Magical Night

I want to tell you about a Magical Night.

But I am afraid–in fact I’m decidedly certain–that my attempts to describe such an extraordinary evening with my simple words, will not do it justice.

But I have to write it down. At the very least, for myself.

So that later, when the delicate details have dissolved in my memory, and poignant impressions have made way for more immediate things, I can be reminded of this most beautiful highlight in my life. Yes, this one needs to be written, so it is not forgotten.

I am part of an amazing group of thirteen artists, joined together through a yearlong artist’s immersion program, called Momentum.
If you have been following this blog, you know that we are half way through our year of committing to our individual, artistic passions. One year of devotion–in which we have set our intentions to declare this piece of ourselves, create our art, produce it regularly, and share it with others. (My artistic passion is this blog and my first book.)

Two nights ago, we had our mid-year Momentum Showing–our opportunity to declare before a live audience, to the community, in our own unique ways, who we are and what we have been up to during the last seven months.

From the get go, when I arrived and entered the modest community room, with one-hundred expectant folding chairs facing a small stage, each set just so, it was evident to me that this multi purposed room had transformed itself into a vast and sacred container for possibility and magic.

A colorful cadre of artists–writers, jewelers, visual artists, musicians, and a filmmaker—and their two supportive facilitators bustled about, preparing to present themselves and their art before the community.

         “I dream my paintings, then I paint my dreams.”   Vincent van Gogh

The visual artists, like beautifully busy and purposeful honey bees, went about their ways, each setting up their individual tables to display their creations. Ordinary tables morphed into divinely colored platforms of silks and linens, some arranged with lights, some decorated with nature’s beauty. Some of the artists hung their precious art pieces above their tables. The pieces themselves seemed to become embodied beings for the night, displaying their own personalities as they each came to life.

Nature’s inspired jewelers set out their treasure pieces amongst a collection of their tools, molds, and torches, with which they create their brand of magic.
If you had been there, you would have seen, as you looked closely, in each piece of jewelry–a prayer found, an inspiration followed, an experiment unfolded.

If you had been there, in that moment, and closed your eyes, amidst the sound checks of amplifiers and microphones, you would have found your foot tapping to grooving guitar and cello riffs, in between the harmonies of the lilting crescendos of the vocal alchemists.

If you had been there, and keenly focused your gaze around the magic container room, you would have been able to pick out the writers – standing, sitting, or perhaps pacing as they expertly traveled in and about their assorted internal dialogues.

And if you had been there, with your coyote senses primed, you would surely have heard the laughter and excitement and whispered encouragements; witnessed the stretching of bodies and the clearing of minds; and felt a gentle love flowing through heartfelt hugs and hand squeezes among the thirteen devoted artists and their two devoted mentors.

If you had been there, as the lights dimmed and the applause began, you would have seen a group of amazingly talented beings, their bright faces shining, as they stepped out holding their hearts in their open hands.

If you had been there, you would have felt the aliveness of having all your senses tickled at the same time, by the creatively diverse offerings brought forth, in vulnerability and courage, by these embodied souls.Throughout the night they took their turns on the stage and offered their artistic creations, the stories of their journeys, their passions, their inspirations, and their deepest truths for all to see.

And as the night went on, in that sacred container of a room, it was as if the attentive guests, the artists, and the creative gifts all merged together as sharing and declaring were met with allowing and appreciation from a most wondrous community in audience.

If you had been there, you would have belly smiled at the very end, as all the artists gathered together on the stage around the filmmaker, who had just finished his presentation. And all together, they joined him in his vibrant and uplifting song called It’s a New Day.

And they sang it. And they meant it. And they meant it for themselves.
And I hoped it for all people.

And ever since that vibrant night of life-streaming sharing, I must say that the magic has lingered…. And it does feel like a New Day.