November Recap
November passed faster than I could have ever imagined possible. Here I am standing in December wondering what on earth happened to the 11th month of the year. Gone in a flash filled with memories and time spent with family and so many other things.
The month started out with the continuation of La Rondine, the Opera I was the choreographer of as well as performed in. Rehearsals happened most evenings and the second week of November brought about the dreaded tech week and eventually the two long awaited performances. It’s hard to believe that so much effort and energy goes into something that’s over in a couple of hours. But it ended up going well in the end, even though I was extremely glad to see it come to an end.
The first weekend of November was the start of a juried art show that I was able to take part in. My image “Pitted” was chosen for the show and a 10” x 10” framed print went into a gallery with several other artists for a month-long exhibition and juried show. While I unfortunately did not place in the competition, it was nice to see some of my work on the wall of a gallery.
After the opera ended, I headed into a very family oriented portion of the month. With my Dad’s birthday the week before Thanksgiving, we were able to spend quite a bit of time with family over the two weeks. Thanksgiving was a nice relaxed weekend with far too much food and family coming in from out of town.
During the long weekend, I was able to take some time to edit and meet up with a friend to try shooting a video (something I’m working on learning how to get better at). While I usually have to fight off feelings of “I should have done more” during time off, I must say my time felt very productive and healthy. I stayed away from social media and was able to stay engaged in the present moment and feel more creative. It’s amazing how not spending time on social media can lead to feeling more alive and less bogged down.
As I’ve learned in therapy, any amount of progress should be celebrated and marveled at. It takes hard work to grow and it also takes time. Not every day will be perfect and I’m learning to accept the waves as they come knowing that some days will be better than others and that’s okay. I’ve been pulled back into social media this past week, but I know that I can do better and I can live life without such a huge distraction. Therefore, I won’t let this slight regression completely knock me off track, there’s always another day to try to be better than yesterday.
During the week of and before Thanksgiving, there was a wildfire about 20 miles away which made for some extremely smoky air and beautiful sunsets. My dad and I went over closer to the fire one day to see some of the damage that had been done and I’m interested in going back up now that the fire is out to try and do a couple of photoshoots in the burned woods. It could make for some extremely interesting backgrounds for photography.
After Thanksgiving, I put up Christmas decorations and started to get a head start on Christmas shopping. It’s hard to believe it’s right around the corner, but Christmas will be here before we know it!
Overall, November went by far too fast and was truly a month of family time and a lot of turkey. I’m thankful for the ability to be creative and the ability to pursue my passions. I look forward to making more progress in the future!
Favorite Moment: Performing in the opera on a historic stage.
Lesson Learned: Just because you have one bad day does not mean you have to spiral down a well of bad days. Tomorrow is a new day and a chance to start again. Don't allow previous mistakes to ruin the opportunity to make a beautiful day.
Looking Forward To Next Month: Spending time with family for Christmas.
Until Next Time,
Lillian Merritt
