Reflection

  • Performers, Reflection

    3 Lies That Stop Us From Writing A Solo Show

    “Truth is the ultimate power. When the truth comes around, all the lies have to run and hide.” – Ice Cube

    Have you been toying with the notion of writing a solo show for decades but you can never think of an idea worthy enough of putting your pen to the page?

    Is there a little nudge from within encouraging you to write a one person play, but you cannot justify engaging in that much navel-gazing when it feels like the world around us is falling apart day by day?

     

    Do you always get sidetracked by all of your other responsibilities during the only time you had to finally make progress on your solo show script?

     

    If you see yourself in any or all of these examples, then I have a big dose of sobering truth for you.

     

    The reason you haven’t reached your solo show goals is not because you do not have time, talent or important stories to tell.

     

    The reason your solo theatre dreams have not come to fruition is most likely the result of having a cunning liar living in your head rent free.

     

    This prevaricator is like a deceitful DJ who is looping lies on repeat within your mind and you just keep listening to it like it’s a greatest hits album.

     

    In today’s blog, we are going to turn up the volume on the truth by exposing the 3 most insidious lies solo artists tell themselves that stop them from manifesting their one person masterpiece.

     

    Let’s dive into the deception!

    1. “I don’t have a story worth telling.”

     

    The second that your creative intuition blesses you with an idea to write about for your solo show, almost immediately a harsh voice pops in that says that your idea has been done before. It tells you that your story is boring. It convinces you that no one is interested in sitting in a black box theatre listening to you drone on and it convinces you that you are unworthy of taking up that much space and attention.

     

    If you have lived through trauma, the voice tells you that you’re just being a victim by opening up about it. If you have not lived through trauma, then the voice tells you that nothing important has happened to you, so you do not have anything meaningful to share.

     

    This critical voice will stop at nothing to shut you up because as Marianne Williamson famously said in her book A Return To Love…

     

     “It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

     

    We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

    Actually, who are you not to be?

    You are a child of God.

    Your playing small does not serve the world.

    There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

    We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

    It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.

     

    And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

     

    As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

     

    I agree wholeheartedly. On the deepest level we know we are worthy, but there are so many layers of lies we must sift through to truly believe it.

     

    So, how do you sift through this level of deceit to gain a true perspective on your worth?

     

    Well, you start by recognizing that you are not alone in buying into this negativity. Sadly, nearly every single solo artist I have ever worked with over the past 20 years has confessed some version of this distorted thinking to me during our coaching sessions.

     

     

    Next, you begin to embrace the reality that every single human being has a story worth telling and that absolutely includes you.

    Think about it this way.

    When you attend a support group, a 12-step meeting, or simply sit down for coffee with a friend, the most valuable thing that transpires in any of those scenarios is that people exchange their stories, feel less alone, and learn and grow alongside one another.

     

    Others will see themselves in your story when you are courageous enough to tell it, and this recognition will help them feel more connected to themselves and to humanity.

     

    Now, for the next falsehood we often buy into…

    2. “It’s narcissistic to write and perform a solo show.”

     

    It is true that we live in a very self-absorbed society where snapping the perfect selfie and posting a glamorous highlight reel on our social media has become far too important.

     

    By contrast, having the guts to really be introspective, to admit to your faults and mistakes, to convey your highest highs and your lowest lows, this is far from narcissistic. This is an act of major generosity.

     

    In a world where we are pressured to be perfect through diets, filters, botox and unlimited trips to the gym, true solo theatre ameliorates that egoism by presenting an authentic expression of ourselves. Authenticity is complicated. Reality is messy. The truth of who we are is the black, white, and grey that lives within us.

     

    So, yes, if all you want to do is stand in the spotlight and brag for an hour about innumerable impressive things you have achieved, then I would have to admit that is pretty narcissistic. However, if your goal is to be vulnerable and honest about the complexities of who you are and what you have been through, even when it’s not flattering…that is a gift to both you and your audience.

     

    Ok, we have shed light on 2 terrible lies, but we still have one more to reveal.

     

    1. “I don’t have time to write and perform a solo show.”

     

    Maybe you are a parent or the head of a company. Perhaps you are a caregiver or juggling multiple parttime jobs. You could be in grad school or any number of time consuming roles in life.

