Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love", speaks about the creative process. I'm pretty much sure that everybody who has created anything in his life has felt this anxiety. That feeling of being squeezed dry from trying to give birth to an idea that desperately needed to be translated to reality.

I am reminded of all those moments when I dreaded going to class or to a show, because I felt the choreography I prepared wasn't good enough. But yet, I promise that I will keep showing up.



"This is hard. This is one of the most painful reconciliations to make in a creative life. But maybe it doesn't have to be quite so full of anguish. If you never happened to believe in the first place that the most extraordinary aspects of your being came from you -- maybe if you just believed that they were on loan to you, from some unimaginable source for some exquisite portion of your life, to be passed along when you're finished with somebody else. If we think about it this way, it starts to change everything."

"Don't be afraid. Don't be daunted. Just do your job. Continue to show up for your piece of it, whatever that might be. If your job is to dance, do your dance. If the divine, cockeyed genius assigned to your case decides to let some sort of wonderment be glimpsed for just one moment through your efforts, then ole. And if not, do your dance anyhow. And ole to you nonetheless. I believe this and I feel we must teach it. Ole to you nonetheless, just for having the sheer human love and stuborness to keep showing up."

3 comments:

famousfeline said...

I came back to your blog and found this little gem. Thanks for reminding me. I am going to apply this not just in dance, but also in life.

So, does your schedule allow you to come to Bali?

Kat said...

I know, this is beautiful, huh?

No, I won't be able to make it to Bali, but I have two friends who'll be there. I hope to meet you someday though :)

Have fun with Jillina!

famousfeline said...

I'm not taking Jillina's classes, just the Tribal Fusion ones with Sharon and Elizabeth.

We'll meet someday!! I heard Zero Dance Studio (the one that organized Sadie last year and Nath Keo two years ago in Penang) is organizing Aziza somewhere in mid-year.