Well, I Do Declare

It’s been months since i’ve written and I need to apologize. I’m learning how important intentionality is in ALL areas of my life. And when I don’t treat all areas with that intention, life just sweeps it up and my distracted brain is aimed at something else. Can you relate? Alright, enough excuses, let’s get to it!

Tv Debut on the At Home with Amy Sedaris show

The episode of At Home with Amy Sedaris (Trutv) that I shot last fall, finally aired a couple of weeks ago. What a whirlwind of emotions! Excitement, of course, but what surprised me most was how easy it was to judge myself: How I looked, my acting, my weight, etc etc etc…[place photo of recently discovered black hole here + look of terror]. I have been working hard over the last four months or so, to be nicer to myself when those voices creep into my head. Alas, as I sat on the couch the evening the show aired, the vocal army entered my headspace with a goal to wreak havoc on my happy thoughts. I’m glad our brains are not visible, because it was a back and forth war during the less-than-an-hour episode. This sounds rough and it was exhausting; however, it was also helpful to see that I need to work harder to change what has become more of a default setting. What I don’t want to downplay though is that this was a goal achieved. I moved here to do what I love (act) and have people see it. THAT HAPPENED PUBLICLY…WHAT ON EARTH?! So know that there was celebrating, involving a banana split and champagne, happening too. If you don’t know Amy Sedaris or Paul Dinello, look them up! They are worth the research and bringing silliness to this planet. Can I get an amen?

Other things that have happened since I last wrote: I saw To Kill A Mockingbird (Adapted by Aaron Sorkin; Jeff Daniels; Celia Keenan-Bolger) on Broadway. It was moving and I nearly ugly cried, loudly, in the theater. Thankfully, I have learned how to be a decent stuffer-of-overwhelming-emotion. So, only a few tears shot out of my eyeballs. I traveled to Savannah, Georgia and Hilton Head, South Carolina for the first time ever and boy are they beautiful cities! I even got to eat at The Grey Restaurant, which was recently featured on Chef’s Table. It was a dining EXPERIENCE, if i’ve ever had one. I could write and write but I’ll end it here for now. I promise to write more soon and also, expect some exciting and new Joyce Pearl developments soon. Happy Saturday to you!

Sincerely, SS

Joyce Pearl & Why Spread Cheer

I won’t keep you too much longer. If you watched all 2:39 minutes of the video above, THANK YOU. What I need to tell you is that my friend Alla (“Why”) and I were terrified to take our clowns in public. You may ask Why (the question, not the clown, though she may answer.)? It’s because both of our clowns are the parts of us we try and keep protected from the judgement of the world. I can’t speak for her. However, Joyce Pearl is a visual version of my insecurities, thoughts and silliness exposed...and that is terrifying. There’s a saying that you’re supposed to do what scares you most and this ranked pretty high for us both. So in the name of the joy-filled holiday season, we took the risk! We have several videos, some funnier than others; others definitely not funny. But the takeaway was a dollop of courage and time spent with a friend I admire. I couldn’t ask for more. Thank you for reading this and for investing in me. I count that a blessing. Happy New Year!

Flowers at Night

The sky is covered in clouds and there are faint sounds of sirens and airplanes. I am home all day today and feel very thankful.

The pictures above are a couple moments over the last two months that forced me to stop. I was walking home one evening and saw a stoop light shining on a nearby flowerbed. It reminds me of that plastic flower from childhood that had a motion sensor. Whenever you walked by it, it would move and/or sing and dance in its little pot. It always made me laugh. For some reason, these little flowers looked happy or maybe it was simply that they made me happier. I don’t ever think about flowers at night, but I was gifted an opportunity to on that day. Flowers at night seem like one of nature’s secrets and I’m thankful I was let in on it this year.

The second photo is from the day my friend Bekah and I walked the length of Manhattan. It was something I’ve wanted to do since living here and I convinced my friend to come along for the journey. It was an all day commitment, filled with surprises! I experienced new places and quality time in a city that is a character all on its own. It was a big to-do and my hurried mind bulldozed through the celebration of it afterwards. I appreciate the way this city makes me think and feel. Who knows, maybe November will help me find beauty in roaches and rats! Happy Autumn to each of you. May your minds be filled with new thoughts this season!