My friend Xavier presented their piece “BALD” as a livestream on Buddies in Bad Times’ Instagram. They are rollerblading, in drag, down the streets of Moncton, talking about their experiences being queer on the East Coast. It feels so good to have queerness from New Brunswick represented in such a celebrated queer centre. It’s trulyContinue reading “Chiquita Mére and Buddies!”
Category Archives: daily distractions
First Drafts
One thing writing every day is teaching me is the importance of simply getting those initial ideas down on paper (screen). Writing can be daunting: I can get intimidated by a blank canvas. The act of jotting down thoughts is a success in itself. Same goes, I would say, for acting. Often we have toContinue reading “First Drafts”
Fail
And fail hard. If we’re carving new paths and taking creative risks then we’re going to fall flat on our face. We can’t prevent it. Organizing and making plans is important, yes. But holding off on making decisions because you’re afraid of failure is useless. Even the most organized paths are met with obstacles andContinue reading “Fail”
Read, Read, Read
It sounds simple enough, but if you want to be a theatre artist, you have to read plays. A lot of plays. I have a bad habit of not reading plays. I often don’t enjoy them. Stage directions can bug me. “The table is set DSR. Christopher Xs left, holding the vase. A chair isContinue reading “Read, Read, Read”
People-Focused
It is the focus on people—their work habits, their talents, their values—that is absolutely central to any creative venture. Ed Catmull, Creativity, Inc. I had a tense conversation with a collaborator once where I was (rather desperately) trying to understand their perspective, and they were adamant that they didn’t have to help me understand. InContinue reading “People-Focused”
Clash!
I’m in the process of learning something pretty major. Some people… just don’t like… other people! Wild. You would think this would be pretty straightforward, but I have a hard time wrapping my head around it. If someone is being kind, generous, and full of love and empathy, what right does a person have toContinue reading “Clash!”
Culture of Creativity
In any creative environment, it’s important that each person feels seen and heard. The space of collaboration has to be expansive enough for each person’s contributions and for conversations of all kinds. In my experience, people find it difficult to maintain that freedom, despite their best intentions. Obstacles to that state of fun collaboration willContinue reading “Culture of Creativity”
Structure/Spontaneity
Hey. Whatcha writing there? Whatcha working on? I’m reworking bits of a play I’ve written and thinking about the importance of structure. I’m looking more closely at the overarching “rules” I’ve applied to the narrative: How quickly does the plot progress? What is the nature of time in the piece? What is the architecture ofContinue reading “Structure/Spontaneity”
luke brown 