Wake Up; The Glamorous Life

With my eyes still closed I hit the snooze button on my iPhone and reach for the lamp on the bedside table to the left of me;
I turn the light on and let the bright energy filter through my eyelids.
Knowing that my alarm will go off again in fifteen minutes;
I feel it’s safe to rise like one of those lizards sitting on a rock in the Galapagos Islands that I’ve seen on Planet Earth.
This is the unglamorous part of living life on the road;
Still, I’m so grateful I make a living doing what I love––I just wish what I love started a little later in the day.

Relentless.

Some people get what they want because they’re charmed;
The rest of us have to push, fight, climb, fall, beg, climb (again), push harder, negotiate, barter, beg (some more), crawl, sneak in the back door, drop to our knees, fight (tougher), shove, alienate, compromise, fall, claw, beg (with total desperation), threaten, bully, bark, beg, beg, beg, fight, fight, fight, climb, climb, climb––and finally we get to sit in front of a receptionist and wait...
Then the entire process starts again.
Passionately and relentlessly focused.
Never. Give. Up.

Truth on Tour® (Again) 3.5

I woke up this morning overwhelmed and humbled by the passion, honesty, and energy I felt during my residency with the concert dancers at Slippery Rock University.
We don’t always get to do what we love;
Some people never––and I make my living following my dreams.
I have been blessed with a lifetime of creative adventures;
I don’t take that for granted.
As much as I despises traveling––no matter how turbulent the journey can be sometimes––I am always grateful.

Family

A year ago today, we were celebrating my sisters birthday in a rehabilitation center;
Honoring her life––while she was fighting for her life.
Overnight, a virus took away her ability to walk, talk, or hold her daughter.
My sister has always been a fighter.
Her tough exterior guards her sensitive and loyal heart.
Some of our family doubted in her ability to recover––I never lost Faith;
They don’t know my sister like I do.
A childhood spent in pure laughter or passionate fighting; neither one of us is afraid of extremes; but we always had each others back.
We moved around a lot when we were younger, so she was always my best friend.
When we became adults we were both preoccupied with building our own future––and forgot to check in with one another.
My sister’s hospitalization was a wake-up call for me;
This indépendant, talented, intelligent, creative, emotional, women––mother, daughter, sister, and friend, is one of the most important people in my life.
My love for her is unconditional and pure.
I’m so grateful that she has made a full recovery––the future looks bright;
But all we really have is the present, which is perfect, because it’s my sisters birthday. Happy Birthday Shiree. I love you.

Find The Light

Mesmerized by the glowing ambers;
The flame dances,
Reminding me to see my passion everywhere.
Ignited and ready to blaze in the new year!

Gratitude

I feel blessed knowing that I can follow my dreams beside a person I love;
I realize how fortunate I am to be able to wake up each day and pursue a career that I’m still passionate about; through hard work, Faith, and the support of my family and friends––I continue to journey closer to the peak.
Not everyone has the opportunity that I’ve had.
I am grateful.

Confidence

A confident person walks into a room with vibrance and an open mind;
A cocky person walks into a room and drains it of all its creative energy.

Making An Artist

Passion.
Ambition.
Talent.
Hard work.
Relentless determination.
Fearlessness.
Faith.
Most of all, Faith.

The Creative Habit

Becoming a creative person is not something that just happens.
As far as I know, nobody came out of the womb with a paint brush, pointe shoe, musical instrument or reciting Shakespeare.
Creativity is a discipline. A process of learning how to take your passion and develop it into a craft that inspires emotion.
Creative people are focused, dedicated, hard working, overachievers who strive for new ideas and pushing boundaries.
The most effective way I’ve found to support my creative endeavors, is by staying focused on the habit of creating work.
It might not always be brilliant, but it will always lead to a more productive journey.

Note To Self:

Nothing exceptional ever comes from a rushed process-
But sometimes you just have to settle for "good."
Life is short; spend time on the things you are passionate about, and everything else, get it done and move on!

That's Life

It's a phrase I've heard throughout my life-
Offered by friends, family and even enemies (depending on the circumstance.)
As I child, I HATED that short, but painfully truthful analysis of almost any situation:
Your best friend spreads a nasty rumor, "That's life."
Your dog gets hit by a car, "That's life."
Your second runner up in every category, "That's life."
However, when put into perspective, it is also a joyful reminder:
You published a book! "That's life."
You own a home. "That's life."
You sold a TV show!  That's me projecting... But I hope soon enough I'll be saying to myself, "That's life!"
Outlook is everything!

Excited

Meeting with my publisher today!
Eager to see the cover of my first book, for the first time.
What started as a childhood dream-
Expanded into a practical idea,
That lead to a serious project,
Which evolved into a passion,
Finally manifesting into a book that I could not be more proud of.
I'm so excited!

417 West 47th Street

It's like time stood still.

Sitting in the comfort of my old living room, laughing with my roommate;

Reminiscing about the past and catching up on the present.

I was a different person back then, I had yet to grow into myself.

She pointed out that I am comfortable in my new skin-

Yes, I am proud of the person I'm becoming.  I've stayed true to my goals and dreams, and haven't given up on the idea that "it" will happen. 

It IS happening!

A constant work in progress.  Maybe I'll really discover who I am when I'm old and bald?

Thoughts In The Dark

Sitting in the darkness of the theatre,
I'm confronted with flashes of my past adventures;
There is a moment of panic,
That chapter has closed.
Then-
A spark,
The end of every chapter, is the beginning of a new one.
I'm ready for a new adventure.
It's time!

The Glamorous Life

Flight delayed, in at midnight;
Drama at the front desk- it's NO Holiday...
Four hours of sleep then off to the theatre,
Twelve hours of dancing, that's the gig!
#TheGlamorousLife

California Blue Skies.

Lost in the blue sky,
Living California dreams.
Work first, play later.

A Valentine Haiku

If you remove fear
Fill up your heart with passion,
Love is all you need.

A Road Map from the Past

If we waste too much time looking back,
We lose the energy and motivation to move forward.
The past is a brilliant road map for our future-
As long we remember to use it to make wiser choices, rather than getting lost in a distant memory.

Daily Reminder

When you are surrounded by positive people, it's hard not to smile.
When you are engulfed with negative people, it's impossible to see positive.
I'm choose to live positively optimistic and work to accomplish as much as possible with blind Faith, hope and happiness-
Instead of giving into fear and complaining about everything I don't have.

Conflicted

I'm aware of how blessed I am-
Still, I challenge my passion.
The quest to accomplish more terrifies me.
The line between reaching for new boundaries and "never enough" is dangerously thin- 
Worse, the higher I soar, the blurrier it becomes.
I want to find more gratitude in my daily victories.  Happiness is not in the acquisition, it's in the journey.