Hi Creatives,
Here’s the newest link for submitting your art!
Quick story time…
Back when I lived in San Francisco, a beloved cousin and I used to attend a local beginner’s hip hop class taught by a phenomenal instructor named Micaya.
I loved the class basically from the moment I first attended. For one thing, it was the most eclectic mix of students I'd ever seen in any studio; teenagers, soccer moms, men old enough to be my dad and men old enough to be my grandfather, short, tall, brown, white, gay, straight and every other glorious flavor on the spectrum of humanity.
I’m not being hyperbolic when I tell you that every person in the class gave every move their every effort. No one cared what they looked like. No one meekly followed along, hoping not to make a fool of themselves. It always took me a few minutes to get out of my own head, mildly consumed with how rusty I felt/looked, but by the end of the class I was miles ahead in letting go of my ego than when the music first started. I still feel I was always a little more skinny-white-girl-cheerleader than bad-ass-hip hop performer....but baby steps, right? I loved watching women twice my age get into the moves, release all inhibitions and dance with their whole hearts...their whole beings.
Micaya made you feel as every great teacher should: motivated, expressive, alive and free. Points if you show up, points if you keep trying, points for forgiving your stumbles, and extra credit for not caring how you look and just having fun moving your body. She believed that creatives, like you and me, and what we put out into the world, are an important antidote to all the destruction across the globe. She taught us that art matters, is powerful, and an energy that can bring light and love.
"Hey all!! Welcome, welcome, welcome...so glad to have you here! Man, some days you just feel it, you know? Some days you just gotta DANCE. Today is one of those days for me...it's gonna be epic. I'm declaring this space a drama free zone; no stress, no worries, no judgment, no ego…” she’d say.
There are so many lessons in dance that can be applied to other aspects of life. I'm grateful this class always reminded me of that.
"You're planners, aren't you?", Micaya once said during our choreography practice. "With dance, you can't always plan ahead or think of your next move. You have to be *present*. You have to be present in *this* move."
Gosh, how I would love to be in one of her classes again alongside cute 20 somethings, now as the woman “twice their age”, dancing with my whole being.
What would happen if you made art for the sake of feeling free?
What if you allowed yourself to create with your whole being?
Will you declare your creative space a drama free zone; no stress, no worries, no judgment, no ego?
In Gratitude,
trish