May Art Take You Over

Here I sit, listening to Beethoven, sketching anatomical hearts and lungs, pondering over the anime "Your lie in April", and creating thoughts that - at the moment - feel like they could one day become famous quotes.


So I decided to make use of this moment, in more than just enjoying it. I want to share it.


In this moment, I am at peace...
... It's something I haven't felt in quite a while.

In order to put out art, one must intake art...
... You can only move if your vehicle is properly fueled.

And you need a reason to create...
... Whether it be a person, place, thing, or idea.

Some art is to lose yourself in...
... Some is meant for finding yourself...
    ... And some is for finding others...

Some forms of art are there for when you need to whisper, scream, or shout, without so much as a word. And others are there to paint a soul with sound, be it with words or just instrumentation.

Go see art. Go listen to art. Dance it. Feel it. Smell it. Taste it. Love it. Hate it. Buy it. Sell it. Move it. Make it. Live it. Let it fully encompass you. Allow it to embrace you. Let art swell into every crack in your heart, mind, and soul. Let it hurt. Let it fill you with joy. May it make you laugh, make you scream, make you smile, and make you cry. May it move you to feel every emotion. Let it move your body.

May art take you over.

I love ya tomorrow...

Annie. The story of a little red-headed orphan that stole the hearts of Oliver Warbucks, Grace Farrell, and many others. A fun and heartwarming story. And I'm glad to say that I've been a player in the WCT production of Annie Jr.
It has been a journey and I've loved every step of it - even with the large amounts of stress I was under when we started, because I was also in two other shows. Now this chapter is closing... tonight's performance will be the last on the WCT stage. We will be taking one performance to Temple on the 20th, but largely, this is it. I have gotten to work alongside people that mean a lot to me, in a place that means a lot to me, doing something that means a lot to me. And really... I'm not ready to say goodbye.

Emotionally, I frequently struggle with stuff, but the thought of going to the theatre and doing a performance with my people, gets me through a lot of the rough terrain. I don't know what I'll do without it.

I'll miss everything about it.

• The quick changes 
• The backstage dancing 
• The feeling at the start of a performance
• And the feeling at the end
• The jokes exchanged
• The reactions of a good audience
• The excitement in my friends eyes 
• The whole cast
• Trying to remember good posture 
• Moments where you nearly break character but you prevail 
• Telling one another to 'break a leg'
• The costumes 
• Moments when you feel really good about how you gave a certain line
• The set 
• The crew and techies
• The production team
• Greeting the crowd
• The moments when the cast gets to know each other better
• The times when everyone can just goof off
• The occasional pre-show dance party
• Even the fact that this show's trend is: half the boys trying to flip water bottles and land them right side up
• Cheering during curtain call
• Acknowledging the techies
• Little girls asking for pictures
• The times of perfection
• Knowing that everyone beside you, gave their all to the show, just like you.

I love this show. 

So tired...

There came a point in my recent past where I was doing so much that I began to worry that I was going to burn out - in the proverbial sense, where we liken ourselves to candles or other flames, that need replenishing if you don't want them to die out - thankfully I don't think I reached that point, however I do believe that I was on the threshold, I feel as though I was very nearly extinguished and only received the nessesary fuel just in the nick of time. But I'm only just now starting to feel better and the fall semester is a mere couple of weeks away. Which means that if I don't want to go out, if I want to keep burning like the proverbial flame that I hypothetically am, I need to take better care of myself. Which is hard for me to do. I don't eat, hydrate, or sleep properly, and I don't exercise outside of theatre, all of which puts me in bad shape. And even though I have said that I'll do less, I'll 'take it easy' almost, I'm not sure if I can stick to that resolution. I have a hard time not doing a show. So I give you all fair warning, I'm going to be a very tired girl again this fall. But probably the worst part of it all... Is that I don't have the motivation to get better. Lack of motivation is my biggest problem, because it's the source of several others... I don't have the motivation to get something to eat if it's not readily available, I don't have the motivation to try and find a better sleep schedule, I don't have enough motivation to get into better health and shape.

 Whew... That's a pretty big chunk of words...

I'm tired. Very tired.

In other news, Annie Jr is going really well!!! One weekend down, one to go! I'm going to miss it when it's over. Meaning I'm mostly going to miss the people. But I do enjoy the show a lot, so I'm definitely going to miss it too! Yes, I do still enjoy the show! A lot of theatre friends don't like it very much, because "You can only hear Hard Knock Life so many times before you get sick of it all." But I'm not tired of any of it! I'm going to miss the story, the characters, the actors I'm bringing this to life with, the backstage dancing, the stress of the quick changes... I love doing it all and being a part of it all.

