So Robin …

Every year for the past 20.. or 30, I’ve done this New Year ritual (as mentioned in The Awe-manac.  I create my own annual personal awards ceremony: Come up with your own criteria and give end of the year awards to… your man, woman, book, learning moment (or MANY moments for me!), moment of beauty, movie, vacation, moment of triumph, mistake, eating out experience, new friend, possibility of the year.

Toast yourself.. gently and with acceptance. We are human, we make mistakes and when we really SEE ourselves… we are also amazing.  ARE TOO!!!

What do you want to release AND what do you want to replace it with with year? For example: I would like to release harsh self-judgment and replace it with lilly-fragranced self-compassion.

Write what worked for you last year… Make THAT your New Year’s resolution.

This one just so happens to be the brain-critter of my teacher and muse, Jill Badonsky. Isn’t she oh so wise? (And fun?) I found it in her right-on-time New Year The Muse is In Muse-letter – the one she sent just as the calendar added an extra one to the end of the year and I intend to play annually. (Heck, maybe one day, I -like Jill- may even be able to say I’ve been doing it for the past 20-30 years. Who knows? maybe by then, I’ll clear time/energy and do it on January 1. This time, a booming obnoxious announcer dude in my head said: “You’ve put it off this long, Robin – and I don’t care what you like to call yourself – that ain’t “ok.” Maybe you should just wait wait wait until next year!“

Ah, but then, right quick, an even louder (and goofier) voice thought back, “So WHAT? I’m gonna do it ANYway!!” (And then again, maybe Robin’s Tradition will be to build anticipation and ALWAYS have my own personal Award Ceremony on 1/21…. hmmm….. I kinda like that!)

So, here they are (right on time): Robin Ok’s Better-than-OK Awards for 2010 (brought to you today by our hairy, lumpy and bulbous sponsors: Procrastination, Perfectionism and Overwhelm).

(We’ve already heard the enticing advertisement for Procrastination -that was the obnoxious announcer voice booming earlier, trying to keep me from writing this post 20 days after ringing in the new year. So now, without further interruption, Robin Ok’s Better-Than OK Awards for 2010!!!! (Clap now in eager anticipation – edge of your seat is a good place to sit).

2010 MAN OF THE YEAR
In the personal category, there is no contest: My choice of Man of the Year is my choice of Man for AllTime, and that, of course, is the only one who when he calls my cell, the screen says, “My Husband.” The BT-OK Award for Man of All Years goes to the one and only blue-eyed, kind, loving, amazing and very married, Scott Kissel!

(Wild cheering and applause! Woot woot woot! Yessss, Robin Ok loves her Man!)

Howza-ever, since there really is no contest for the Man who holds my heart since Scott’s got “Top of the List” covered from now till eternity, it seems only fitting to expand the competition and add “Man Mentor of the Year.”  This man is chosen based on having a significant impact on my life.  There have been several MENtors who come to mind in 2010, but one has consistently contributed to my personal awareness and growth in multiple areas – including spiritual, emotional and intellectual. His leadership, thought-provoking messages and ongoing role model for how to live a transparent life aligned with ever-expanding wisdom and compassion truly influenced me deeply. The winner of the BT-OK Award for MENtor of the Year is….my pastor and friend, Carl Franco.

And now we pause for a word from our scintillating temptress sponsor, Perfectionism…. She bursts in (perfectly coiffed and made up) to say, “So… is this it? These award show things are all the same – bore me to tears – all the compliments and trite warm, fuzzies. Blah blah blah…. It’s ok, I guess…. but…” (yawning to show shocking shiny pearly-whites).

Mmmm. Alright then. We’re back…. ready to find out Robin’s BT-Ok Award for…

2010 WOMAN OF THE YEAR
This award is not easily won, as I am blessed with so many amazing, genuine, compelling and profound women friends. But as I think through the year and  one who has not only inspired me, but truly altered my trajectory, it would have to be the lyrical, silly, quirky, introverted, intuitive, highly sensitive, off-the-charts perceptive, ink-drop by ink-drop writer, cupcake-face creator of Sophie’s Dream – our Cincy Fringe Audience Pick-winning stageplay with a soundtrack… Yes, of course, I am naming the insanely talented and outrageously generous, Serenity Fisher. Her trust, friendship and creative soul sharing totally and completely rocked my world in 2010. Congratulations, Serenity!

