Kamala tells me, “We are all connected; cousins, long time friends, a full-on family. We all do what we love to do, and are here to encourage each other. This place is all about community; yoga, good food, play and lots of dancing. I never though I would be a fire dancer, but here I am doing this I’m loving life!”
Tonight I find myself in a special place. It’s like I have fallen down the rabbit hole and have wandered into Wonderland. Just this afternoon I met Kamala on the phone, she is referred by the art teacher of my daughter. As we chat, her energy reaches through the phone while she extends an invitation to visit her house this evening. What deeply impresses me is her selflessness, “You can come, but it will not be about me, it will be about us.”
You’re not kidding! I arrive to more people than I can count. And first things first, I am invited for dinner amidst the aroma of the most wonderful food, all prepared by the culinary master of the house, Brit, who, incidentally, is not only a fire dancer, but a trained gourmet chef. I love to eat, so I’m in, still not fully grasping the fact that the most amazing night has begun.
As I get acquainted with my 365 friends, the stream of new faces never ends. I can truly say, “I have stumbled upon what I feel is one of the greatest creative hubs in Los Angeles,” and I’ve been to a lot of places and have met a lot of artists. Right off the bat, I know there is no way I can interview everyone — that would be a monumental task, and one that I’m sure would reach deep into the week. So I enlist the help of the group, asking them to write their answers to my questions throughout the evening. Kamala helpfully sets up her laptop on the dining room table, making it easy for all to contribute their words. I’m loving it here, they are all in.
So we’re all chatting, sitting at the dining table as entries are written. Kelly goes first with a sinister, yet warmly funny laugh, “I’m holding us up,” she says as she clicks away at the keys. But there are no worries, none are stressed. As a matter of fact, it’s quite the opposite, all for one and one for all in this neighborhood.
What is important to this eclectic family is this: The experience of the evening, and helping each other to excel and be safe with their fire tricks. This family is on awesome.
Not all of us are at the table; the dedication of these artists is staggering. Outside has been non-stop practice and coaching. With the entire front of the residence being converted into a fire spinning studio, everyone has a place to take their turn in heating it up. Even Kelly, who just 15 minutes ago was in front of my lens, spinning crazy amounts of fire only inches from her head.
I too am taking a break from the front yard energy and am sitting at the table to chill. To the left of me is Jade, delivering dialogue for a music video promotion one of the gang is producing. Crazy lines are bouncing off the walls, “Kick out the epic x!x!X@@@!” I’m told it’s for a Swedish band. Got to love those insane Swedes. I know a few of them. To the left of me is Brit, our amazing chef, her talents are deep and she is checking out a set of storyboards for a Kung Fu belly dance movie she is part of, sindanceproductions.com.
But there are more than just two projects happening — these are only a few of the happenings at this wonderfully eclectic home of imagination. I am told, “It is always this way around here and I am welcome anytime.” I am honored by the invite and will take them up on the open door sometime.
Even thought the night is past and morning is rapidly approaching, the creative spirit is endless and even now, at 1:23am, I find myself captured, sitting in the living room and not able to return home until I complete this entry.
I have truly found myself in creative heaven, and the fire is magical.
But still, we all have work tomorrow. Oh crud! I mean today, and the night is wrapping. It is time for me to go. So with the glow of fire now dimming on my shoulders, I present you the words written by my fab new friends.
Here you go.
The questions”
“What is your message to the world?”
“What will you be doing in 5 years – goals, aspirations or maybe your way of life?”
Jade
“My message to the world is… ‘Live the life you love and love the life you live.’ You must push yourself to be the purest form of you. Embrace all that you are and allow yourself to be pushed to your own fullest.”
“In five years I will still be pushing myself and those around me to inspire the world with a pure form of art and radical self-expression. Only by allowing ourselves to be true to what we are will we encourage our surroundings to break out of the shells that hold us all in.”
Kamala
“You can do ANYTHING you want with YOUR life! Do it now and do not let another moment pass without living to the fullest!
“In five years I will be in the moment living life to the fullest, doing whatever it is that makes me thrive, laugh, smile and rich in all aspects of the word and I will be being the best me I can be in that moment.”
Will
“Follow your passion, take risks, regret nothing… you’ll get out of life what you put into it.
“In five years I will continue adventuring and traveling the world… always in search of amazing experiences and incredible people!”
Kelly
“Never give up, never slow down. Find the love in everything that comes to you, and in all that you meet. Trust in God and you’ll find all things are possible.
“Five years will come in the blink of an eye, and I only hope that when that time comes I’ll be at a place of love, happiness, and peace. Or in space. (Man, I want to go into space.)”
Britt
“Follow your dreams! What seems impossible today is within reach tomorrow.
“In 5 years I hope to be enjoying the love and prosperity that I enjoy today, to fully appreciate every moment of being alive, to be inspired in my daily life and share it with others.”
Parker
“Surround yourself with people who inspire you.
“In five years I’d like to have access to the people who are making a difference in the world, and help them share their stories internationally through film and other art forms.”
Glen
“In five years I hope to be part of a creative, successful community.
“It’s good to take a moment and ask yourself if what you are doing is making you happy. If it isn’t making you happy it might be time to try something else.”
Check out the Fire Groove website at http://www.firegroove.com
Remember I said it was 1:23am. Well, I still needed to edit and prepare a few photos. It’s 3:35am now. I’m going to bed.
See you tomorrow, bright eyed and bushy tailed.