October 2017

Spotlights & Insights, Vol.2 – October 2017

October 27, 2017October 26, 2017 By MairinNo Comments

Spotlights & Insights, Vol.2 – October 2017 October has flown by and I can’t believe we’re already here at the last Friday of the month. This month has been a doozy – from the news, to social media, to personal struggles, I know many of us have been left with our heads spinning; feeling anxious, sad and questioning ourselves and the world we live in. But through all this, there have also been great moments of solidarity, of encouragement, and of coming together to stand up for what’s right in the world. I have been a grateful witness to many deep acts of kindness and compassion this month and reflecting on those moments has also been important. So has you process and recover from all this and look to next month, here are some thoughts, insights and links for you on your journey – to help you stay strong, connected and resilient. Let’s dive in. ???? My October “Aha!” – Resilience: Ongoing and Growing I have always...

Me Too: Women & Performing

October 17, 2017October 20, 2017 By MairinNo Comments

I opened Facebook yesterday morning and my breath caught in my throat and my stomach twisted. The more I scrolled through my feed the more breathless I became and the more nauseous I felt. Page after page, post after post they came; from friends, from family members, from peers, from women older than me, and women younger than me. All of their statuses saying, “Me too.” My feelings rolled in and out like the waves of the ocean, churning and turning over faster than I could process them. Shock. Anger. Outrage. Devastation. Despair. Heartbreak. Then I looked down at my keyboard and typed, “Me too.” Because, of course me too. The more I thought about it, the more moments from my life came to me. Incidents and situations that I had not thought of in years – involving family members, friends, partners, teachers, classmates and strangers. More than I chose to count. But what devistates me the most about this, my story and the stories of others, is...

Staying Resilient

October 13, 2017October 12, 2017 By MairinNo Comments

This was not the post I intended to write this week. But with everything that is going on in the world - from wildfires and hurricanes, to economic instability, to racial and cultural discrimination, and serious acts of misogyny and sexual harassment – I felt it was important to take the time to pause and reflect on all that is surrounding us right now. With all this chaos, change and destruction it natural for us to want to retreat from it, to go into ourselves and to disengage to find some sense of safety and security. Even if we want to stay connected, it’s hard to figure out the boundaries we need to have with all the news that’s coming at us. It’s a challenge to know when to take a step back, or even how to do so. It makes our heads spin and our minds race, and our hearts stagger to keep up with it all. And for us performers, this is...