Space

http://polaroid41.com/space/

Wednesday, May 5th, 2021 - 4:11pm.

On their 2001 album “White Blood Cells,” The White Stripes have a tiny gem of a song called “Little Room.” Little Room, lasting just 50 seconds, is a brief and lovely ode to the creative process, and more importantly to the role of space in the creative process.

Now, I don’t know if you are reading this or listening to this, but for those of you who are listening, here comes a treat...I am going to sing you the White Stripes song. Here goes:

Well, you're in your little room
And you're working on something good
But if it's really good
You're gonna need a bigger room
And when you're in the bigger room
You might not know what to do
You might have to think of how you got started
Sitting in your little room

I am currently making my first big solo show. After a year of creating portfolios, drafting notes of intention, filing funding applications, soliciting potential partners and residency spaces, I have finally arrived at the beginning of the creative process. Last week and this week I had my first days working with my director in two different theatres. Earlier in April I also had three days alone in a theatre space. This wasn’t the initial plan but due to ever-evolving covid restrictions, schools opening and closing, etc, I ended up being available while my director was not. I hesitated...I have never had three days of creation time alone in a theatre before...but then I thought: Wait a minute, after a year of living on top of each other, someone is offering me an entire theatre to myself. I have to do this! So, I gathered up my books and notebooks, my crayons, paper and scissors, I packed myself a lunch and off I went.

The technician greeted me, showed me around the space, turned the lights and sound on and then left me to it. The first thing I did was take off my socks and shoes, walk to the middle of the stage and blast ‘Little Room’ from all 8 speakers while I sang and danced my heart out. You see, I’ve been carrying the idea for this show in my head and heart for a very long time, and now it’s time for a ‘bigger room.’ It’s the Jack White method for the creative process: start simple, if you’ve got something good, recognize it and dare to take up some space, know that this step might be intimidating and if it is, come back to the roots and remember where you started from.
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Complete 'polaroid' - text, minicast and polaroid image - available at: http://polaroid41.com/space/