     

    Everything I just mentioned is a valid responsibility, and there are a million more commitments I could list that are just as cogent.

     

    But let me ask you something.

     

    Do you eat, sleep, and breathe every day? Do you do some level of physical exertion to keep your body healthy? Do you pray, meditate, chant or partake in some other form of spiritual nourishment?

     

    I hope the answer is yes to all of that.

     

    And if the answer is yes, then I would assume you do all of those things because you want to be physically, mentally and spiritually well.

     

    Each of those items are nonnegotiable for you because all of those things are arguably crucial elements to living a life of wholeness.

     

    If you started to neglect any one of those things, the odds are good that you would start to suffer. It might become painful, even agonizing to neglect yourself in any of these aforementioned categories.

     

    The same is true of your creative expression.

     

    Maya Angelou understood the severity of sealing away our stories when she said…

     

    “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

     

    So, yes, we are busy people. We have many responsibilities, but let’s not treat our artistic expression the way that the government typically does and decide that it is not worth the investment of our time, talent and resources.

     

    A creatively expressed you is a healthy you. And the healthier you are as an individual, the more equipped you are to show up to all areas of your life as the best version of yourself.

    Being your best self is worth your time.

     

    The universe is not going to magically create a 25th hour in the day. We need to repurpose the time we have already been given because we understand that our creativity matters just as much, and even sometimes more, than everything else.

     

    Well, solo artists, I hope today’s blog entry has enabled you to hear these blatant lies a little bit more loudly when they start chattering in your mind. My desire for you is that you start to replace each fabrication with these inspiring truths…

     

    You have a story worth telling.

     

    You are generous and brave for telling it.

     

    And it is well worth your time to share your story.

     

     

    Jessica Lynn Johnson

    Founder & CEO of Soaring Solo LLC

    SoaringSoloArtist@gmail.com

    http://www.SoaringSoloStudios.com

    BIO: Jessica Lynn Johnson, is a published playwright, recipient of BEST NATIONAL SOLO ARTIST AWARD from Dialogue One Solo Theatre Festival, Director & Teaching Artist for the LA Women’s Theatre Festival, Co-Producer of the Stars Solo Series,and CEO of Soaring Solo Studios. Jessica aided in the development, direction & producing of over 200 solo shows! As a performer, Jessica “edu-tained” international audiences touring her own one person shows ZE and OBLIVIOUS TO EVERYONE for over 15 years. Jessica’s projects have been awarded TOP OF FRINGE, HFF ENCORE PRODUCER AWARDS, TVOLUTION BEST SOLO PERFORMANCE, LARRY CORNWALL AWARD FOR MUSICAL EXCELLENCE & several other accolades! Jessica was also nominated for the Female Director of Distinction in Theatre by Girl Trip LLC at the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival, nominated as Best Director of a Play by Broadway World 2023 & awarded the Rainbow Award 2024 by the LA Women’s Theatre Festival. http://www.SoaringSoloStudios.com

  • Community, Festival, LAWTF, Reflection

    LAWTF SUPPORTS THOSE IMPACTED BY THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FIRES

    We, at the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival mourn irreparable destruction in our community caused by the Los Angeles wildfires that included the Pacific Palisades and the Eaton fire in the Altadena area as well as smaller fires in the area in early January 2025. 

     

    These fires have resulted in irreversible damage to the natural landscapes of Los Angeles, displacement of hundreds of people and pets, injury, loss of life, and the loss of homes and irreplaceable property for many. 

     

    The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival has been a staple in Los Angeles Theater for over three decades, and over this time has established a strong relationship with our local community. Thus, it is all the more devastating to witness the physical, social, and emotional losses incurred by our residents and the vibrant and beautiful theatre community of Los Angeles. 

     

    The theme of LAWTF’s 2025 Festival is “STRONGER TOGETHER.” We believe that right now, more than ever, it is important to reflect what it really means to find strength within our communities. 

     

    Whether you are a patron of the arts or simply a concerned citizen, there are plenty of ways to support your local community during this time. The most direct way is through donations, both monetary and in-kind. Monetary donations can be made to organizations such as the American Red Cross, The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, and the California Fire Foundation, amongst others. 

