By Celine Joubert
I used to wonder, as a devotee of these two activities: what do writing and acting have in common? After all these years, though, this gal’s theater-crazed mind had no trouble joining the dots. Whether it’s comedic, dramatic, historic, or modern, both art forms could even swerve horizontally, left or right, for all I care. It wouldn’t matter, since the common ground they share is inescapable.
Actually, all creative pathways include this one crucially important factor. Without some hint of it the craft is only a lump of useless nothing, an empty deception. To put it in psychical terms, it would be similar to ejaculating in an infertile womb. Yes, that may seem far-fetched, but within the grand scheme of life, our human purpose, it works, particularly seeing how storytelling has captured communities over generations. Honesty in the creative arts is something to be taken not only thoughtfully, but seriously. After all, the damage a game of falsely-accused Chinese Whispers can do is far from ideal for those affected.
‘I love to see pain.
The kind that is so devastatingly desperate and hyperventilating.
A creased forehead or bouncing shoulder-blades in search of air.
It breaks every barrier of this bullsh** secrecy we obtain in society.
Honesty, Truthfulness.
Plain and pure torment.
How feral is our hidden tendency in everyday life that it makes me call such things delicious.’
For four brilliant years, I have been an actor. However, I’ve been a writer from birth. It seems that the poetess bug latched itself onto my family bloodline, since my mother and grandmother are exceptional writers too. During the span of my life as an artist on many spectrums, I’ve come to discover the intricate patterns of human behavior and what our unfortunate (although at times beautifully pure) earthly ways condemn us to do for/against ourselves and, most alarmingly, to others. My biggest interest, as explored in the poem above, which I wrote earlier this year, is the secrets we keep from the world, and the people we love in fear of rejection. My even bigger fascination stems from the inspiration I gather from those who speak and perform plainly in their lives regardless of that fear.
Amy Winehouse, the famous jazz soul, once stated in an interview: “I just like the sentiment of that time 30 to 35 years ago. Music nowadays is so ‘You don’t know me’ or ‘I don’t need you’. Whereas back then it was more ‘I don’t care if you don’t love me. I will lie down in the road, pull my heart out and show it to you’. You know?” And in that sense of confidence in vulnerability you become aware of somebody’s intentions. I truly find that’s all anything ever really comes down to. That way you can immediately stop guessing motives and, as it so often happens, also stop “making up” for another person’s crappiness to accurately decide whether what they have to offer is worthy of your time.
‘Life and the events involved are more multi-dimensional than ever now.
The way I see it – if you don’t make your intentions known, people will assume.
And people… sweetpea,
they assume the absolute worst.’
At the end of the day I’d like to say that I chose this industry. It’s obvious, though, that it chose me. Perhaps it knew that there was just no other option for those of us who burst into flames for authenticity. Entertainment has been the only salvation from the opposite.
So, I plead, I beg that you’ll stop biting your tongue and well tell your wife that, yes, the pink frilled dress she pulls out for every wedding invite does indeed make her look fat.
Or… Well, you know what I mean.
I’m kidding.
Partially.
All photos: @luna___may
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