“Oh My Goddxx!”, I did my first ever live comedy gig at Theatre In The Mill in Bradford, led by the amazing Dr Natalie Diddams!!!
And… guess what?
I am still alive!
It may surprise you but the floor didn’t eat me, the audience didn’t heckle me… and I actually enjoyed it!
This process (working alongside 14 other women to create a stand up comedy set over the past month), was really about unlearning my s%@t!
You see, my story, from a young age has been that I am shy… and that has been at times debilitating… it affected my relationships because I couldn’t always speak my truth, my friendships (especially in group dynamics)… I would avoid ever having to public speak (In 2015 I gave my first public & I had nightmares for months before)…
And whilst I have been unlearning the bigger parts of this belief ever since I began my journey with alchemy in 2014, this… doing my very own stand up act was a way bigger piece of unlearning than I can even put into words! Because it allowed space for me to get over myself and really step up to all sides of my creative potential… as well as overcome a belief that I was not funny!
‘Surviving’ (at secondary school especially) became about my looking good (not my voice, my truth or what I loved) and avoiding ridicule (by keeping quiet), and even dimming my light…so being funny was definitely not a part of that!
It felt so good (and terrifying!) to write my own sketch (with a little help from some amazing friends thank you all!) and reaffirm that I am funny, (plus step up on stage and alchemise those stories I was telling myself!)
Because in fact…
Those stories & limiting beliefs were unhelpful assumptions I made up about who I am and how the world is were getting in the way of my being brilliant!
And so it really did feel like I fought dragons this week!
Speaking of overcoming dragons, THRIVE, a course I created and launched in January this year,is on discount for one last month at the reduced price of £33 (before it goes back up to its RRP of £111).
The true art of Manifestation is not merely a function of knowing what you want and making a wish, it involves knowing yourself at the level of dysfunctional behaviour (including those beliefs that manifest as fear or shyness or procrastination or inaction for example)
THRIVE is a course to come back to your creative goddxx and learn how to manage your beliefs.
This online course combines group sessions and videos to help anyone (but in particular artists and creatives) to understand how their belief is interfering with them fully enjoying life.
| EMC Recommends: Dance of the African Diaspora: exploring identity through artistic practice… in Yorkshire |
| DAD are currently working in partnership with Yorkshire Dance in curating their first collaborative dance of the African diaspora day of exploration, in sharing skills and ideas on Thurs 20 Oct 2022, 10.00 – 16.30 at Yorkshire Dance (below is some information to find out more and apply) |
| Apply by Monday 25th July at midday BST |
The Rainbow Butterfly
I have also been adventuring around the UK performing The Rainbow Butterfly: A show for children (and their grownups) about transformation.
Here (for my EMC newsletter family only!) you can see my first ever performance of the show.
This week I performed it in a school in Bristol, and on the 23rd July, I will be sharing it at The Place, Family day in London (my first trip to London in 7 years Waaaaaah!).
Being in Bristol also meant I got to check out the Pride Day on the downs (one of the largest free Pride events in the UK) which was awesome!
And this week I also went for my first floatation tank experience in Bristol too! Have you ever tried one? It was a very trippy and wonderful experience especially whilst listening to Jhene Aiko’s Trigger Protection Mantra: Wow! (I do still have salt in my ears though!)
And you?
What are you celebrating this week? Is it that BJ (sort of) resigned?! (Phew!)
Wishing you a wonderful week!
Biggest Loves,
Ella & Maya Gandaia xxx