Between YES! and NO!

Original Post Date: Monday, October 11, 2010 at 12:02pm


As I am doing prep work for the up coming shows.  I found that creativity can be very fickle sometimes.
Currently, it's one of those moments where I know exactly what I want to do.. Just not sure how to pull it off.

It happens in costuming.  It happens when I hear a bit of music and it seems that the heaven's just open up and you get a "Yeah..  that's it"....  or it becomes.. "Nope, not it"

The spaces between the yes's and no's are sometimes the hardest.

Handling the Yes moments are easy.  You run at full tilt with the idea. Practice your way into madness.  Sew your way there.  Go into total ZEN to get it done.

Handling the No moments are a little trickier.  You want to run at full tilt, but the energy is not there yet.  What you do during those NO spaces is just as important as what those full tilt YES's.

For me, learning to cope with the No has meant that it is time to a) clean up the disaster left from the last great YES.  Organize my sewing stuff. Clean out the dance bag.  Mend costumes.
Because of the NO.. I have learned to draw a little better.  My costume sketches no longer look like a pre-schooler's stick figures with broken crayons. (trust me, I cannot draw worth a darn compared to some of my friends who are masters of the pencils).
Those moments have also taught me to sit back.  Appreciate dance a little more..  Ponder on where I am going with it.
I appreciate the NO, because it has taught me to look closer at my costume designs. See where I can improve.

NO moments help you strike a balance between Dance Geek and Life.

The periods where creativity is not raining down from the heaven's are blessings.  Provided you look with the right perspective.
Sometimes a NO happens right when you need it to... Sometimes it's incredibly inconvenient. (like RIGHT before a show)

The next time you have one of those NO periods as a dancer.  Think about it as a rest or a pause.  Stew on it a bit.  Let it happen.  Take advantage of the stillness caused by it and explore it.
The No could be pointing out something you have neglected in your daily life or it could be there to help clear the way for the next bit YES!

Either way..  Moments of NO....  are not always bad.