Chinese Arrests, Standing among Artistic Giants, and Simplicity Destroying Complexity
There are lots of sections of things that I want to talk about, so I'm going to do so and line them all up and knock them all down. First I'll talk about my experience with simplicity, my thoughts on China right now, and lastly I'll talk about my artistic life.
Last week I pined on a lot about my experience with mindfulness and groundedness. I'm still exploring those ideas and they're reaping huge rewards. But, for now it suffices to say that my current issues are primarily due to poor time management. Over-commiting my time to too many things and then being so confused by my inability to thrive. The problem will resolve itself if I can learn from my mistakes and become wiser with my time in the future. That, and if I manage to yet again survive this period of poor management to gain the most requisite parts of this time. Simplicity destroys complex waste, I've found that true in almost every part of my life.
Second, China is currently a terrifying place. I've devoted much of my energy to improving my abilities in Chinese and recently multiple events have combined at the same time to create a truly horrifying picture. First I heard about many people associated with the company, "China Horizons" had been arrested in China and charged with truly outrageous accusations like Human Trafficking. I doubt very seriously the arrests are inspired by anything other than political unrest and anti-American sentiment. This happened at the same time as the NBA outrage and Blizzard boycott. I still intend to continue studying Chinese, but I have cancelled all plans to go there within the next 2-3 years. Randomly arresting Americans in your country tends to discourage travel. I desperately hope that the situation changes, and perhaps I may someday be an instrument in that change. It is impossible to know. Many Americans hope to have a more socialized government than we currently do. China is an example of that, and living there is not a complete nightmare as my six months attests. Perhaps there is more in common than either would like to admit. Perhaps freedoms and supports not fully achieved by either can be achieved in a new form of communion. Dreams.
Lastly, The10Show with the Hive Collaborative is in full swing and I feel more enabled and emboldened artistically than I have in a very long time. I've been given this incredible opportunity to direct and manage people that are more educated than me, more capable than me, more devoted than me. I'm profoundly humbled by this experience as well as forcing myself to not bow my shoulders or be intimidated by it. I think if it weren't for my recent improvisation training and the education I lucked into in high school, I'd be unable to do so. We are our path, however winding it may be. How uncanny that the play I've selected is all about loneliness and connection. Right now I'm watching a beautiful libretto reading, I believe written by my high school voice teacher Anthony Buck, with a high school colleague named Trayven Call performing. I'm fairly certain he's recieved at least two acting degrees and it shows, his performance is beautiful. And I'm forced to look inward and question myself. I chose to not take an educated route in my artistic life. After a Bipolar mental health crisis that slowed me down for 2-3 years, I chose to get a business degree and focus on being debt free and accumulating some wealth. Frankly, I did it out of fear. But, fear is a part of art. I feared that I would never make enough money to have a family or that I'd never have the funds to pursue my artistic hopes and dreams fully. And, in part that's true. Every artist and creative has a different route. Circuitous or direct, fast or slow, grassroots or academic/professional. Who's to say any is better or worse than the other? I don't think it's me, and I don't think it's any professional or audience. I don't think it matters what's better or worse. That's one thing to say and another thing to feel, and I think I understand how that feels and it's exciting. Once my degree is done and I have a small nest egg, I will make my return. I will get the education I want (or teach myself), push myself into the avenues and projects I want to be a part of, and take the slow road to beautiful projects that are the road and destination in and of themselves. In closing, I'M NOT DEAD YET. And until that happens, I will fulfill what my incredible teacher Mr. Stan Funicelli told me, that "I have so much music in me." and "Don't let it die inside you." So, until I'm dead, and hopefully some time after that, I will do everything in my power to fulfill the measure of my creation, create art, and live a noble life of fiscal responsibility.
Phew, I still have to write an extremely long paper, do Chinese homework, set up audition sides, prep for a midterm, and watch through this beautiful libretto reading. Wish me luck.
Last week I pined on a lot about my experience with mindfulness and groundedness. I'm still exploring those ideas and they're reaping huge rewards. But, for now it suffices to say that my current issues are primarily due to poor time management. Over-commiting my time to too many things and then being so confused by my inability to thrive. The problem will resolve itself if I can learn from my mistakes and become wiser with my time in the future. That, and if I manage to yet again survive this period of poor management to gain the most requisite parts of this time. Simplicity destroys complex waste, I've found that true in almost every part of my life.
Second, China is currently a terrifying place. I've devoted much of my energy to improving my abilities in Chinese and recently multiple events have combined at the same time to create a truly horrifying picture. First I heard about many people associated with the company, "China Horizons" had been arrested in China and charged with truly outrageous accusations like Human Trafficking. I doubt very seriously the arrests are inspired by anything other than political unrest and anti-American sentiment. This happened at the same time as the NBA outrage and Blizzard boycott. I still intend to continue studying Chinese, but I have cancelled all plans to go there within the next 2-3 years. Randomly arresting Americans in your country tends to discourage travel. I desperately hope that the situation changes, and perhaps I may someday be an instrument in that change. It is impossible to know. Many Americans hope to have a more socialized government than we currently do. China is an example of that, and living there is not a complete nightmare as my six months attests. Perhaps there is more in common than either would like to admit. Perhaps freedoms and supports not fully achieved by either can be achieved in a new form of communion. Dreams.
Lastly, The10Show with the Hive Collaborative is in full swing and I feel more enabled and emboldened artistically than I have in a very long time. I've been given this incredible opportunity to direct and manage people that are more educated than me, more capable than me, more devoted than me. I'm profoundly humbled by this experience as well as forcing myself to not bow my shoulders or be intimidated by it. I think if it weren't for my recent improvisation training and the education I lucked into in high school, I'd be unable to do so. We are our path, however winding it may be. How uncanny that the play I've selected is all about loneliness and connection. Right now I'm watching a beautiful libretto reading, I believe written by my high school voice teacher Anthony Buck, with a high school colleague named Trayven Call performing. I'm fairly certain he's recieved at least two acting degrees and it shows, his performance is beautiful. And I'm forced to look inward and question myself. I chose to not take an educated route in my artistic life. After a Bipolar mental health crisis that slowed me down for 2-3 years, I chose to get a business degree and focus on being debt free and accumulating some wealth. Frankly, I did it out of fear. But, fear is a part of art. I feared that I would never make enough money to have a family or that I'd never have the funds to pursue my artistic hopes and dreams fully. And, in part that's true. Every artist and creative has a different route. Circuitous or direct, fast or slow, grassroots or academic/professional. Who's to say any is better or worse than the other? I don't think it's me, and I don't think it's any professional or audience. I don't think it matters what's better or worse. That's one thing to say and another thing to feel, and I think I understand how that feels and it's exciting. Once my degree is done and I have a small nest egg, I will make my return. I will get the education I want (or teach myself), push myself into the avenues and projects I want to be a part of, and take the slow road to beautiful projects that are the road and destination in and of themselves. In closing, I'M NOT DEAD YET. And until that happens, I will fulfill what my incredible teacher Mr. Stan Funicelli told me, that "I have so much music in me." and "Don't let it die inside you." So, until I'm dead, and hopefully some time after that, I will do everything in my power to fulfill the measure of my creation, create art, and live a noble life of fiscal responsibility.
Phew, I still have to write an extremely long paper, do Chinese homework, set up audition sides, prep for a midterm, and watch through this beautiful libretto reading. Wish me luck.
Comments
Post a Comment