In between working as a copywriter on St Kilda Rd in Melbourne (gorgeous boulevard, but pity about all of the workers in grey apart from the advertising creatives!) and co-owing Retro Age Vintage Fabrics I was a struggling playwright. Voluntarily. Struggling. Poor. I left a high-paying career with awards aplenty and plenty of renown to sit for eight hours a day and write. Poetry. Plays. Anything with a soul, you know. I suppose looking back it was very indulgent. But I just had to do it and I don't regret leaving the ad industry one bit. Well - just a teenie bit when I remind myself I have friends earning more than $200k in France and New York. But we won't think about that.My first play was called The Diamond Cutter. I can't remember why I referenced that title - and what significance it has in the play. I can't bring myself to read it again - I have it stashed away somewhere to be brought out when I can swig on a bottle of scotch by myself :) I wrote the one act play in 36 hours and sent it off to what I think was an early incarnation of the TropFest Festival up in Noosa, Queensland. Well, to cut a long story short - it was shortlisted, produced and was staged for a week. That was my first playwriting success. I remember flyind up there to the opening night and Nancy Cato was in the audience. She was old even then, but graciously came up to me later in the evening with her lovely daughter to congratulate me on a thought-provoking play. I remember cringing at the amount of swear words in the play looking at one of Australia's eminent writers. I loved All of the Rivers Run. I still have her books.
Anyhoo - the play was about, if you could choose between the absolute profound love of your life or eternal life, what would you chose?
I am always on the lookout for messages from the other side and all of that stuff most people don't talk about (spooky, spooky) when I came across this book on Amazon - it's called The Diamond-Cutter: the Buddha on Strategies for Managing Your Business and Your Life. Being a kind-of Buddhist (I know a lot but don't practice a lot) who follows the Tibetan lineage and who owns Retro Age I couldn't help but buy it.
Thus far an interesting read. Beats reading all of those 'how to run a business' books that are so common but never offer anything new. But it was synchronicity that brought my this book and for that I am grateful.
I'd have died one thousands deaths if Nancy Cato had just looked at me. Are you still writing plays? There's an amazing theatre community where I live. I've never been able to get into it, but love the craft of the writing. I do like to get to live theatre. A sparse set, the actors, the story. I am transported. I keep raving about The Painted Veil (movie). I rave because I know it was a book and want to read the book because I was lost in the story. I love that about film and theatre. Oh you gorgeous thing. No, don't think about those ad execs. I am working towards joining you. Not exactly the same end goal and I'm not earning big bucks now, so no great loss, but there is a plan. A seed of a plan.
ReplyDeleteLOL - I did die a thousand (swear word) deaths!! It's the only time I have thought, oh dear, maybe my swearing is a little too much, after all! Not writing plays so much as I write so much in other ways - and you can't work and hobby the same thing - or, at least I can't! Note to self - must see that movie - haven't seen it, nor read it, but now must see it as it's made such an impact on you.
ReplyDeleteAnd follow that plan. Please. Follow that path with everything you think and feel. Never give up. Never lose hope. Always be true to yourself and it will happen :)
And when you plant that seed your dream will start to develop - a little murky at first, but with each day, it will become clearer :)
I was drifting off to sleep last night and suddenly your post popped into my head. I knew I'd seen that name before, right here at home. I looked it up this morning and there you go.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.diamondcuttercentre.org/
Thank you. After a blow up in my house last night, which started on the subject of dreams, they're nice words. Ta.
Wow! I had no idea the whole Diamond Cutter book thing had found it's way into teaching - let alone centres in Australia. Thank you so much for the link - it's an interesting site for me :)
ReplyDeleteSee - synchronicity does work! Ahhh....the power of moments in time meeting :)
I hope your blow up has blown over by this morning and it's sunny for you again!