Cosmic ReBirthing Pains

So I have heard from several different friends who are experiencing an unusual amount of worrisome feelings and a general sort of depression about the state of world affairs and the future. Certainly it is normal to experience such feelings during January and February, following the big holiday-end of year blitz.

However, a lot of challenging “stuff” happened in the past few months and the issues seem to keep piling up. We are faced with some pretty daunting and depressing global issues. There are some very heated debates and differences of opinions about where to go and what to do.

In many ways we may feel disappointed that there wasn’t some tangible and dramatic shift of energy during the much emphasized end of the Mayan Calendar. What we experienced though on Dec 21, 2012, was one culture’s method of marking time - and our cultures have so many creative ways of marking and measuring time. The Mayans apparently measured a rotation of the galaxy (how they did it so precisely is a marvel to be sure), and while so much more was mythologized around that event, the basic thing that occurred was that the alignment of our planet with the sun made it seem that the sun was positioned at the dark center of the milky way galaxy - in what they considered the birth canal. So it was like experiencing a cosmic rebirth.

If that is the case…we must remind ourselves that any form of a birthing process is painful and difficult. A human birth can take hours or days. A cosmic rebirth…who knows how long the process really takes, but certainly it wouldn’t be simple. It requires a lot of work and effort on our part. I don’t have any firsthand physical birth experience, but they say you have to push and to bare down and breathe, etc.

The same ideas apply within our spiritual lives and as we grapple to find and sustain happiness. We can’t get by with mere illusions and delusions that may have helped us get by in the past. We can’t wait around for a savior, or aliens, or magical miracles to do the work for us. We can’t be complacent. We CAN contribute and create miracles by staying focused and committed and by transforming these ill feelings into something productive and useful. We may have to trick ourselves at times to shake off our worries and fears to move forward with some momentum as the issues pile up.

There is a mountainous obstacle of life to climb. Our culture has to “get over itself.” The key is to enjoy the process and journey as much as we can. We’re all part of a big experiment, and while more and more of it looks pretty complicated and devastating toward the point of collapse, we have to try out new things, keep doing things that are playful, keep doing things that are Foolish and could lead to new possibilities. We will constantly go through periods of forgetting and remembering these processes. The great thing is that so many people are remembering and sharing and moving together.

I remember some teachings from the tantric perspective, that the womb to an unborn child is like paradise. But it can’t stay in there forever. Birth, requires destruction, a removal from the womb, which leads to the creation of a new life in a new world, but the transition is painful and brutal. A baby cries for a reason — it’s paradise was just taken away. But over time, we’ll learn to breathe and accept this strange, new world. It may not be the warm, comfy, dreamy, womb….but it holds many treasures to behold and many opportunities to create. Nothing is created without destruction, but we want to be sure what we create is worth what we lose in the process.

Hopefully more of us wake up to what we are losing and do something about it, and that we are consciously creating some beautiful things to keep us going and to keep us sustainably happy, not just deluded and distracted - but it all serves a purpose! We don’t live forever. Our time here is short. And that may truly suck, but it sucks even more to miss out on what little bit we have. And if part of that is feeling down, then make it be the greatest fertilizer and fuel for the next adventure. The simple things can offer the biggest rewards. The biggest reward can be experiencing the simple relief of just being in the moment of now unfolding into now, now, now, now…

so
if you ever feel unlucky
remind yourself;
out of all the
millions upon millions
of determined, strong-willed, competitive, focused,
fierce, bold, adventurous, awesome…
sperm
that struggled against each other
while seeking out that most cherished
prize of the egg --
you were the lucky one
who hit the jackpot.

so go ahead and enjoy
spending your fortune!

The Night to NOTE 2013

Ode to the Divine Fool at Theatre of NOTE

It was exciting to perform once again at The 18th Annual Theatre of NOTE Performance Marathon and proved to be a good experience for presenting some new material with R. SKY Palkowitz and honoring the many years of creative collaboration we've shared. Hard to believe it was 10 years ago when we did our first Theatre of NOTE marathon!

Here are some of the pictures from that evening. I performed two songs, "All the World's A Stage" with Sky's assistance and then followed it with a costume change and the speed vocal workout of "Ode to The Divine Fool." Then Sky performed her brand new piece, "Myth Amerika" where I played the announcer leading her through a very twisted satirical take on beauty pageants and where our country is at socially and politically.

Thanks to our dear friend, Orit Harpaz (www.OritHarpaz.com) for the photos/documentation!

 

We met some new fans and divine fools afterwards!

Theatre of Note 18th Anniversary

I am pleased to be performing once more in the 18th Annual NOTE Hollywood Performance Marathon, alongside R. Sky Palkowitz. I will be performing two comically styled songs "All the World's A Stage" and "Ode to the Divine Fool." Then Sky will take the stage with her satire of beauty pageants "Myth Amerika" as part of her series "CALLING AMERICA: DON'T HANG UP!!" We are scheduled to perform at 11:55pm! 

It's a late night, but I remember performing around the same time 10 years ago to an overflowing audience who were eager and ready to be entertained. I have such fond memories of when we took to the stage for their marathon exactly 10 years ago (can't believe the time flies by). It's still one of my favorite video episodes of "A Palkowitz Now!" Watch the clip here:





The 18th Annual NOTE Hollywood Performance Marathon
Date: Saturday, January 19, 2013
Time: 3pm until Last Man Standing
Place: Theatre of NOTE
1517 Cahuenga Blvd.
Hollywood (North of Sunset)
Price: $20 all-day-&-night pass

www.theatreofnote.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/NOTE-Annual-Hollywood-Performance-Marathon/181283655230454

Ticket price is $20 for an all day / night pass; all proceeds to benefit Theatre of NOTE. No reservations necessary. First come first serve seating.

Midnight Collages

Midnight Collage 1 (click image to see larger)

I'm trying out a new time for making artwork - just before bed. It hasn't usually been my time to make collages, but mornings are dedicated to writing and stretching, and nowadays I easily get caught up with work and various errands in the midday-evening hours.  I thought it would be good to try doing abstract collage making just before bedtime. I am finding it a nice way to clear my mind from the events and noise of the day,  providing a wonderful bridge into the unconscious realm. 

Midnight Collage 2

I realized its been awhile since I've utilized my favorite method of hand tearing the paper, a tactile approach I love, giving the pieces a rough edge and for me a more engaging and lifelike rawness. I recognize I am actively tearing one image and giving it a new birth, a somewhat devastating and somewhat poetic process, transforming the image. Nothing in creation occurs without first destroying something, the key is to utilize our artistic soul in the reshaping.

Midnight Collage 3

I have also been inspired to return to collage by reading about the collage history of collage artist pioneer of the Dada Kathe Steinitz, and her relationship to artist William Emboden, whose lifetime of achievement and artistic genius I highly respect. He is the multi-talented artist and author, who wrote last year's play "Cocteau & Colette at the Grand Véfour."

Midnight Collage 4

I found after doing the first one that I had the best night of sleep in ages and woke up refreshed and early in the morning. While I can't say that has consistently happened, it feels good when possible to make a collage before bed (when other urgent deadlines aren't approaching!)

Midnight Collage 5