Having had such positive feedback from the launching of our website has made me appreciate my friends and the people who keep coming to see our shows and participating in our workshops. I definitely feel the support.

The winter has turned into Spring with a ton of good things including this website although the winter was at times, quite dark and my fingers wouldn’t listen to my brain to type the words I needed to type. Maybe that’s why Spring is so important this year. There are some new blossoms on my career and I grew a musical.

I wanted to thank ArtStarts in Schools for being so good at what they do with booking artists into schools and I have to say that this year’s showcase experience was top notch. I’ve always loved backstage where all of the energy is swirling around yet contained and ArtStarts has incredible people working as technicians and assistants to help you get your set on stage and off, your sound checked all without a hiccup. Thanks to Tom Fijal. He’s the technician and he is funny (and he totally ‘gets’ the puppets).

You apply to showcase your work and hope to get chosen and then delegates from around the Province come and see if they want to book you. There are amazing entertainers and workshop facilitators at ArtStarts in Schools. Take a look Kellie Haines ArtStarts! You get 12 minutes to show your piece of work and if you go over a little light flashes at you to give you the signal.

We had the showcase in the beautiful Orpheum Annex which is a great space. I hope to perform soon in this theatre for my new musical The Story of Me, Myself & I. This musical has been in the works for about 5 years now. It’s funny though when you think of how effortlessly your pen moves over your worn out script when you relax and trust that the words will be there. I jokingly tell people the play took 4 and a half years to worry about getting it right and about 6 months to write the play and the music. Once you get going it’s like walking on a beam in gymnastics. You look straight ahead and then the concentration helps keep the mind quiet.

I wanted to end my blog entry with a picture from my childhood when I was skating on our pond, by that willow tree that I write about in the song “I Want To Play.” I didn’t know how to skate but I knew how to find my balance. Perhaps my balance practise comes from living and playing on a farm in Wainfleet Ontario and teaching myself how to walk the entire length of the fence around the bard yard. I was little and the fence was high but I didn’t have the fear.
I just walked the fence and found my balance.

In my musical there is a part when Magrau, Kamilla and I join the circus and we walk the tightrope.

So, when I start doubting myself, I remember walking the fence. If I fell down, I would just get back up again and yes, sometimes it hurt. If I didn’t walk the fence often, then I’d lose my confidence. Maybe that is what performing is all about – just getting out there and doing what you love and doing it and doing it and learning and learning because if you trust your instincts on stage and off, you will always find your balance.

Thanks for reading!
Kellie