I see things I think are wonderful, and I chase them. My capacity for admiration might just be my superpower. Its as if its my job is to look at wonderfulness deeply, tug bystanders by the sleeve, point, and say 'Look. Wonderful!'. Thats why I go around running Permaculture workshops all these years, as if its a proper job. Somehow, I get away with it, and people agree. 'Wonderful'.
The photo is from a Queen Forever performance at Melbourne Zoo, and I was captivated. After the event I went to the stag and invited this miracle-of-beauty Freddy Mercury Imposter to a party. It was a 'come as a famous person' party, held by my sister, and on the next day. To make my existence in this world complete, he said 'yes'. Just as I somehow guessed, he is an insightful, original thinker, living a self-crafted life, with maximum freely-given effort.
I did this once before, at a Solo Performance of Ura Warisaya, Flamenco Dancer. The elderly widow lamenting her bullfighter husband, the little girl in love with love, the daemon, they were all performed by this one magnificent lady, and I was transfixed.
I went backstage and wanting to give something, I blurted out 'I'll be your English teacher...for free!' She laughed, and invited me over to cook macrobiotic lunch together, the next day.
She was 60, softly graceful and beautiful. On her clothesline were sexy fishnet tights. In her kitchen were organic vegetables sent from Sado island, grown by the traditional Japanese Drumming community of Kodo. She had a whole room full of tailor-made costumes, flouncy and sleek, which she eventually let me borrow, like a dream. She didn't have students come to her studio, she had disciples. They would cook together, dance, then eat. 'Your body is your instrument. If you don't eat beautifully, you can't dance beautifully' she believed. For years, I cooked and learned about life from this dream woman, my friend. When I heard she was coming to Melbourne, I don't know how, but I produced two sell-out shows for her and her team, one of my life's highlights.
Meeting her set the trajectory of my future. I'm so glad that when I find people and ideas irresistible, I don't resist.
I make my art so you can find me too.