I have been doing a lot of creative work lately, theatre performance specifically. I recently was fortunate enough to get hired at a theatre this summer, where i am going to be doing performance, design and teaching, as well my proposal for the student directed season at the University just got accepted. These are two golden opportunities for me, especially going into my last year of my BFA. But what is really amazing about these recent opportunities, is that both are collective works, based around the creation within a group of artists. I have had experience working collectively before, but never to this extent. It's amazing how liberating it is! We forget how much we sensor ourselves, being our worst critic, and a cohesive group of artists really breaks down those walls.

On top of that, i have been doing a lot of research on theatre itself, as well as creative work. The main sources I have looked at so far, are Peter Brook's "The Empty Spacce" and Stephen Nachmanovitch's "Free Play". I highly recommend both of these works. Both of these authors are highly experienced in the field with breathtaking ideas and solid writing. "The Empty Space", specifically, has made me think of theatre in a whole new way. Not one other single source has been able to deconstruct my preconceptions, question my knowledge and broaden my views to the extent that this book has. Although i have not finished "Free Play" yet, it is proving to be almost, if not just as wondrous. It is very encouraging to read Nachmanovitch's views on creative forces and how effective they can be. He adds a spiritual element that is making me look at day to day things in life a whole new way.

What both of these books emphasize, however, is the demand in theatre for the present moment. Brook looks at the moment as the essential drive in theatre, giving it advantages that are head over heels above film and other media, and Nachmanovitch sees the moment as the only thing that can embrace creative forces. Their points are so convincing that I am starting to think that I'm becoming a buddhist. I find that i am going through my day to day life simply observing and living in nothing more than the moment. It is so amazing to experience, realizing that you almost never live for the moment with school schedules, theatre deadlines, bills, etc. In this way, my art has penetrated my personal life, influencing how I observe reality. It's brilliant.

For this, and for these wonderful opportunities that I have been graced with, I am grateful. I feel as if I am moving, artistically and personally, in a direction that fulfills me and am discovering more and more things to learn about everyday.