And now it’s time for a word from our sponsor…. OVERwhelm.

Yi – my brain hurts. My fingers hurt. I need to empty the dishwasher and take out the trash and take the dog out. It’s Friday night and I gotta make myself look and smell pretty so I can go out to dine….  Yes, friends – this portion of Robin’s BT-OK Awards 2010 is being shut down due to the rapid and intense experience of OVERwhelm…. which tells me it is time to breathe, laugh and ease into the eve…

Stay tuned, there’s more to come <3

I remember when that sounded “old.” Trite, I know, but truth. As I enter this mid-life, I feel more fully myself than any other time of life.

It was especially fitting that as I enjoyed the afternoon in the home of my parents, surrounded by my teenage children, participating in holiday cookie traditions and old movies (where a 3, 4, 5, 6 year old me spun in circles, slid down slides and opened presents), we spotted a Great Blue Heron standing in stillness on the icy pond out back. My heart quickened as I searched for my camera – didn’t want to miss the shot – but, neverfear, Heron stood patiently in that pose, waiting for my return (or, ok – maybe he was starving and intent on snagging a fish to fill his belly….. ).

At any rate, it was wonderful spending the day with all my people…. and I give thanks for the messenger coming in bird form to set my course for this next year of living….

Here is what Ted Andrews says about Blue Heron in his book, Animal Speak: The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small:

The blue heron is a totem (symbol) of someone who has chosen to claim their life as their own. According to North American Native tradition, the Blue Heron brings messages of self-determination and self-reliance. It represents an ability to progress and evolve. The long thin legs of the heron reflect that even though we must be able to stand on our own, we don’t  need legs that are great massive pillars to remain stable.

Blue Herons have the innate wisdom of being able to maneuver through life and co-create their own circumstances.

If the Blue Heron shows up, it reflects your need to follow your own unique wisdom and path of self-determination. You know what is best for yourself, and need to follow your heart rather than the promptings of others. When you choose to follow the promptings of your heart, you soar with magnificence.

Happy Birthday, Robin. With love from Heron <3

I’ve come to regale you with a story of success. How’s that for an opening line? It may seem perfectly normal to you – but, for me, that’s ODD. I am not accustomed to declaring my own success stories… but I’m willing to try it (at least this once) to see how it goes.

So it all started with something I call “my ODD Project.” ODD stands for “Opening the Door to Dreams,” which is the title of a presentation I recently gave at Cincinnati’s annual Victory of Light Festival. I gave the presentation on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 5 pm. For those of you who didn’t even know I was doing it (and might have liked to BEFORE I did it instead of hearing about its “success” after the fact – I apologize). Frankly, I was kind of anxious about it (alright, alright – I was a mish-mosh nervous wreck) – I was much more comfortable with the idea of potentially flailing, choking and screwing it up in a room full of strangers than one full of people I know…. so….shhhhhhhhh… I kept it quiet).

Once upon a time, as a carefree little girl, I used to revel in making up and acting out shows – I longed for the spotlight, creating opportunities to dance, sing and play in it whenever I could. But for all of my grown-up life, public speaking and I have had a traumatic, hate-hate relationship. Not quite sure when that shifted or why – still haven’t dredged up the precise elementary or junior high school incident that transformed me from Dancing-Diva into Shaky-Kneecap + Loss-of-Ability-to-Form-Coherent-Thoughts (much less words to express them) when placed in front of a group of people, but I’m pretty sure there was (at least) one….

Anyway – a-hem – back to my ODD success story (twirl, wink, extended arm with ballerina fingers).

Back in August, I was gifted with a connection to a new friend, who just so happens to also be a Glendale neighbor, who just also so happens to be the PR director for The Victory of Light Festival. Robyn Carey Allgeyer (or “Aunt Robyn” as we have dubbed her, since we met via her niece) invited me to be a presenter at Victory of Light – to do a talk on a subject which I have studied intently for the past three years: Dreams. Of course, she had no idea that public speaking was my personal demon or that I would typically dismiss it as something I just don’t do. No,  she had just met me. In fact, her assumption that I WAS capable of such a death-defying act bolstered me greatly. If she saw me as someone worthy of imparting meaningful information to a group of people at a Psychic Festival, well…. maybe she was right.  I enthusiastically accepted her invitation, convincing myself that by the time the leaves changed, I too, would somehow magically transform from Knee-Knocking, Tongue-Tied Public Speaking Flunkee into Confident-Capable-Creative-Coherent Communicator.

