Hello dear friends, family and fellow followers,
Joel here wanting to share some words as I haven’t updated this blog in a while. There have been many experiences in these last few years that I look forward to sharing with you all. So I thought I’d start with some reason updates about me. 2023 has been a pretty intense and heavy year for me to say the least. It has been the most challenging time for me as I had lost my father and grandfather (ten days apart) in January 2023. It was not exactly the way I wanted to start out the year, as it had let to the aftermath of such a loss. It’s probably the worse experience I’ve ever had, and perhaps at a later time I will share the full story…but alas it is a challenge that my family and I have been enduring for the last year, which has yet come to a close.
I’ve come to learn more about grief and the waves in which it comes through in emotions, memories and feelings that ebb and flow every day. I have gotten better with my ability to handle things, but it never really goes away. My father was an amazing man and to have this void remain is a constant emptiness that I’m still not sure how I can fill. But I have had a wonderful support system of friends and family to protect and nurture me during the last year. It’s really important to keep these things sacred, and allow the right energies into your life at times of grief and loss. This is a subject I’m sure I will be talking about in the future, but thought I’d dip my toes in a little to share. By going through this experience I have been able to also be support to those who have gone through the same thing. By navigating such a harrowing time, I have an ability to talk to a few friends who have also experienced the same loss in the last year. Grief is different for everyone who has experienced it and no two are the same. But I’ve been able to hold space and support those with sharing my thoughts and experiences. This is also an avenue of healing for me on my journey, which I welcome others to join me in. If you need support know that there are outlets, and if you want to reach out to me I am always open to hearing from you, and appreciate the support that friends and family have shared.
For those of you who missed out on this last year, I played a few songs in tribute to my father, and I posted the videos on my Youtube channel you can see above!
But for now let’s jump into some of the good things that happened in the last year!
I started a new part time job at the Toronto Public Library’s Theatre Department and have been an in house technician supporting groups with their events, plays and projects. It’s been a super fun and rewarding experience to be back in the theatre, and I welcome and encourage more people to take advantage of this resource that TPL has to offer. There are three theatres available to rent: Fairview, Palmerston and York Wood branches of libraries there is a full theatre to use!! So far I’ve seen public speaking, dance recitals, live performances, comedies, dramas, children’s shows, and a variety of plays! This week at Fairview, the group Stage Centre Productions is putting on a performance of The Elephant Man, which I encourage everyone to come out to!
The link for their website is: http://www.stagecentreproductions.com/
Anyone interested in renting a theatre or space you can use this link : https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/using-the-library/room-theatre-rentals/theatres.jsp
Fairview Library’s Theatre
I have also had the opportunity to join my former drama professor Steven Bush, as an Associate Producer in developing more awareness of his project THOG’s Hamlet! This is a film of a 1971 stage production that he acted and directed. He screened it last year at the Reel Canada Film Festival and I was blown away! We have successfully gotten a deal with Stratfest @ Home - Stratford Festival’s streaming service, and it will be launching April 5th! So stay tuned for another update with a link and press release for that next week!
A Screenshot from the website of Stratfest@Home for THOG’s Hamlet
As we move into Aries season and the energetic power of the Solstice on the 21st of March, I feel a fire rising! I’m still competing in the world of acting, still fighting the good fight of creativity and challenging myself on a constant basis to be a writer and produce the projects I want to share with the world. It has been a harrowing journey thus far, and this last year I really had to take a step back and observe life for what it is, and reflect on all my experiences thus far. 33 - my Jesus year I would say all the time in 2023. The most challenging time for growth I have gone through thus far, and I know it’s just the beginning for new and beautiful things. There are a few other things I want to share that have been brewing for some time now, but I’ll save that for a later date, and keep it sacred for a little bit more until I’m ready to execute it in a way that is worthy of your time and attention. But until then let me say that I am excited for the adventures to come. The sun is out and I’m feeling spring on the horizon. I’m a summer baby and know that once we hit Gemini I will be in full swing once again, so expect some big reveals around my birthday come June! Until then much love and light to you all, and thanks for tuning in!
JMC
PS. My Youtube channel has been blossoming! I am almost at 900 subscribers, and I will celebrate when I hit that magical 1000! So thanks for everyone who’s tuned in thus far. And for those of you who haven’t! Please like and subscribe in the link below :)