Mark Evans Studio

There's a kind of holiday season we all should aspire to, right?!  If we are guided by history, society, mainstream and social media we are expected to have something close to a  Hallmark special. Lots of red and green. Lots of laughter and joy. Lots of gift giving and smiles. Lots of eating and drinking. Lots of love and togetherness. I truly hope you experience all of the above because it sounds glorious, doesn’t it? However, even the romanticized version of the holidays above can make one feel all sorts of conflicting feelings, so I encourage you to not just get wrapped up in the ‘social media’ presentational version of the holidays but to actually experience ALL of it. As you head into the holidays, I want to remind you of the power of your breath.   If you experience tremendous joy -Allow a breath  If you feel overwhelmed - Allow a breath If you feel anxious - Allow a breath If you feel content - Allow a breath   Notice how I write ‘Allow’ and not ‘Take’....

“It’s Both” Last Monday I attended the memorial of my beloved friend, and friend to many , Gavin Creel.  Gavin was a human like no other. A bright light, a joy and a relentless inspiration to myself and many others.  One of the things I appreciated during the memorial was that in addition to focussing on his successes and joys and what will ultimately be his legacy as a Broadway superstar talent, they also focussed on his occasional struggles in life. Mentioning his challenges at the memorial, was an effective way to humanize a Broadway icon and allowed us all to remember the real him and not just the idea of him. Gavin often navigated periods of deep pain and struggle and one of his mottos was the word ‘BOTH’. That in the search for an answer, remembering that two (or both) things can be true. A simple reminder that you can experience happiness and grief in the same moment. Gratitude and disappointment. Pride and jealousy.  It’s ambivelence. Meaning that multiple things ...