During the same time frame (Aug-Nov), I participated as a student in Kaizen-Muse™ Creativity Coach Training program. At the outset, Jill Badonsky (creator, author, leader, poet and all-around FUN person) told us we needed to choose a creative project to work on throughout the program – a project that we would use to practice the tools and strategies that we were learning. That way, we’d have personal experience (good, bad and ugly) to offer real-live illustrations to our future coachees. After much (long, torturous and familiar) debate about which of my many potential projects I should use for this purpose, I decided to try a Kaizen “Small Step” strategy and simply spend 5 minutes for 5 days, asking myself the question: “What would make this project – whatever it turns out to be – FUN?“

I’m not sure how to describe what happened in me by posing this small question and responding to it honestly for only 5 minutes on 5 days, but something shifted, so that I truly bought in to the idea that doing something that scared me so much could actually BE FUN. FUN became an option – one that I realized had not been on the scene before. So I chose the Dream Talk. I figured I could use all the support I could get. Plus, Jill as much as guaranteed unimaginable transformation during the course, which is exactly what this was going to take. Alrighty, Kaizen-Muse™, I picked a scary project -I guess maybe it could be fun – now work your magic on me!

As part of our course requirements, we were paired with other students to “practice” coach.  My coach was Danielle. During our 1st phone call, Danielle asked about my project.

“It’s a presentation about dreams,” I told her. “I am passionate about helping people remember, connect with and share dreams.” (As an aside, I may have mentioned that public speaking freaks me out, but sort of downplayed it -all the while that FEAR was screaming so loud in my head, it was hard to hear what she was saying – something, I think, about tugging on my earlobe as a physical way to combat fear).

In her infinite wisdom, darling Danielle tapped quickly into my need for goofy fun and suggested that we personify and give my project a name. Right there on the phone, I said, “Well, I know it’s called “Opening the Door to Dreams” (because I had already been required to send the title and enticing overview to go on the website and printed materials) “…. so, if use the acronym, that would – Ha Ha Ha! – make it ODD!!!”

We both laughed hard. I have learned to pay attention and trust things that lighten me up and make me laugh. And, there, beneath my tree, ODD was born.

The next suggestion Danielle had was to interview ODD to find out what he (don’t know how I know, but ODD is a dude) had to tell me. Since I have also been practicing an interview process in my Community Connecting work, I decided to use the Interview process (as shared with me by John McKnight and Peter Block) with my ODD Project. I know it may sound odd (ha!), but personifying a project gives it its own space to be – as if it is already there just waiting for some willing creative being to “discover” it — which seriously takes the pressure off the creative being to “produce.”

So, one sunny October afternoon, my journal and I went and sat beneath the locust tree, conducting an on-the-page interview with ODD, the dream talk project. Here’s a glimpse:

Me: Sooooo, ODD, what SKILLS do you have?

ODD: I open minds and hearts to powerful conversation and genuine connection, creating a pathway for intimacy. I am skilled at being playful and interactive; making it safe for others to expand their comfort zones, especially with dreams and creative things.

Me: Groovy… what would you say you are PASSIONATE about?

ODD: I am passionate revealing gifts & strengths, focusing on how to respect, treasure and share them. I’m passionate about helping people understand something they don’t already understand.

Me: What INTERESTS you, ODD?

ODD: Ahhhh, what doesn’t interest me? Hmmm…. I’m interested in stories most of all – relationships, transformation, dreaming, imagination, spirituality, connecting …. stuff like that.

Me: So, tell me, what is it that you long to TEACH others?

ODD: I want to teach people to honor their own spark of divinity, to recognize and share their own sacred gifts. I want to teach them that dream imagery and story is valid and valuable… and FUN!

Me: Awesome! What do you want to BE and DO at Victory of Light Festival next month?

ODD: I want to tell your story – share some of your dreams and the waking life lessons and opportunities that have come through them. I want to get people involved, participating and delving into their own dreams. I want everyone to feel safe, like they belong. I want the session to open the door to the power of connecting in community via dream dialogue. I want to offer next steps for dreamers to dream together.

And that was my 1st conversation with ODD. And it was reassuring, to say the least. ODD was one inspiring project and didn’t seem the least bit afraid, ashamed or worried about being seen, heard and known.

