If you have ever made anything you care about (and I’m 100% sure that you have), then you know all of these contradictions are true:

• Beginning is everything.
• Finishing is everything.
• Beginning is difficult.
• Half-way to done can be impossible.
• Beginning again is essential.
• You will never finish.
• You must finish. Okay, just stop, then.
• And, once you’ve finished, letting go can be more difficult than beginning.

All of this has a lot to do with why The Performance Lab exists. For me it’s about getting my passion for the arts out of my head and out of the closet and onto the page and stage. And, while I explore the process of creating in the midst of my daily life, errands, relationships, meals, day-job, and laundry, I hope to inspire my readers, students and clients to do the same. To live a fulfilling creative life in the midst of daily life. And in spite of broken reading glasses, clogged drains and multiple trips to the orthodontist to remind all of us that by making space for our creative work and doing our creative work, we are giving permission to someone else to do the same.

Self-expression, communication, and art-making are vital to our lives. Without the arts we’re stuck with the news. And, I’m sorry, but that’s just not good enough. So much of what we read, watch and hear is divisive, shallow, slanted and cruel. We crave communication and connection beyond the daily grind of reality TV. Art gives us that.

We long to connect, communicate and confront. We need to make something new. That’s what artists do. We make things that didn’t exist before. We share our visions with one another, our dreams and our fears. We focus our eyes and the eyes of others on beauty and pathos.

We understand the hilarity of pathos. We know that beauty isn’t always a “pretty, pretty” thing. Beauty is depth, authenticity, contrast, humor, desire, passion and more. It lives next door to us. Grows in our backyards. It’s left to rust like an old tractor and populates our imagination with choreography, scenery and dialogue.

I think I have come to the conclusion that my life – all the times I have been on stage, longed to be on stage, worked behind the scenes, and spent B.I.C.H.O.K. – and all the times I have stopped myself because I was afraid, tired, unwell, broken, broke, uninspired and lost – all of that adds up to me being here and being here now to instigate an artistic and creative rebellion. To wave the “Permission to Make That Which Did Not Exist Before” flag high. To give actors the tools they need to bring a fictional character to life. To fill the stage and as many lives as possible with visions of the possible. To inspire, coax, hold accountable and cheer on other makers, drummers, dancers, artists, directors and poets.

That’s my mission. That’s all I wanted to say today. I have a mission and so do you.

Please share yours with me. What flag are you waiving high? What mountains are you climbing? What are you making? Why are you making it? What do you want this world or your neighbor or your twitter friends to know?

Tags: Art, Creativity, Dreams, Inspiration