Got up this morning, too early for me, to teach Thanksgiving art camp at Mission Renaissance. I was glad I only had two kids because that means an easy day for me. I brought my watercolors with me so I could do a quick little painting while I was teaching. I do this so that I don’t hover over the kids and make them crazy. Great kids, really easy camp day. Couldn’t ask for me. Getting to do a job that I love is a great way to start a day.
The painting came about after a Career Success Group meeting the other night.
Okay, guess I should back up a bit.
The Career Success Group is a group I run that helps us set goals, figure out the big picture and what you have to do today to get to your ultimate goal. I started doing this with another group of friends a long time ago and we had to disband because we all got too successful to keep meeting. I decided to start it up again recently because I have achieved all of my initial goals set so long ago and needed to refocus and figure out where to go next.
We met on Sunday night at the wondrous apartment of the newest piece of my heart, Mark. He’s an awesome guy who played a dead body for me this summer during “Blonde Alibi”. He’s become a good friend and a great colleague.
After the CSG meeting, I hung around to clean up and he and I engaged in our traditional shot of Jamesons as we went over stuff from the meeting. We talked until the wee hours and at one point, we were pouring over a book of art by painter J.M.W. Turner. So beautiful! Mark then challenged me to find some inspiration in the book and lent it to me, along with a couple of plays to read.
Okay, so that brings us to today and the painting. I think it came out all right, for a quickie painting done while I was teaching.
Mark had also offered up his living room as a place I could come and write whenever I wanted to, since I usually write at a coffee shop because there are far too many distractions at home. So today was the first day I took him up on that.
I swung by his place, showed him my homework, which he praised very nicely. We chatted, he started the kettle for some hot cocoa for me (it was chilly here in LA today) and then headed into his room to work and I curled up on his overstuffed, very comfy couch to write.
Bliss.
Sometimes, writing at the coffee shop gets too loud, too noisy, too coffee-shop-y. To sit in a cozy apartment with no distractions, no coffee grinder going, and just write was amazing. Occasionally, I could hear Mark singing along to the music coming from his room and that just made me smile. I was worried about intruding but obviously, that wasn’t a problem.
Mark came out a couple of times just to chat and see how I was doing. The company was more than welcome. Then we walked up to the store, picked up some French rolls, wandered back and he made us soup. We sat and ate and chatted about absolutely nothing.
Finally, I decided I needed to head home. Quick nap. Quick shower.
Then I met Mark at our friend, Marie’s, script reading tonight. Marie is an old friend. I produced “Father Xmas” for her years ago and am delighted that she has circled back into my life. She is also a part of the CSG so we went to support her. Her script was awesome, part “American Werewolf in London” and part “Bill and Ted”. Funny, raunchy, very excellent. Mark and I laughed our asses off. And the other scripts read tonight were also very well written, great comments from the members of the group, strong actors. Mark and I both networked our little butts off. Mark walked me to my car and gave me a big, warm hug and good wishes for the holiday (he’s going home for the holiday - and he’s the best hugger in the world - next to Ranger Smith) and I headed out.
Home now, with a purry, feisty kitty tackled my hands. Feeling very satisfied, very loved, very much enjoying this life I’ve built. While I hope that some day I can let go of where I came from to get here, I hope I never lose the appreciation for the life I have put together. Yes, I can’t pay my rent (quite literally - probably getting a three day notice tomorrow). Yes, it’s a struggle sometimes and it’s certainly not easy. But on days like today, where I get to spend my time painting and drawing with awesome kids, spend a significant amount of time creating while in the company of a friend I adore and then share in someone else’s amazing creativity, I wouldn’t change a single moment of what I’ve done.
Melissa Etheridge echoed on my IPod - I want to stay here in this moment…
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