Over the next two coaching calls, Danielle encouraged me to use the technique of “Mind Sculpting” – to mentally visualize and rehearse how I would look and feel while standing in front of the room giving my talk. This I could do for 30 seconds at a time while driving, showering, folding laundry, etc….. I would imagine my body in its calmest, clearest state sharing information and stories with a large group just as I might share 1:1 with my husband or best friend. I paid attention to the ease with which my thoughts were spontaneously articulated, I laughed at my own jokes and imagined making meaningful eye contact with people nodding their heads and tuning in to the message that was coming from this serene, well-composed person in the front of the room. I visualized people coming to meet me and ask questions afterward, interested in learning more. “Mind Sculpting” seemed like such a small, random, easy thing to do – could it really make a difference? Well, it couldn’t hurt to try.

And then it was mid-November and I still had not created my outline or my materials. This was nothing new. Procrastination and I go way back. Urgency and final deadlines have always kicked my creativity in high gear… but wasn’t it supposed to be different this time? Now with all my shiny strategies and creative tools and in-depth awareness of the creative process and all it involves? Wasn’t Kaizen-Muse™ supposed to alter me in unimaginable ways and show me the yellow-brick road to divine creative flow? The week before my ODD Talk, all my old nasty creative gremlins fought to be heard over one another. However, after all these years, I must say their background banter was oddly comforting as I pushed the deadline to the final hours – outlining my talk, pouring through old dream journals, creating my handouts, developing special “Double Digit deals” and Dream Dialogue Circles for 2011. Laundry – no. Sleep – what for? Shopping, cleaning, working out? Ba-ha ha ha! Time to eat, pray and love ODD.

With all the last-minute hullaballoo, I did still manage to get clean, figure out what to wear and arrive early. It helped that it was at Sharonville Convention Center, which is literally 3 minutes from my home. It helped, too, that I had been having a slew of synchronicity with double digits and learned I was in room 110. And I think all that Mind Sculpture and the ongoing affirmation I’d been telling myself for going on three months now “People need what I have to share” really worked. I was NOT shitting my pants in anxious anticipation. I was surprisingly calm and energized as I waited for the room to clear from the previous presenter and the crowd (yes, crowd) of people waiting to come learn about Opening the Door to Dreams from ME. It almost felt like an out-of-body experience (appropriate, as I was at the psychic festival). I kept waiting for the FEAR to grip my knees, my voice, my mind….. but it didn’t.

Yeah, sure, at first the podium and microphone looked mean and monstrous. And, yes, my hands did tremor-shake as I launched into my introductory story about how I woke up to dreaming. But before long, I found my mojo and went with the flow. And, guess what? A mere fifty minutes later when I finished, the very first thing that flashed in my mind, similar to how I process getting off an exhilarating roller coaster ride (and I LOVE roller coasters!)  was “Wow – that was FUN! That was really, REALLY FUN!” Quickly followed by a huge serene sigh of relief, “I did it.”

With the tools of Kaizen-Muse™ Creativity Coaching, I have opened my own door – to a world where public speaking is an option – a world where maybe, just maybe it is true, that “people are waiting for what I have to share.”

I asked ODD, “So how was that for you?” He smiled, nodded and gave my shoulder a squeeze.

Invisible, I sit, waiting – waiting to know

Invulnerable, he sits, knowing – knowing to wait

In a dream, he’s next to me

We share a breath there by the sea

Silenced knowers board the train

I am his grief, I hold his pain

With unshed tears, he turns his gaze

From his loss, to their praise

Now he’s brave and proud and true

Waging war in him for you

I, the dreamer, dream him home

He, the soldier, sits alone

Light a candle, say a prayer

Wish for peace in his heart there

Here, I sit, writing – writing for William

There, he stands, fighting – fighting for me.

Gratitude Quick List.…. early morning snuggletime, Silk soy vanilla creamer in my hot coffee, my LiveinLove travel mug, my LaughnDream vanity plate, the unbelievably beautiful low hanging bright full moon against the sunrise sky, my husband’s deep gentle voice, crayons, anticipation for lunch with my galpals, a plate full of delectable projects I love….

Which leads me to List #2….

