Those Gemini Eyes

Geminis are flirty little bitches. I don't just mean romantically...although now and again I might be accused of flirting even when I don't mean to. No, I mean Geminis are known for an inability to stick with one passion. Let's explore my list of childhood activities, shall we?

Ballet
Tap
Jazz
Ice Skating
Art Class
Creative Writing Workshop (Turns out I just didn't like the cheese dick featured authors...writing wasn't the problem.)
French horn
Choir and Voice Lessons (Some of my most memorable acts include a duet to Aladdin's "You Ain't Never Had A Friend Like Me." You know you want some of this.)
Tennis

I am excluding any exclusive to school activities.This is just the list of outside of school. Clearly, I'm not a one-track mind kind of gal.

I think that's why burlesque is making me so happy. The total lack of commitment to a concrete theme or character. A lot of ladies like to stick within certain guidelines—whether it be classic or political or overtly theatrical—and I think that is very cool. But that's the beauty of burlesque. You don't have to stick with one thing. For my first performance, I was really all innocence and sugary-sweet...with a little peep of mischief. I won't give any details for my next performance, but I will say that there's definitely a bit more mystery involved—dark, romantic Hollywood and lovers secretly entwined. And for my next piece I have started work on, it is all classic with just the slightest splash of sass. Of course in each and every instance, I'm still Bubbles and bubbly. But I get to play dress up. And looking the part (or showing up as some bores would say) is often all you need to convince the world of a different you—recycled into something new.

When I step into those sequins or feathers or petticoats or pearls—whatever the costume, whatever the case—I believe that I am who I want to be for those three minutes. And when it's done I can go back to being me...or maybe an extra bubbly me. The point is I love the fact that I can give myself wholly, fully, fanatically to a character during the planning and performance. And then just step away. And if I don't want, I never have to revisit that character but the possibility is always there.

Yes, that's what I really mean when I say Geminis are flirty little bitches. We have an addictive penchant for possibilities.

It's funny I got to thinking about my Gemini eyes within the context of burlesque. But then I realized they sorta hold the key to my writing. And it's so obvious, I'm not certain how I never figured it out before.

I only write short stories. I always said it's because I believe in the immediacy of the short story, the amazing impact it can have in a short space and time. And this is true, but it's not the whole truth. Really, I can only commit to each character for a short time. I like knowing everything about this one thing in their life. That one moment, one look, one dream, one love. I don't want to follow their full life story because once I create them and get to know them, I'm ready to move on. I don't like my vision to stay so concentrated for such a long time. Not my writer vision exactly...what I see when I'm in my narrator's head. (Yes—I am a true lover of first person narrative (with occasional second person intricacies). To put it best, I'm not an objective individual. I have to step into characters, and I don't know how to do that while playing god or some bystander. But that's another blog perhaps.) I will never write a novel because I feel no need to know everything. I just like finding some piece of truth in some snapshot of fiction—the glimmer from other worlds that exist in our dreams.

This is all rather rambling and rather representative of my life right now...and the fact that I can only tell you half the story.

But for today, suffice it to say. I'm pleased as peach pie that my Gemini eyes have found the forms of art that keep me from going blind from boredom. Hopping from character to character while performing on stage or dancing on the page.

And for now, I may just have to try and trust that everything else will fall in place.