‘Um’…the forbidden word. The word I say too much. But ‘Um’ is a good word to describe the weekend. “Um, what just happened?” “Um, what do I do now?” “Um, how do I get more of that in my life?”
As the ‘Um’s’ start to build it’s easy to get overwhelmed by …Glitter Crash–the feeling you get after an entire weekend of “Um, that was amazing, sparkly, and everything I needed!”
‘Um’ also takes on many meanings. It gives you an audible place to pause and think before you move into action. ‘Um’ can be uncomfortable. It can make you feel unsure, unconfident or even sad. And “Um, what do I do now?” is also a marker of growth. This unsure ‘Um’ is a gift because it’s there to let you know that the burlesquer you were before BurlyCon has changed. As an artist, you’ve challenged yourself and moved outside of your comfort zone into a place that is new. Take a moment to revel in this new, unsure moment of growth and be proud of letting yourself be vulnerable.
To let yourself have an ‘Um’ moment is giving yourself permission to process what you’ve learned. As you work on incorporating new ideas, new choreo, new costuming into your artistry, remember that this is how you know you’re leveling up.
‘Um’ has also binded our last moments together at the Commencement Ceremony. You wrote down something that you need from your community and you received something that the community needs from you. “Um, how do I create the community I want to see?” and “Um, how can I help build a better community?” You can see this as a personal marker of growth as much as the classes challenged you as an artist.
‘Um’–a simple word with the ability to encapsulate a weekend of growth and possibility.
You are magical, creative and divine artists, activists and performers. You are sacred entertainers. Keep on making incredible art.
Love and light,
BurlyCon