My Delectable Projects Quick List:

*Trailblazing and documenting Abundant Cincinnati’s Connectors Table

*Laughing for Exercise and sharing Laughter Yoga anywhere I can

*My ODD (Opening the Door to Dreams) Project – crafting a talk to share about DreamPlay at Victory of Light Festival next month

*Creating my new website, www.laughndream.com

*Learning and practicing Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coaching

*Offering space and time for DreamGroups to gather and explore and expand

*Fundraising Events – up next: Wine to Water – a wine tasting experience where money will be donated to building wells of fresh water in Uganda

*Writing Grants for EDGE Teen Center programs

*Writing Press Release for new EDGE Community Service Program – sharing the good news!

*Running

*Domestic Duties and Family Building

*Blog-posting

*Capturing my dreams and exploring them

*Journaling, Quick Listing, Praying, Reading……

Ode to Winona

Winona is a purple swirl

Playing tender sweet flute

Where the trees meet sky

She climbs her tree

And dangles, upside down, wearing glitter nailpolish

on those toes wrapped ’round that branch,

those toes sinking in the silky seaside sand,

freezing numb in the hillside snow.

Winona whispers, “I love you — now go PLAY!”

her gentle nudge telling me, “You — you deserve to have FUN”

She loves surprising me with serendipitous synchronicity,

urging me to read and re-read my dreams

for secret treasures and codes and jewels of fun.

And because I adore her,

I will write this poem and sing…. LAAAA!

I can’t help but think about all those dreams last year – all those different dreams that carried the same message – those dreams where I’d wake up, scribble the dream drama and realize I am yet again seeing the theme of crossing the street. Not always the same street, not necessarily my street, not with the same people, not to any clear cut consistent destination, but crossing the street, just the same. Again and again and again. It took me a long while to recognize that consistent marker showing up in my dream. And even then, I didn’t understand and even rebelled against the message. Why should I cross the street? Who am I supposed to talk to and what will we talk about?  And which street, anyway? The one that takes me to the Sisters of the Transfiguration? The elementary school? Or maybe the other road to meet the folks with the stunning yard?

A dear friend of mine with whom I share dreams really tuned in to this recurring theme in my dreams and my personal resistance. She kept urging my eventual passage to the other side… I can hear her gently asking, “So Robin, when are you going to cross the street?” The simplicity of the question really stayed with me – really, when was I going to cross? And what was stopping me? I didn’t know.

It’s exciting to recognize that today, without forcing it, I crossed Albion Road. Why did Robin cross the road? To get a tour of the brand new Transfiguration Spirituality Retreat Center and find out how I might utilize this space. On Monday, I am scheduled to meet my perfect-yard neighbor in the middle of Osprey Lane so that we may walk together through our neighborhood to enjoy treats at the local bakery and chat. It is reassuring to notice that I am here, now, mixing with Community Connectors, talking about neighborhood spirit and ready to cross both of these streets (and more), gradually connecting with all of these neighbors to find out who they are, what gifts and treasures they offer and why, perhaps, they need me too.

When and Why did you last cross the road?

I follow the Lightning Dreamwork Process developed my Robert Moss when I journal my dreams. I never cease to be amazed by what is revealed when I simply abide by these simple steps. There is comfort in the fact that the steps don’t change – and there is fascination in the fact that the learning is always new (well, except for when I just don’t get it, so the same dream theme keeps recurring in various ways until I do! — and I find that pretty fascinating, too!). So, here is one (of many) dreams I had this past Wednesday night, shared following Lightning Dreamwork steps…

Step 1- DREAM TITLE: Grandma’s Fairytale Bible

Step 2 – TELLING MY DREAM LIKE a STORY:  Someone (a narrator?) instructs me to look under the blanket that is underneath the bed. It’s Grandma’s house and Grandma’s bed, and I hesitate a moment, feeling young, uncertain – not wanting to be disrespectful or sneaky in any way. I consciously choose to follow the direction and am surprised (and not) to find a sturdy, brown, leather-bound, vintage bible with fancy calligraphy engraved writing and a solid brass clasp, holding its pages together. It is magical and I am entranced as bursts of familiar childhood memories flood my mind. The memories are more emotional than mental -strong nostalgic whisps of lavendar soap Grandma, her gentle voice and penetrating hope for shared faith pulsing in me. Like she’s here, but not here; contentment longing.

I click open the clasp, and ageless pages greet me. The illustrations…. oh oh oh…. these lovely familiar handcrafted watercolor images …. flanked by word – beautiful words – words that tell stories my heart remembers, but cannot recollect. It looks like a precious, favored bedtime storybook, full of character friends and picture portals to other worlds. I remember now. This is Grandma’s bible. How could I have forgotten it? How long has it been hidden – waiting – under this bed?

