Dear Precious Reader, dear beloved fellow human, dear lover and believer,
I am submitting my application to present a talk at the G.A.T.E 3 2013 Conference in Los Angeles next month. NEXT MONTH.
I have ALSO launched my first IndieGoGo Fundraising Campaign so that I might JOIN G.A.T.E (Global Alliance for Transformation in Entertainment) and GO to the event. And, if by the grace of God and all that is kind and good, and severely, delightfully fun, silly, whimsical, valuable, glorious and happy in this World, I will be invited to present.
Wouldn’t you love that? I know I would. I know that Hollywood won’t know what they’re in for when I show up, wickedly and mischievously packing my kit bag of Laughter Yoga, merriment, and playful Laughter & Joy. Or will they? They DO have their Jim Carrey, don’t they! They do have their Golden Globe Hostesses of the Evening, Amy Pohler and Tina Fey! Amazing jobs they did tonight! They have their Hollywood family…I don’t know, perhaps you’re reading this and you’re a Facebook friend or maybe you know me-know me. What d’ya think?
Now…you know what? This has gone off in a direction that I had not planned. I’m reading it as I go…You know we do that. Writers sometimes read as they write. It’s not good for typing. You remember? Typing class? We’re supposed to look off into space, right? Or at the words we are typing. Right? Not at our hands and not at the paper. At least that’s how I remember it. (It’s late and I’m rambling now!) But I did want to share this stream of consciousness writing with you, as I fill out the application to present.
I wrote it in pink Sharpie. Pink Sharpie. Will they know that they can’t take me too seriously? I think they might! “At least we won’t have to commit to paying her!”, they might be saying. You think? Would they say that, and then accept my application and schedule me to speak after Jon Cryer? I don’t know if Jon Cryer will be there, but he might be, you know? I met Jon Cryer once. Over the buffet at a Movie Premier during Sundance Film Fest. We were both lingering over the buffet. You know how you do when you’ve talked to everyone interesting and you want to quietly scope out any new arrivals. We chatted, watched the room and chatted.
And that is my Jon Cryer story.
So, I’m sitting here, and I’m thinking about deciding yesterday that I really wanted to go to GATE…and then realizing that it felt like, well, almost like I didn’t have a choice. I’m looking at my application and thinking, “Who the hell am I to think I should be speaking at this event!”
But, then another voice speaks up…that voice from deep down inside me that says, “Are you crazy?! You are not waiting another day, not another second! You have a powerful message…you have a deep and true message to share and by God! You are going! You are THAT Heidi! YOU are Tigger! You are Ski Feet! YOU are your parent’s “Heidi Pie” –there is not another one out there to present this talk! So, doubter, shut up and write!”
And here I am, writing, at what? 3:16 on a Sunday night. Writing. Writing and watching a movie.
My next sentence is, well, follows that unexpected content for just a tick…because, well, because I just finished watching “Flight” and I am stunned. I didn’t expect…I didn’t know that “Flight”, for which Denzel Washington was rightly nominated for a Golden Globe Award…I didn’t know that this film is a powerful film about the transformation of it’s character. Now, I am not into writing OR Reading spoilers, so that’s all you’re going to get on the film-specific topic…But here came this outpouring to me, this moving film containing within it what Dr. Wayne Dyer calls a Quantum Moment. In his book, “The Shift: Ambition to Meaning”, Dr. Dyer says Quantum Moments are usually preceded by what might be called ‘the lowest of lows’ and immediately followed by a life-altering shift in awareness, in consciousness. From the book, I quote, “A person, who experiences a quantum moment, moves from an ego -driven life perspective to a spiritual balanced and more authentic life.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOmwi-rAdMU
http://suite101.com/article/quantum-moments-lead-to-transformation-a319048
So, here I am, up late, beyond a reasonable hour, especially for one who likes to wake up early to exercise…here I am and I’m watching an unexpected movie. I like these kinds of movies – Unexpected movies. I like them a lot. They wake me up. I think they wake us all up. I know for me, they trigger my desire to write stories. They send me to sleep smiling for the writing that someone else has done…the inspiration someone else had and the powerful job they and so many other members of their team did in bringing that story to the screen. To me. To others like me. We get our buttons pushed. We cry. We pause. We think. Oh, yes, we think!
It’s magic. When it all comes together, like that, it’s magic. And wouldn’t we all love for it to come together even more? I think we would. I think we’re aching for it to come together so much more often. WE like Magic! We, humans, we love a good story and a story about a powerful transformation of the human soul?…that’s like manna from Heaven, as Marianne Williamson said in her address at G.A.T.E. 2, last year. And we are responsible for it. You know what?? We, the theater-goers, we are part of the team. OHhh yes, we are!
We are the demanders. Who holds the purse strings in Hollywood? Who do you think? We do!
Think about it: They don’t write movies for people who don’t go to movies. They write movies for us, the people who love movies. They write what we enjoy paying money to see. We are movers and shakers in Hollywood. The only difference between us and the ones wearing the flashy suits and driving the shiny cars? There are more of us! WE control the market. We pull the lever, we push the button, we make the ATM withdrawals that keep them in their shiny car cars and flashy suits! Who else is more responsible!
Our role, as Demanders of movies is one that if we began to pay attention to what we are asking for, could and will change the face of the movie industry. We love hearing about the unexpected success of a seeming underdog! We love someone from a low place rising up to triumph. WE like seeing kids from destitute backgrounds decide to turn their lives around and succeed and even thrive in their lives. WE LOVE movies that make us applaud when they are over, but we don’t ask for them, do we! We don’t. Because we think that loving triumph and transformation makes us seem weak, right? So we cast our dollars before violence, thinking it empowers us, but it doesn’t, does it? It leaves us feeling more separate, more fearful and less secure.
It’s the transformative films that thrill us really! And I think Hollywood is starting to listen. Movies like “The Shawshank Redemption”, “Good Will Hunting”, and “The Matrix”, why do you think we lined up to see those films? Because they had good acting? Maybe some of us. Because they had big stars? Maybe, again, some of us. The real reason is because these movies shine a light on the strengths of simple, average every day people and shows us how we can be so much more. We see in “The Shawshank Redemption”, the power of Andy, a bookkeeper. His strength is in his intellect, his understanding of human nature and his patience. With a little properly applied human science and a little patience, he shows us we can win.
We like movies that help us to stretch our personal boundaries, and help us to see what’s right in front of our noses. How many of us began to look at the whole world and wonder, “What if society, as we know it, or think we do, IS one giant Holodeck, like in “Star Trek: Next Generation”
And this is where I break to sleep. It’s 3:30
If you’re interested and you’d like me to finish, just like the post and follow my blog.
See you in the morning and THANK YOU for READING!!!
OH! One more thing before shut eye…if you’re interested in reading more about my campaign to get my glorious laughing butt to G.A.T.E 3 on February 2 in L.A…OH wow! I just realized! That’s GROUND HOG Day! A “Ground Hog Day” happens to be One of the BEST Transformational Films EVER! I am sure that’s no accident! 🙂
So, if you want to read more and consider contributing either by donating or by sharing the Link to the Campaign! EITHER is welcome and appreciated!!! …anyway, if you want it, here it is: http://www.indiegogo.com/LaughterAndJoy/x/1887429
Heidi & Co - Joy Injection 