On Monday evening it was the end of year show for the Performance Factory. It was a real joy to sit and celebrate their first year; four of my girls participated (Ali is in her We Will Rock You costume, in the right of the above picture), though I enjoyed every moment. The children and young peoples faces shone with a sense of achievement during, and after (!) their pieces.
Singing and Dancing are such wonderful tools for transformation; to watch, and enjoy a show is a wonderful thing, but to experience it for oneself can also be so liberating. In freeing our voices we free our spirits.
Any form of creativity can bring a sense of satisfaction like no other, because we put ourselves into what we create. Even preparing a meal, if we do it with love and inspiration, brings benefit to its maker and its eater! I had a friend who always insisted on adding his own touch to what we ate. A carton of soup was never "just soup." He would add something extra, his own personal touch to lift it from good to scrummy! While I'm cooking, I like to focus on who I'm feeding, too, sending them my love, energising the food, and trusting that it will nourish them and enrich them in some way.
Even in our busy lives, when some of us need to resort to factory made food, we can consciously enhance it.
Just as the Performance Factory is not churning out identical performers, but is creating a wonderful environment to stimulate and nurture the performing arts for youngsters, building their confidence, their ability, their self-worth, we can do this for ourselves, in all that we do.
CREATE, MY FRIENDS.
CREATING IS BEAUTIFUL!
That is why live performance is so great - it's different every time and it creates energy. They look so happy. You must be so proud.