I am so very taken with this discovery, mesmerized by the flow of sensory input this bible ignites. I can hear Grandma’s voice and feel her presence on every page. I yearn to lose myself in it….I am beside myself, thinking that it has found its way home to me – and yet -

I know I must share the finding with my parents, and get Dad’s blessing to take it from its place beneath this bed, to take it home and call it my own. And I’m honestly uncertain how he will respond – with Dad, you just never know. I WILL ABSOLUTELY make this very clear request, once they show up (any minute now) – but I had better just close it and distance myself vs. follow my urge to delve deep into it, page after luscious illustrated story page. If I do that and he says, “No,” my aching heart might just break, so somehow, as we wait for my parents to arrive, I trace the outside engraving and binding, shielding myself from the potential pain of having the beauty within denied to me.

Finally, Mom and Dad arrive. Immediately, I thrust the book at them. Dad takes it, holds it, and (I imagine) smiles wistfully, reliving some special memory of his own. Mom and Dad agree that I may have it, but state that we need to check with Grandpa first. Grandpa? Check with Grandpa? Is he here?

Step 3 – Feelings (clarify how I felt upon waking): Perplexed. Awed.

Step 4 – Reality Check (report on associations between dream images & waking life – or other dreams): My Grandma (father’s mother) passed away unexpectedly in elective surgery in 1988. I loved her dearly, even though it felt we had a “visitor” relationship. She loved her Christian religion and wanted my parents to raise me in its principles. They didn’t – had too many doubts of their own. I have an old family bible that belonged to my mother’s side of the family (it is treasured!) – although the bible under the bed was smaller and in better condition, it did remind me of it. Before falling asleep, I was praying that God would help me pray, honor others’  and read my bible more often.

Step 5 – Banner (a catchy one-liner that sums up what seems most pertinent about the dream): Remember to pray.

Step 6 – Action (something I will do to honor the dream; how I can use it to move forward in waking life): Clean out under all the beds. Research fixing the binding on existing family heirloom bible. Read bible & pray. Find old photos of my Grandma.

Step 7 – Dream Dialogue (sharing the dream just like this, then asking others to share what associations they might have, what actions they might take IF IT WERE THEIR DREAM)…. I invite you to play and share, if you feel so inclined… If Grandma’s Fairytale Bible was YOUR dream, what would you think or do?

*Robert Moss Online Dream Course, “Dreamwork Interactive” is currently in progress, full of lively dream discussion amongst dreamers worldwide. For more info, go to Spirituality & Health.

“It starts out soft, it ebbs and flows, crescendos the ocean until the waves start to glow…”

~From Blue Purple Butterflie, by Serenity Fischer

Nine months. Yes, it’s been nine months, since the sweet Serenity Fisher and I sat upon tall stools in The Alreddy Cafe and first chit-chatted about concocting a project for this year’s CincyFringe Festival. I remember writing the meeting in my planner – it said, “Serenity Alreddy” – and the wordplay made me grin – after all, doesn’t “Serenity already” sound even more powerful than “Serenity now”?

And so…. without having a clue what we were up to, Sophie’s Dream began to have her way with us — yes, us. Although the title character, Sophie, originally appeared in Serenity’s unchartered imaginal realm, she (Sophie, that is) rapidly made it clear that her voice, vision, and deepest longings were to be manifested in our creative collaboration. More often than not, she’d speak directly to Serenity, leading her into soul-searching, playful dialogue and raucous rants with lyrical melodies. Yes, the ideas and seedlings all sprouted within Serenity’s cerulean sky gold blue imagination. However, often Serenity dismissed, belittled, convoluted or complicated the message, tug-o-warring with just what this creation was meant to be and whether or not she was indeed up for the task.

And that’s where I factor in. Recently, we came up with this nice shiny title for my role: “Creative Collaborative Coach,” (say it Seuss-ically) and it does sum up the work I’ve been doing with Serenity and Sophie’s Dream — but, before we officially clarified my title (for PR purposes), mostly what I did was cut through crap. Crap Cutter Througher doesn’t sound quite as nice (though I think I prefer it to the theatrical world’s vocabulary for one who does as I’ve been doing, which is “dramaturg” – yes, really). From the moment I heard Serenity’s concept for a script that would include a young woman going back & forth between dreaming and waking life and integrating lessons for creative self-expression, I was hooked. But then…. ??? THEN, I heard Serenity’s music – swoon, warble, sigh – and it was all over. This young woman, this story, this music, this project — it had its way with me. It wanted and needed to BE – to be told, sung, heard, played – and it needed me. I wasn’t sure why – in fact, that remains fuzzy to me, even now,  opening night, but I learned awhile ago that when that CERTAIN & PROFOUND SENSE of KNOWING strikes, I must heed, even in (maybe especially in) the face of mountains of unknowns and buckets of questions.