See you later!
~ Kayla Rose, the Smithy.

So Many Things

My apologies for the sudden hiatus. So many things have happened since my last post (which was over a month ago... ... ...).

In the Theatre Realm:

The Moulin Rouge shadow-cast is long over - it was a ton of fun; our production of Beauty and the Beast opened and in it's due course closed (the run ended on Sunday; and was also a lot of fun); and Annie Jr.'s first performance is today! And on Monday I also auditioned for the next shadow-cast production, which will be Footloose, and was cast.

It has been exhausting and exhilarating, but I managed to survive, and I'm going to keep on doing it. I plan on doing slightly less theatre for the next year, but we'll see how long that resolve lasts.

In the Writing Realm:
I participated in Camp NaNoWriMo, and for the first time succeeded in reaching my word count! With my story "The Silver Platter Of Reading" which takes place in a parallel universe where magic abides and the most magical things are stories, making libraries the most magical places. Five teens: Nyle, Birch, Peri, Amara, and Quincy, form the book club dubbed the Silver Platter Of Reading Club. But they do much more than just read and discuss; as proficient magic users, and top-notch brains, they help clients solve their magical problems, and go on quests for those who can't or won't do it for themselves.

It felt wonderful it accomplish the word goal, even though the story is far from finished. And I'm very pleased with the work I got done. Tell me in the comments what comes to mind when you hear those five names!


I'll try not to go a month before my next post!


~ The "Smithy," Kayla Rose

My Insanity

I am insane.

Now I suppose that that statement may require some explanation. And really there are several reasons why I claim insanity. But the one currently on my mind is this:

I am in three shows at once. 

... which I did last year and vowed never to do again. But here we are and I'm doing it.
Why am I doing something so insane as being in three productions at once?
Well.
Because I just couldn't say no to any of them!
I am in Beauty and the Beast; and shadowcast production of Moulin Rouge; and Annie jr.
Which are all things that I wanted to be a part of, so I auditioned for all and was cast in all.

So yes. I'm insane.

Fare ye well! 

Don't be like me. Unless you really want to. In which case, by all means! Do as you wish.

Five Fact Friday

1 - This year the there was a full moon on the summer solstice.
2 - The first word in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is "Christmas."
3 - The last word in Little Women is "this."
4 - I watched the Tony Awards this year
5 - I have the tail of a airplane in my closet. It was a prop in a play I worked.

Five Fact Friday

1 - INFPs tend to be self-contradictory by nature, meaning that they are frequently - personality and taste wise - inconsistent.
2 - I have read only one book on my 2016 "to read" list.
3 - However, I have read lots of other things.
4 - Fortune cookies often don't give a fortune... just advice.
5 - The name Oliana is Polynesian and means "oleander."

Five Fact Friday

It's back! Maybe.

1 - I have two posters on my wall
2 - Tiana is the Disney character for the month of June, in my calendar.
3 - Eye balls have layers, like onions.
4 - Shakespeare may be classic, but he wasn't classy
5 - Trilbies and Fedoras are NOT THE SAME THING. Do your research.

"Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination!"

If you are a regular - or irregular - reader of this blog then you may have noticed that the look has changed somewhat. I changed it a few days ago actually, but since I had already posted that day I decided to wait to say anything.

If you did notice, I applaud you.

If you did not... then maybe you are a first timer here! In which case, WELCOME!!! Was that too loud? ...Welcome... Not loud enough? Well you are a picky person... Welcome! Better? Thank you.

Also this is the 51st post on this blog! *whoot whoot* The new look is kinda in celebration of that.

To make up for not having anything else to say... here's a picture of a cat... and a snowy tree lined path... and Toothless... and a night sky!

Title is a line from the opening song "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka jr.

Goodbye to Bonavista

"So goodbye to Bonavista, your mountains and your shores, goodbye to sad relations that I'll never see no more, for i'm bound to seek my fortune and sail the whole world wide, and if ever we shall meet again it'll be on the other side, on the other side.."

That is the chorus of a delightful ballad called Goodbye to Bonavista.

I love ballads. And sea shanties too. The love of adventure is laced into the words. And the music makes me want to dance. And it makes me long for adventure, to hop onto a ship and sail the world to seek my fortune, to find new lands; or to saddle my horse and ride the praries; or to fight a fight worth fighting. With these songs I can "Rise And Follow Charile" or find "St Brendan's Fair Isle" or march beside "The Minstrel Boy" or give "A Hundred Thousand Welcomes" for the visitors of Nova Scotia, or see "The Sultana" sail again.

I feel peaceful when listening to them. And yet I also want to jump up and shout and holler for adventure, say farewell to my loved ones to go off into the great unknown.