Testing The Waters

You know that old adage: "Birds of a Feather Flock together?" I think we are all inexplicably drawn to people with whom we share common interests. Looking over the landscape of my life I know this is why most of my friends are artists. If there is one common thread between all artists it is this: in order to engage in our artistic expression (what ever that is, dance, painting, writing etc) there needs to be an openness, we need to be vulnerable and remain available to the creative process. SOCIAL BUTTERFLY  I am a self-professed (and confessed) social butterfly, I absolutely love meeting new people and usually sit on the edge of my seat, riveted by every detail of their life's journey. This is why I adore writing these monthly features, I've heard so many wonderful stories over the years. I'm grateful to have this outlet to share them with you. I hope each feature article inspires you, in some way, to pursue your dreams. IT'S ALL 'BOUT THE JOURNEY...

Have you noticed the lack of actual bookstores recently? With the advent of the e-book, Kindle, iPad and the like, theorists are predicting the extinction of bookstores - much like the dinosaur - library's, bookstores and even newsstands will one day be a relic of the past. It is my personal opinion that reading a book, an actual book-book can never be replaced by a flat screen, but that's my opinion. Recently, I came across the work of artist, writer, musician and stage director Guy Laramee. He sculpts antiquated books into works of art. I think Laramee's work creates a poignant statement.  Some of the books he uses are Encyclopedias - who remembers those? Those beautifully bound books, filled with gorgeous illustrations, that once offered the ease of knowledge at our finger tips, now completely replaced by the internet. Unlike the information found in those Encyclopedia's Laramee's sculptures are enhanced by time, since they are always in a state...

I've always had an insatiable desire to question EVERYTHING - much to the chagrin of my family. I was usually the person sitting at the dinner table asking questions about the proverbial "pink elephant" in the room while everyone else was content ignoring it. I am proud to say that I haven't lost that curiosity, I am just as inquisitive today as when I was a kid. While I am currently in post with my production company's (Vero Films) first project (A Life, Taken)  I also have my eye on my next project. I'm developing a couple new story ideas that I'm excited about. I've started doing some research for one of the projects; which basically means that in my quest to gain a greater understanding of my characters and story I inundate myself with tons of data. I now have all this information aimlessly swimming around in my mind but this part of the writing process is extremely fun for me, I thrive on research. WHY QUESTION? Research leads to questions ...

Have you ever looked at your neighborhood and wondered how it may have looked twenty, thirty, or fifty years ago?  Well, I do... ALL THE TIME. In fact I take it to another level -  I fantasize about time travel. (Midnight in Paris... anyone???) Van Nuys Blvd. 1912  Looking up historic photos is not only a hobby of mine its a full on obsession. I enjoy looking at them and imagining how it must have been to actually live in that time. My time travel musings are amplified by my current neighborhood. You see, I live near the L. A. River which is an exponent of classic Film Noir movies... Photo of Drag Race at the L.A. River - 1950's Currently I live in Studio City but it was originally Toluca Lake (and depending on the GPS its still listed as such). This photo shows the area in 1936.  Toluca Lake - 1936 These street lamps were installed in the 30's and 40's and they still line the streets today. Most of the houses (their exteriors at lea...

When Martha Graham said:  "Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion"  I believe she was referring to dancers like Kiki Lucas; the subject of this months "Testing The Waters" Feature Story. I  had the distinct pleasure of becoming friends and working with Kiki Lucas while she was living in Los Angeles.   She being a fellow Aries woman we hit it off instantly.   To this day I continue to feel incredibly blessed to have known and worked with her. At the time, I was performing in and producing cabaret shows and she  graciously agreed to choreograph a couple of numbers for a few of my productions.                                                                                      ...

                                              Photo Credit: DawnMarie Ferrara I was walking around my neighborhood and suddenly noticed the trees along the streets are sprouting buds and some flowers are even beginning to blossom. What a lovely indication that the cold, dormant season of Winter is coming to a close and Spring will soon be upon us. Photo Credit: DawnMarie Ferrara I've always found February to be an interesting month. We are all still basking in the afterglow of the Holiday Season and the promise of the New Year remains in the abstract - mostly because we haven't placed both feet firmly into 2013 yet. This is an ideal time of year to hit the RESET BUTTON. Photo Credit: DawnMarie Ferrara There are times in our lives when the reset button is hit for us (or maybe it hits us in the head) . Think back to a time when...

"Its not love that should be depicted as blind, but self-love."  ~ Voltaire So true, so true.  We spend our entire lives with one person -  ourselves  and so why is it ingrained in us that loving ourself is not only selfish but also arrogant?   Society casts men and women in quite different roles.  There are some exceptions but typically at an early age men are given military toys to play with and are nurtured to become leaders and to aggressively pursue their passions. Us women, on the other hand, are given Barbi's, tea sets and taught to clean and keep house. We women are cultivated to be   'care givers' and subsequently we learn that our aspirations are secondary to that of a man. What ever your childhood experience, if a love of one self is not cultivated self-hatred is inevitable. "I now see how owning our story and loving ourselves  through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do."  ~ Brené Br...