And so, I volunteered to be Serenity’s “cheerleader” and coach – to help devise schedules and goals and deadlines and hold her accountable. We barely knew one another – and yet, a sense of trust, mutual respect and creative flow quickly unfurled (maybe cause we’re both such hopeful, optimistic – dare I say “sparkly”? – spirits). Serenity created and I cheered. Serenity sang and wrote poetry and left me crazy long-ass voicemail messages. I applauded pages written, giggled at silly poetry, swayed to the music, and encouraged Serenity, ink drop by ink drop.  Sophie’s Dream was pleased. She proceeded to have her way with Cincy Fringe Festival judges, who “even though they had no idea what it was about, knew she MUST be part of the festival” — which meant WE MUST finish her — to find out what was next in the story.

This takes us up through the 1st trimester of Sophie’s Dream’s gestation, I suppose…. and I could go on and on, narrating about when we heard the first heart-beat, and felt the first kick, 1st hiccup, and got an  ultra-sound…. and perhaps one day, I will, as it has been an incredibly special,  meaningful time of creation and deserves to be documented (although I probably ought to finish my own children’s baby books 1st!)…. but today the contractions are building, we are inhaling and exhaling through the fear and pain, nearly beside ourselves with anticipation to finally bring this never-before-seen being to life on stage.

Sophie’s Dream has already (Serenity Already ) made her way deep into the heartsouls of her production team and into the repertoire of her cast members, who could not be more perfect. I gaze upon each and every person who has found their way into Sophie’s Dream world with absolute awe. Our director, Caitlin Kane, whose clear vision, open (cardboard) heart, compelling insight and bold leadership has held every bit of this production tenderly, molding it gently so that Sophie’s Dream might be all she can be. Because of Caitlin, Sophie’s Dream has the dream-team of cast and crew she needs to shine. And – hello? – look at that photo — did you SEE that photo? Is this not the most BEAUTIFUL group of talented people you have EVER seen?!

Get thee to the Duveneck 3 Theatre to meet this beautiful baby play, Sophie’s Dream….. I know I’m a bit biased in my role of Wild Auntie Robin, but I tell you what — she has an adorable blue cupcake tsunami head and the most beautiful brown eyes….

Info about Sophie’s Dream:

Tangled Leaves Theatre Collective invites you to the debut performance of “Sophie’s Dream,” an indie play with music.

Performances are at Duveneck 3 (formerly The Lucky Step): 1220 Vine St. Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Thursday, June 3 at 8:00 PM
Friday, June 4 at 9:00 PM
Sunday, June 6 at 7:00 PM
Thursday, June 10 at 7:00 PM
Saturday, June 12 at 2:30 PM

Tickets and more information can be found at: www.cincyfringe.com OR by calling (513) 300 – KNOW (5669).

Written by Serenity Fisher
Directed by Caitlin Kane
Creative Coach & Collaborator: Robin O’Neal Kissel
Stage Manager: Allie Connell
Movement: Leah Hulgin

Featuring: Aretta Baumgartner, Taylor Cloyes, Ellie Jameson, Serenity Fisher, Nicholas Petricca, and Jordan Schramka

Imaginative, ethereal and insightful, Sophie’s Dream is about the profound connection between dreaming, waking up, and bringing forth the soul’s deepest desires. Sophie is a creative soul, striving to build a bridge between her rich inner reality and the exterior world,
yearning to express her passions.

Sophie’s Dream is a love story unfolding. Sophie encounters Gray, a man whose presence is at once disconcerting, comforting, and
exhilarating.

The cast of six characters includes three Tree Muses and The Woman at the Piano – all playful visitors who remind Sophie who she was, who she is and who she is meant to become. This play-with-a-live-soundtrack is chock-full of truth-telling dialogue and lyrics, haunting melody and harmony, shimmering dream-scapes and transformational discovery.

For more information about the show check out the website: www.tangledleaves.wordpress.com.