     

    Additionally, you can support displaced members of the historically black and brown community of Altadena by contributing to their GoFundMes, an ongoing directory of which can be found here. Moreover, items like clothes, toiletries, canned and non-perishable food items, blankets, bottled water, and N95 masks can also be dropped off at various donation drops throughout the city. 

     

    If monetary donations are not feasible at the moment, you can always donate your time. Many organizations are overwhelmed by the number of donations received and require volunteers to help sort through donated materials, as well as drivers to transport material back and forth. 

     

    Organizations such as the World Central Kitchen Relief Team need volunteers to help prep, serve, and deliver fresh meals to people in need. Or, if you are looking for a way to support furry friends in need of a temporary home, many animal shelters are looking for volunteers to foster animals displaced by the fires. A list of organizations seeking volunteers can be found here. 

     

    However you choose to help, it is important to remember that there are real human beings who have suffered devastating losses.  Hence it is integral to uplift our community with the dignity and respect they deserve, whether it be through making sure items donated are hygienic, usable, and in decent condition, taking the necessary precautions when dealing with pets, or doing the necessary research and due diligence before volunteering. 

     

    In the spirit of community, it is also important to acknowledge the relationship between the fires and the ongoing climate crisis. Experts have predicted that the fires were caused by a combination of unusually strong Santa Ana winds and climate extremities in California. All of us bear the brunt of keeping our planet safe from such disasters, whether it be through personal action like recycling, responsible consumption, and limiting our usage of extreme energy-consuming tools like ChatGPT, or through public action, like holding our local and national government leaders responsible for enacting laws that protect our planet. 

     

    Despite the circumstances we find ourselves in, we at LAWTF would still like to begin this year with a message of hope. It is at times like these that it becomes important to create art that brings the community together, and it is firmly rooted in our mission to “engage with and inspire communities” through theatre. 

     

    In the words of Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” It is through our art that we will imagine and create a better tomorrow for ourselves and the communities around us. 

     

    We invite you to join the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival, March 27-30, 2025. For more information, visit lawtf.org

  • Community, Event, Holidays, LAWTF, Reflection

    LAWTF’s Post-Election Discussion

    A month has now passed since our highly fought 2024 Election. This blog is a follow-up on our LAWTF Post–Election Dialogue that we held on Friday evening, November 15, 2024. Our Zoom gathering was at once moving, cathartic, and contributed to each participant’s well-being.

    We thank everyone who attended and are also reaching out to those who did not make it.

    As we look forward to this Holiday Season, we at the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival wanted to speak to our community from a place of gratitude and reflection.

    Firstly, we would like to acknowledge the people who exercised their right to vote in this election, not only for the President, but for the equally important local representatives and propositions down the ballot. Voting is a vital pillar of our democracy, and we’re proud of those who exercised their right to vote and by doing so, made their collective voices heard.

    Regardless of our election results, we believe we must stay vigilant and protective of our democracy. It is important to not become disillusioned, complacent, or feel that voting does not matter because it most certainly does!

    Our Presidential elections, while a major part of exercising our personal rights, are only one aspect of our democracy. We citizens are also responsible for ensuring that our elected officials are delivering on their promises and policies that got them into office. Our representatives work for US, both at the local and national level. In addition to voting, we can make our voices heard by letter writing, phone calls, and attending local council meetings.

    Especially approaching the Holiday Season, know that it is perfectly healthy to take time to process and grieve before being called to action. Equally as important as reflection is leaning on friends and family during this time.

    Below are some suggestions LAWTF suggests to take care of ourselves:

    1. Meditation

    2. Exercise

    3. Prayer

    4. Journaling

    5. Yoga

    6. Proper diet

    7. Proper sleep

    8. Communing with nature

    9. Gathering in communities

    10. Writing (both personal and creatively)

    As Michelle Obama has said: “Just Do Something,” but be easy on yourself during this time. The holidays focus on gratitude, so allow yourself love and levity as you gather with loved ones.

    On your healing journey, decide how and when to take action as an artivist.

    We at LAWTF, as a contributing community-building organization, will be right alongside you!