon be performing in Sister Act) AND Ashley will be choosing her own recipient of a Random Act.

Would you like to be surprised in the future with delights like silks from the Orient, treasures from the Equator, gifts from the Nile or resources to inspire your creative life?  If you're already a subscriber, sit back and relax.  Oh, you could share posts or comment directly to the blog (NOT Facebook, NOT Twitter).  I'll see you more frequently and that will certainly help.  If you're currently NOT a subscriber, sign up today!  Like everything else on the Internet, it is free and only brings you pleasure.

If you're on a computer, scroll up to the top of the right-hand column and enter your email address.  You will have to confirm (or verify) your subscription.  There's a handful of you that have not verified, so you're not eligible.  You might want to fix that.

If you're on a mobile device, scroll down to the bottom of this post and click on view web version.  I know it's an extra couple of steps, but I guarantee your efforts will be rewarded.

There's a Random Act of Creatavita floating out there...maybe for you!

It's Too Late Baby

I recently received an email from Jason, one of my occasional students.  Jason is an actor first and singer second.  His vocal talent is modest, but he has the potential to be a much better singer than he currently is, and he knows it.  So do I.  Even better, when Jason actively practices and studies, his singing improves immensely.  Unfortunately, like all of us, Jason gets distracted.  In addition, like most of us, Jason doesn't have unlimited resources of either time or money.  Jason had been studying with me (and practicing on his own) faithfully for almost a year.  He was closing in on sounding like a singer, not an actor trying to be a singer.  And then he stopped.

 Back to Jason's email, which went something like this:

"Hey, how are you?!?!?!  I know it has been a long time since I saw you for a lesson, but I have an audition next Monday for the upcoming Broadway revival of Hello Dolly.  They want to hear 16 bars of an uptempo and they sent me 3 sides.  Do you have any time to see me?  Needless to say, I'm freaking out!"

And so it starts.  Another episode in which a talented artist has put themselves in a very difficult position.   You see, when Jason stopped studying and practicing, he was mere months away from becoming the master of his vocal skills.  Become the master of a skill and you'll find your confidence rises.  And guess what?  That's a huge part of what those wicked people who sit on the other side of the table are looking for - strong skill sets and confidence.  Now, Jason found himself approaching this opportunity from behind.  He had to try to get his voice back in shape and at the same time, prepare new music (that wasn't easy), AND, convince himself that he was up to the challenge.

It's too late, baby.

Let me see if I can say this another way.

All of us, no matter what type of work we do, have skills that are necessary, but not our strong suit. We have a choice.  We can ignore them and hope we never have to use them.  OR, we can work on them and improve our mastery, so that our ability to use them becomes stronger; indeed, strong enough so that when we combine this weaker skill with our naturally stronger skills, they are no longer so weak as to be a negative.

It's not fun working on our weaknesses.  We fail at a much higher rate, we feel vulnerable, we disappoint ourselves. we don't have as much fun.  I recognized that recently, as I was flailing away at Sammy Reyes' Hip Hop Class at Koresh Dance School.  There I was, the only middle-aged white woman in the room....actually it wasn't as bad as you're imagining.  I've had the pleasure of working with Sammy before, so I know he lovingly embraces everyone where they are in life.  I failed, I felt like an idiot, I couldn't remember the routine, but I had a great time moving.  Plus, I got a fabulous workout.  Win win!

Viola Swamp, one of the characters Sammy choreographed for me at the Walnut.

Back to Jason.  He scheduled 3 sessions over the course of a week.  This is not the best way to prepare for an audition, particularly when you're in Jason's situation.  We got him to a place where he could sing 3 of the 4 pieces, but we both knew that he could have been so much better prepared.

There was no miracle at the audition.  Jason told me he presented himself as best he could, but he didn't get cast. He didn't even get a callback.

End of post?  Well, you all know how I thrive on being positive, so here's the post I wanted to write:

I recently received an email from Jason, one of my voice students.  Jason is an actor first and singer second.  While his singing talent is not huge, it is adequate. He has been actively studying AND practicing for the past two years.  Like most of us, Jason doesn't have unlimited resources, either time or money.  Yet somehow he has put this work at the top of his list. He now sounds like a singer, not an actor trying to be a singer.  And he knows it.

 Jason's email went something like this:

"Hey, how are you?!?!?!  Guess what?  That audition I had for the Broadway production of Hello Dolly?  They cast me!!! I'm in the ensemble and understudying Barnaby.  I'm in!!!  Thank you for your help!!"

Don't let it be too late, baby.